| Abstract
| - A novel route to the formation of large aggregates, with associated rheological enhancement, is providedby formation of inclusion complexes between a telechelic polymer and a second polymer containingappropriate receptor groups. The main focus of this paper describes such complexes between an adamantaneend-capped poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) (Mw = 104 gmol-1) with a polymer of β-cyclodextrin (Mw = 3.5 ×104 gmol-1) as studied by light scattering. There is a pronounced broadening of the width of the particlesize distribution with increasing concentration of end-capped polymer, accompanied by a strong increasein the average relaxation time. Viscosity enhancement in the system was measured on the same samples.Newtonian behavior was observed in the shear rate range 0.017−90 s-1. Light scattering experiments(static and dynamic) were also made on the telechelic PEO itself. Light scattering shows the presence ofa slowly relaxing component which dominates the scattering and this reflects large structures (radius 80nm) created by interchain association to form a loose network, albeit at low concentration. Static andtime-resolved fluorescence experiments show that there is no detectable tendency for “micellization” of theadamantane groups.
|
