Hierarchical Self-Organization of ABC Terpolymer Constituted of a Long Polyelectrolyte End-Capped by Different Hydrophobic Blocks

Abstract

The self-organization of a mono hydrophilic ABC terpolymer, which is constituted of a central long polyelectrolyte end-capped by two different hydrophobic short blocks (i.e., polystyrene-b-poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(n-butyl methacrylate), PS−PAA−PnBMA), was examined in aqueous salt-free dilute solutions by static and dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and rheology. The neutralized PS−PAA−PnBMA terpolymer is self-organized hierarchically from flowerlike micelles to dendronlike micellar aggregates and eventually to a three-dimensional physical network. The rheological properties of the resulting physical gel were also investigated and discussed.