Aqueous solution properties of polyampholytes: Effect of the net charge distribution

✍ Scribed by A. Ohlemacher; F. Candau; J. P. Munch; S. J. Candau

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 808 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0887-6266
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0488(19961130)34:16<2747::aid-polb7>3.0.co;2-m

✦ Synopsis

Viscometric and light scattering studies have been performed on aqueous solutions of polyampholyte terpolymers based on sodium-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate (Na-AMPS), 2-(methacryloy1oxy)-ethyltrimethylammonium chloride (MADQUAT), and acrylamide (AM), prepared by an inverse microemulsion polymerization technique. The distribution of net charges among the chains was varied by adjusting the initial monomer composition and the degree of conversion. The effect of this distribution on the solubility of the samples and on the chain conformation was studied. It was found that samples with a narrow distribution of net charges were soluble in pure water even if the average net charge is small. Addition of salt induces a transition from an extended conformation to a more compact one, in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions. A practically alternated NaAMPS-MADQUAT copolymer prepared by polymerization in homogeneous solution and with a small average net charge shows a behavior quite similar to that of the terpolymers.