New amphiphilic poly(butadiene)-graft-poly(ethylene oxide)s

Amphiphilic graft copolymers with a poly(butadiene) backbone and poly(ethylene oxide) side chains were synthesized by grafting isocyanateterminated poly(ethylene oxide) on to partially hydroxylated poly(butadiene). The graft copolymers are water soluble if the fraction of hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) exceeds 50 wt%. Solutions of graft copolymers in water and tetrahydrofuran were studied by static light scattering and viscosity measurements. By dynamic light scattering in solution it was shown that the graft copolymers form clusters.