Abstract
We have used neutron scattering to investigate the influence of concentration on the conformation of a star polymer. By varying the contrast between the solvent and the isotopically labeled stars, we obtain the distributions of polymer and solvent within a star polymer from analysis of scattering data. A correlation between the local desolvation and the inward folding of star branches is discovered. From the perspective of thermodynamics, we find an analogy between the mechanism of polymer localization driven by solvent depletion and that of the hydrophobic collapse of polymers in solutions.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 458-461 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | ACS Macro Letters |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 20 2014 |