Publication Type Journal Article
Title Thermo-responsiveness of poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide) polymers at the air-water interface: The effect of a hydrophobic block
Authors Amélia Gonçalves da Silva Sonia I. C. Lopes Pedro Brogueira Telmo J. V. Prazeres Mariana Beija J. M. G. Martinho
Groups MET
Journal JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
Year 2008
Month November
Volume 327
Number 1
Pages 129-137
Abstract The poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide) (h-PDEA) homopolymer and the poly(N-decylacrylamide)-b-PDEA (PDcA(11)-b-PDEA(231)) diblock copolymer were studied in the range of 10 to 40 degrees C, at the air-water interface. The pi-A isotherms of h-PDEA appear nearly invariant with temperature while the pi-A isotherms of PDcA(11)-b-PDEA(231) deviate significantly to lower areas with the temperature increase evidencing the thernio-responsiveness of this diblock copolymer at the interface. For the copolymer, the limiting area per segment versus temperature shows a break point around 29 degrees C, slightly lower than the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of h-PDEA in water (31-33 degrees C). AFM images of LB monolayers transferred at 40 degrees C revealed for both polymers the presence of hydrophobic aggregates due to the conformational changes (collapse) of chains that occur at the LCST. Differences in the morphology of these aggregates, flat irregular structures for h-PDEA and round-shaped domains for PDcA(11)-b-PDEA(231), were related with the condensing effect of the hydrophobic block. The PDcA(11) block, anchoring the polymer to the interface, ensures a better stability and cohesion to the film and preserves the thermo-sensitivity of the h-PDEA at the interface. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2008.08.011
ISBN
Publisher ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
Book Title
ISSN 0021-9797
EISSN
Conference Name
Bibtex ID ISI:000259789300019
Observations
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