Effect of Ionic Surfactant on the Self-assembly of Triblock Copolymer

摘要

The effect of anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the self-assembly of PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer in aqueous solution has been studied using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The measurements have been carried out for fixed concentrations (1 wt%) of block copolymer and surfactant, and at varying temperatures between 20 to 80°C. Micelles of pure ionic surfactants show little change in their sizes with increasing temperature, whereas structures of the non-ionic micelles increase significantly (sphere-to-rod transition for some block copolymers). Contrast variation SANS measurement suggests addition of SDS to aqueous copolymer solutions leads to the formation of mixed micelles. Interestingly, the self-assembly of block copolymer is found to get completely arrested by the ionic surfactant in the mixed micelles which gives a control over the block copolymer phase behavior.