Long PEO-based nanoribbons generated in a polystyrene matrix through reaction-induced microphase separation followed by a fast crystallization process.

A dispersion of elongated nanostructures with a high aspect ratio in polymer matrices has been reported to provide a material with valuable properties such as mechanical strength, barrier effect and shape memory, among others. In this study, we show the procedure to achieve a distribution of elongated crystalline nanodomains in a PS matrix employing the self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers (BCP). The selected BCP was polystyrene-block-polyethylene oxide (PS-b-PEO). It was dissolved at 10 wt% in a styrene (St) monomer and the blend was slowly photopolymerized over four days at room temperature, until the reaction was arrested by vitrification. This blend was initially homogeneous and nanostructuration took place in an early stage of the polymerization as a result of the microphase separation (MS) of PEO blocks. Due to its high tendency to crystallize, demixed PEO blocks crystallized almost concomitantly with MS triggering the growing of the nanostructures. Thus, the time window between the onset of crystallization and the vitrification of the matrix was almost four days, allowing all micelles to have the opportunity to couple to a growing nanostructure. As a result, a population of nanoribbons with average lengths surpassing 10 µm dispersed in a PS matrix was obtained. It was demonstrated that these ribbon-like nanostructures are preserved as long as the heating temperature is located below the Tg of the matrix. If the material is heated above this temperature, softening of the matrix allows the breakup of the molten PEO nanoribbons due to Plateau-Rayleigh instability.

Effect of surfactant concentration on the responsiveness of a thermoresponsive copolymer/surfactant mixture with potential application on "Smart" foams formulations.

HYPOTHESIS: Previous efforts to formulate smart foams composed of mixtures of PNIPAAm, a thermoresponsive uncharged polymer, and surfactants have failed because the surfactant displaces the PNIPAAm from the liquid-air interface, removing the thermal responsiveness. We hypothesized that thermoresponsive foams could be formulated with such a mixture if a charged surfactant were used in order to anchor an oppositely charged brush-type polyelectrolyte, for which PNIPAAm could be incorporated as side chains, to the interface. EXPERIMENTS: A brush-type negatively charged co-polyelectrolyte (Cop-L) with PNIPAAm as side chains was synthetized. Its mixtures with DTAB, a cationic surfactant, in aqueous solution were characterized by dynamic light scattering, surface tension and surface compression viscoelasticity measurements, as a function of both surfactant concentration and temperature. The foam stability and its responsiveness to temperature changes were studied with a homemade apparatus. FINDINGS: The Cop-L/DTAB mixtures were capable of producing thermoresponsive foams but only in a very narrow surfactant concentration (cs) range, 0.3 < cs< 1.6 mM. The responsiveness is due to a modification of the interfacial compression elasticity induced by conformational changes of the Polyeletrolyte/surfactant aggregates at the interface. This is possible only for cs < 1.6 because higher surfactant concentrations induce the polymer collapse at all temperatures, eliminating the thermal responsiveness.

Thermodynamic and elastic fluctuation analysis of Langmuir mixed monolayers composed by dehydrocholic acid (HDHC) and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB).

The physicochemical and elastic properties of Langmuir mixed monolayers composed by dehydrocholic acid (HDHC) and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) were evaluated. The experiments were performed with a constant surface pressure penetration Langmuir balance based on Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA). The behavior of such amphiphiles in monolayer was clearly non-ideal and would be seriously influenced by the amount of HDHC molecules present. The presence of bile acid type molecules caused the monolayer be more condensed (A(c) diminution) and the intermolecular attractive interactions be stronger (high epsilon(0) values). This fact would be related to H-bond formation between water and carboxilate and carbonile groups in the cholesteric ring and agreed with the existence of laterally structured microdomains at the monolayer (determined by the analysis of the first virial coefficient, b(0)<1, of the state equation). The miscibility of both surfactants in the monolayer, their high bulk hydrophobicity (pi(c)>35 mJ m(-2)) just with the obtained negative values of the free energy of mixing Delta G(mix), and the excess second virial coefficient (b(1))(E) obtained allows us to infer that net attractive interaction existed between HDHC and DDAB molecules at the monolayer and that mixed systems would be able to be used in the formulation of supramolecular assemblies.

Spread mixed monolayers of deoxycholic and dehydrocholic acids at the air-water interface, effect of subphase pH. Characterization by axisymmetric drop shape analysis.

Bile acids (deoxycholic and dehydrocholic acids) spread mixed monolayers behavior at the air/water interface were studied as a function of subphase pH using a constant surface pressure penetration Langmuir balance based on the Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA). We examined the influence of electrostatic, hydrophobic and hydration forces on the interaction between amphiphilic molecules at the interface by the collapse area values, the thermodynamic parameters and equation of state virial coefficients analysis. The obtained results showed that at neutral (pH=6.7) or basic (pH=10) subphase conditions the collapse areas values are similar to that of cholanoic acid and consistent with the cross-sectional area of the steroid nucleus (approximately 40 A(2)). The Gibbs energy of mixing values (DeltaG(mix)<0) and the first virial coefficients of the equation of state (b(0)<1) indicated that a miscible monolayer with laterally structured microdomains existed. The aggregation number (1/b(0)) was estimated within the order of 6 (pH=6.7) and 3 (pH=10). At pH=3.2, acidic subphase conditions, no phase separation occurs (DeltaG(mix)<0) but a high expanded effect of the monolayer could be noted. The mixed monolayer behavior was no ideal and no aggregates were formed (b(0)> or =1). Such behavior indicates that the polar groups of the molecules interacts each other more strongly by repulsive electrostatic forces than with the more hydrophobic part of the molecule.

Aqueous sodium dehydrocholate-sodium deoxycholate mixtures at low concentration.

The behavior of the sodium dehydrocholate (NaDHC)-sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) mixed system was studied by a battery of methods that examine effects caused by the different components of the system: monomers, micelles, and both components. The behavior of the mixed micellar system was studied by the application of Rubingh's model. The obtained results show that micellar interaction was repulsive when the aggregates were rich in NaDHC. The gradual inclusion of NaDC in micelles led to a structural transformation in the aggregates and the interaction became attractive. The bile salts' behavior in mixed monolayers at the air-solution interface was also investigated. Mixed monolayers are monotonically rich in NaDC, giving a stable and compact adsorbed layer. Results have shown that the interaction in both micelles and monolayer is not ideal and such behavior is assumed to be due to a structural factor in their hydrocarbon backbone.