Interaction of Ionic Surfactants with a Hydrophobic Modified Thermosensitive Polymer

The interactions of a hydrophobic modified thermosensitive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-ran-poly(methacrylic acid)-ran-poly(octadecyl acrylate) with five ionic surfactants, namely, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), dodecayltrimethylaminium bromide (DTAB), 1,2-bis(dodecyldimethylammonio)- hexane dibromide (12-6-12), 1-dodecanaminium, N,N '-[(1,4-dioxo-1,4-butanediyl) bis(oxy-2,1-ethanediyl)] bis[N,N-dimethyl-, bromide] (12-su-12), and dodecanaminium, N, N '-[[(2E)-1,4-dioxo-2-butene-1, 4-diyl]bis(o-xy-2,1ethanediy-l)] bis[N,N-dimethyl-, bromide] (12-fo-12) were investigated by the static-steady fluorescence methods using crystal violet and pyrene as the probes. It was found that the SDS interacted with the polymer driven by the hydrophobic interaction, while the cationic surfactants first entered the core of the polymer micelle through the hydrophobic interaction then the corona area of the polymer micelle through the hydrophobic and static electrical interactions. Measurements of the transmittances of the polymer/surfactants/PBS mixtures at different temperatures showed that the SDS suppressed the phase transition of the system, while additions of the cationic surfactants into the polymer induced the phase transitions of the polymer complex systems first, then suppressed them after the minimum values of the lower critical phase transition temperatures (LPTT) was reached. It was also found that increase of the MAA content in the polymer could broaden the LPTT range adjusted by the cationic surfactants.