Asymmetric polymers in bicontinuous microemulsions and their accretion to the bending of the membrane

作者：Brodeck Martin; Maccarrone Simona^*; Saha Debasish; Willner Lutz; Allgaier Juergen; Mangiapia Gaetano; Frielinghaus Henrich; Holderer Olaf; Faraone Antonio; Richter Dieter

来源：Colloid and Polymer Science, 2015, 293(4): 1253-1265.

DOI：10.1007/s00396-014-3449-8

• Bending rigidity
• Small-angle neutron scattering
• Asymmetric sticker polymers
• Saddle splay modulus
• Spontaneous curvature
• Phase diagram
• Bicontinuous microemulsion

After linear hydrophilic polymers with a short hydrophobic sticker have been proven to be highly suitable as efficiency boosters in microemulsions, a whole set of asymmetric polymers was studied in more detail. Sticker polymers with two hydrophilic polymeric arms, hydrophobic polymers with ionic stickers, and a Y-shaped tri-arm-polymer were studied for their high surface activity. While low asymmetry of the Y-shaped polymer resulted in very similar dependence as a diblock copolymer, the highly asymmetric polymers showed a renormalized behavior of the bending rigidity coming from preferential accretion of the polymer at the membrane. The experimental evidence for the accretion of the polymer according to the preferential membrane bending is reported here for the first time. Furthermore, the isolated, diffuse counter ion clouds of the ionic sticker polymers act in a way similar to that of a polymer anchored at the membrane. All asymmetric polymers are highly suitable as efficiency boosters in microemulsions.

• 出版日期2015-4