Block copolymers of styrene and n-alkyl methacrylates with long alkyl groups. Micellization behavior in selective solvents

The micellization properties of well-defined block copolymers of styrene and decyl methacrylate (SDMA) were studied in two different solvents, methyl acetate (MAc) selective for the polystyrene (PS) block and dodecane, selective for the poly(decyl methacrylate) (PDMA) block. The results were compared with those obtained, in the same solvents, from block copolymers of styrene and stearyl methacrylate (SSMA). In MAc, SDMA copolymers with a decyl methacrylate (DMA) content of 15% or less formed unimolecular micelles, whereas those with a content of 18.5% or higher formed multi-molecular micelles. The degrees of association were lower than the corresponding SSMA samples. In dodecane, SDMA form large, monodisperse, spherical, and thermally stable micelles with degrees of association higher than the corresponding SSMA samples. The different behaviors can be attributed to the steric hindrance effect and the ability of the long alkyl groups of the polymethacrylate, MA blocks to crystallize. When the MA blocks are in the soluble corona of the micelles, the steric hindrance effect prevails, thus leading to higher degrees of association for the less bulky alkyl group. In the case where the MA block is in the insoluble core of the micelles, the higher the tendency for crystallization the higher the degree of association.