Molecular design of the hydrophobic interactions for stimuli-responsive polymers

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26410137
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Polymer chemistry
• Research Institution: Fukuoka University
• Principal Investigator: Katsumoto Yukiteru 福岡大学, 理学部, 准教授 (90351741)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 水系刺激応答性高分子 / 疎水性相互作用 / マルチブロック高分子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The micellization and phase behavior of the PEO-PPO AMB copolymers in water have been investigated. The turbidity measurement has been carried out for monitoring the cloud point (Tc). The concentration dependence of Tc clearly indicates that the polymer aqueous solution undergoes the phase separation with a lower critical solution temperature. The fluorescent probe method suggests that the 20 nm aggregates have the hydrophobic core like a micelle. The micellization entropy suggested that the hydrophobic interaction between PPO blocks induces the thermoresponsiveness of the PEO-PPO AMB copolymers in water. Hysteresis of the phase change temperature (Tpc) of stereo-controlled poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAm) in aqueous solutions has also investigated. It is found for PNiPAm with the 46 % mess content (m) that the difference between Tpc(h) and Tpc(c) becomes ignorable when the polymer concentration goes down to 0.01 wt%, while that for PNiPAm with m=55 % remains to be 5 °C.

Free Research Field

高分子物理化学