Micelles of polyisobutylene-block-poly(methacrylic acid) diblock copolymers and their water-soluble interpolyelectrolyte complexes formed with quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine)

The micellization of ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymers, polyisobutylene-block-poly(methacrylic acid) (PIB-b-PMAA), with a constant degree of polymerization of the non-ionic block ðDPn ¼ 20Þ and various degrees of polymerization of the polyelectrolyte block ðDPn ¼ 100 – 425Þ was examined in aqueous media by means of fluorescence spectroscopy using pyrene as a polarity probe. The molar values of the critical micellization concentration (cmc) were found to be around 2 £ 10 26 mol/l, being nearly independent of the length of the polyelectrolyte block as well as pH (in the range 6 – 9) and ionic strength (# 0.5 M NaCl) while the specific cmc values varied from 20 to 100 mg/l. Small-angle neut…