Tuning the Viscoelasticity of Hydrogen-Bonded Polymeric Materials through Solvent Composition

Lele Mathis, Yaoyao Chen, Kenneth R. Shull*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

The interactions between polymer molecules in solution are strongly affected by the way that the constituent polymers interact with the solvent. In this work, we use a mixed solvent system (dimethyl sulfoxide and ethylene glycol) to tailor the strength of the hydrogen-bonding interactions between partially quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) [QVP] and poly(methacrylic acid) [PMAA]. The charge introduced by the quaternization reaction enables homogeneous solutions to be formed over a large concentration range, even in the presence of attractive hydrogen-bonding interactions between the proton-donating PMAA and the proton-accepting QVP. The viscoelastic properties of equimolar QVP/PMAA solutions are superposed onto master curves that are well-described by a fractional Maxwell liquid model. This model provides a means for quantifying the dependence of the relaxation times on the solvent composition. These relaxation times increase by a factor of 1000 as the hydrogen-bonding interactions are strengthened by a decrease in the DMSO content of the solvent, within a composition regime where the solutions remain homogeneous. A much stronger effect is obtained when the ethylene glycol is replaced by water.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3975-3982
Number of pages8
JournalMacromolecules
Volume51
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 12 2018

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Polymers and Plastics
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Materials Chemistry

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