Temperature-induced attractive interactions of PEO-containing block copolymer micelles

Interactions in a temperature sensitive-colloidal model system are investigated over a wide range of temperatures and concentrations to characterize the interparticle interactions within the system. This model system is composed of poly(ethylene oxide) end-capped with an octadecyl chain (C18E100), which by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) have been shown to form spherical micelles in an aqueous salt solution. In the present study a 0.9 M NaF solution is used to shift the cloud point into the experimentally convenient temperature range. Densitometry and SAXS have shown no indication of specific interactions between the salt ions and the micelles. The spherical micelles are found to persist at elevated temperatures and a change in interparticle interaction is observed by viscometry and SAXS. The results are all consistent with the decreased solvent quality of water toward poly(ethylene oxide) with increasing temperature and it is seen that attractive interparticle interactions emerge in the vicinity of the cloud point.