Optically Transparent Polydimethylsiloxane-Ethylene Oxide-Propylene Oxide Multiblock Copolymers Crosslinked with Isocyanurates as Organic Compound Sorbents

New crosslinked (polydimethylsiloxane-ethylene-propylene oxide)-polyisocyanurate multiblock copolymers (MBCs) were synthesized, and their supramolecular structure and sorption characteristics were studied. It was found that the interaction of PPEG and D₄ leads to polyaddition of D₄ initiated by potassium-alcoholate groups. The use of the amphiphilic silica derivatives associated in an oligomeric medium (ASiPs) leads to structuring of the MBC due to the transetherification reaction of the terminal silanol groups of the MBC with ASiPs. It was established that the supramolecular structure of an MBC is built according to the “core-shell” structure. The obtained polymers were tested as sorbents for the development of new methods for the concentration and determination of inorganic compounds. The efficiency of sorption of reagents increased with an increase in the “thickness” of the polydimethylsiloxane component of the “shell” and with a decrease in the size of the polyisocyanurate “core”. The use of the obtained polymers as adsorbents of organic reagents is promising for increasing the efficiency of field methods of chemical testing and inorganic analysis, including the determination of the elemental composition and the detection of traces of contamination.

Glycerol-induced swollen lamellar phases with siloxane copolymers

Phase behavior is established for a block copolymer polyethyleneoxide-b-dimethylsiloxane-polyethylenoxide (EO)(15)-(PDMS)(15)-(EO)(15) (IM-22) a in glycerol/water mixed solvent. In water alone, the block copolymer forms biphasic micellar/lamellar (L(1)/L(alpha)) systems over the range 10-70 wt%, with single L(alpha)-phases between 70-90 wt%. Strong solvent effects on the phase behavior were noted. For example, using a mixed 60:40 vol% glycerol/water solvent, the single L(alpha)-phase region appears at much lower concentrations, only 20 wt% IM-22, as compared to the biphasic L(1)/L(alpha) system observed in water alone. This interesting observation of L(alpha)-phase swelling on addition of glycerol may be explained by a decrease in attraction between the bilayers, as it is also found that in this mixed glycerol/water solvent there is a close refractive index matching with IM-22. Rheological measurements show the L(alpha)-phases with added glycerol have low shear moduli. The influence of added ionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) on these swollen IM-22 L(alpha)-phases was studied. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) indicated the interlamellar distance d remains essentially constant up to 3 mM SDS, and then decreases with increasing SDS content. This weak effect is consistent with the fact that the L(alpha)-phases are most swollen when the mixed solvent contains 60 vol% glycerol. The results suggest that glycerol/water solvent mixtures can be used to tune the refractive index of the background solvent, modifying DLVO-type interactions, and causing significant effects on the phase stability of simple block-copolymer systems.

Swelling of Lalpha-phases by matching the refractive index of the water-glycerol mixed solvent and that of the bilayers in the block copolymer system of (EO)15-(PDMS)15-(EO)15

The swelling of Lalpha-phases from the block copolymer polyethylenoxide-b-polydimethylsiloxane-polyethylenoxide (EO)15-(PDMS)15-(EO)15 in water/glycerol mixtures is reported. At low and medium polymer concentrations (<60%), the block copolymer forms a turbid vesicular dispersion in water. With time, the small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) and the large multilamellar vesicles (MLV) separate into a two phase L1/Lalpha-system. The turbid dispersions of the Lalpha-phase below 60% of the compound become more and more transparent with increasing glycerol and at 60% of glycerol become completely clear. Replacement of water by the solvent glycerol thus lowers the turbidity of the dispersion and swells the interlamellar distance between the bilayers. A 20% aqueous L1/Lalpha-dispersion can thus be transformed into a single birefringent transparent Lalpha-phase. The swelling of the Lalpha-phase in water and the decrease of the turbidity of the dispersion by the addition of glycerol is explained by the matching of the refractive index of the solvent to the refractive index of the bilayers of the block copolymer. The matching of a refractive index lowers the Hamaker constant in the DLVO theory between the bilayers and therefore decreases the attraction between the bilayers what allows them to swell to a larger separation. The microstructures in the phases were determined by cryo- and FFR-TEM. The interlamellar distance between the bilayers was determined by SAXS measurements. The viscous properties of the Lalpha-phases were determined by oscillatory rheological measurements. In comparison to other Lalpha-phases from normal surfactants, the Lalpha-phases from the block copolymer (EO)15-(PDMS)15-(EO)15 have low shear moduli. This is probably due to the high flexibility of the poly dimethylsiloxane block in the bilayers what can be recognized on the non-spherical shapes of the SUV's.

Influence of Hydrocarbon Surfactant on the Aggregation Behavior of Silicone Surfactant: Observation of Intermediate Structures in the Vesicle−Micelle Transition

Intermediate structures of the aggregates in the aqueous solution of an ABA-type silicone surfactant and in the process of an SDS-induced vesicle-micelle transition are reported. In single ABA silicone surfactant aqueous solutions, large multilamellar vesicles (MLV), small single lamellar vesicles (SLV), threadlike micelles (TLM), and spheroidal micelles were observed. Interestingly, a large amount of TLMs were found entrapped into the large MLVs, but not in SLVs. Disintegration of the small vesicles inside the MLVs indicates that the entrapped TLM are from the disintegrated membrane of the entrapped small vesicles. Addition of SDS induced a transition from vesicles or threadlike micelles to spheroidal micelles. The intermediate structures, such as the appearance of small holes in the vesicle membrane, the budding of threadlike micelles from the membrane fracture, and the clusters of spheroidal micelles, were observed with increase of the SDS concentration. The electrical conductivity measurements indicated that complex micelles of SDS and silicone surfactant were formed in the solution due to the interaction between the SDS and PEO part of the silicone surfactant.