Abstract
The equilibrium segregation of deuterated polystyrene–poly(2-vinylpyridine) diblock copolymers to interfaces between high molecular weight polystyrene and poly(2-vinylpyridine) homopolymers was measured by forward recoil spectrometry. The dependence of the integrated segregation on the equilibrium copolymer concentration in the PS phase is compared to predictions from a mean-field theory in which the copolymer chemical potential is the relevant parameter. Predictions from the theory are quantitatively accurate for values of the copolymer chemical potential, which are below a certain limiting value associated with the formation of block copolymer micelles. The segregation behavior in the regime where micelles are present is complicated by a strong tendency for micelles to segregate to the free polystyrene surface and by a weaker tendency for micelles to segregate to the interfacial region. Values of the copolymer chemical potential at the micelle transition are obtained from a careful analysis of the data and are in reasonable agreement with predictions from a simplified theory of micelle formation.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 4780-4787 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Macromolecules |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 22 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1990 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Organic Chemistry
- Polymers and Plastics
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Materials Chemistry