Structural properties of charged diblock copolymer solutions

Abstract

We present several experimental evidences of the existence of micelles in charged block copolymer aqueous solutions. A special care has been taken to discriminate the behaviours with respect to those encountered with polyelectrolytes. In particular the effect of counterion condensation will be discussed both from the theoretical and experimental points of view. The above results lead to consider these micelles as charged brushes of spherical symmetry. Correlations between micelles have been also studied by neutron and X-ray scattering and a liquid-like order between micelles is found which is weakly sensitive to the addition of electrolyte.