Demicellization of Polyethylene Oxide in Water Solution under Static Magnetic Field Exposure Studied by FTIR Spectroscopy

Abstract

FTIR spectroscopy was used to investigate the alterations of the vibration bands in the mid-infrared region of Polyethylene oxide in aqueous solution at 25 mg/mL concentration under exposure up to 4 h to a static magnetic field at 200 mT. FTIR spectroscopic analysis of PEO solution in the range 3500–1000 cm−1 evidenced the stretching vibrations of ether band, C–H symmetric-antisymmetric and bending vibrations of methylene groups, and the C–O–C stretching band. A significant decrease in intensity of symmetric and asymmetric stretching CH2 vibration bands occurred after 2 h and 4 h of exposure, followed by a significant decrease in intensity of scissoring bending in plane CH2 vibration around 1465 cm−1. Finally, the C–O–C stretching band around 1080 cm−1 increased in intensity after 4 h of exposure. This result can be attributed to the increase of formation of the intermolecular hydrogen bonding that occurred in PEO aqueous solution after SMF exposure, due to the reorientation of PEO chain after exposure to SMF. In this scenario, the observed decrease in intensity of CH2 vibration bands can be understood as well considering that the reorientation of PEO chain under the applied SMF induces PEO demicellization.