Skip to main content
Log in

Unusual behavior in light scattering experiments of poly(N-vinylimidazole) prepared by precipitation polymerization

  • Original Contribution
  • Published:
Colloid and Polymer Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Poly(N-vinylimidazole) (PVI) was synthesized by the precipitation polymerization using 2,2’-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN; initiator) and benzene (solvent) at two different monomer/initiator ratios. The solution polymerization was also performed with the following initiator/solvent systems: AIBN/water–methanol mixture (1:1 by volume) and 4,4’-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid)/aqueous HCl solution (pH 0.8). All the four preparations of PVI in ethanol and in 0.2 M NaCl (pH 3 with HCl) were examined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The CONTIN analysis of DLS data for each preparation from the solution polymerization showed a unimodal distribution in both ethanol and aqueous solvents. A good agreement was obtained between the molar masses in these different solvents by static light scattering (SLS). However, the polymers from the precipitation polymerization exhibited a heterogeneous bimodal distribution in DLS under the same conditions as above, indicating that the SLS data as in reference [6] (Savin et al. Macromolecules 37:6565) cause a serious error in the understanding of solution behavior of PVI.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gregor HP, Daniel HG (1957) J Phys Chem 61:1347

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Liu KJ, Gregor HP (1965) J Phys Chem 69:1248

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Henrichs PM, Whitlock LR, Sochor AR, Tan JS (1980) Macromolecules 13:1375

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Tan JS, Sochor AR (1981) Macromolecules 14:1700

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kodama H, Miyajima T, Mori M, Takahashi M, Nishimura H, Ishiguro S (1997) Colloid Polym Sci 275:938 A study falls into the category of “polyelectrolyte behaviors”

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Savin G, Burchard W, Luca C, Beldie C (2004) Macromolecules 37:6565

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Overberger CG, Pierre TS, Vorchheimer N, Lee J, Yaroslavsky S (1965) J Am Chem Soc 87:296

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Letsinger RL, Klaus IS (1965) J Am Chem Soc 87:3380

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Daniel HG, Gregor HP (1960) J Phys Chem 64:1461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Daniel HG, Gregor HP (1960) J Phys Chem 64:1464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Liu KJ, Gregor HP (1965) J Phys Chem 69:1251

    Google Scholar 

  12. Lippert JL, Robertson JA, Havens JR, Tan JS (1985) Macromolecules 18:63

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Orchard BJ, Tan JS, Hopfinger AJ (1984) Macromolecules 17:169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Handel TM, Cohen HL, Tan JS (1985) Macromolecules 18:1200

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Eng FP, Ishida H (1986) J Mater Sci 21:1561

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Popping B, Deratani A, Sebille B, Desbois N, Lamarche JM, Foissy A (1992) Colloid Surf A 64:125

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Bamfold CH, Schofield E (1981) Polymer 22:1227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Kokufuta E, Wang B, Yoshida R, Khokhlov AR, Hirata M (1998) Macromolecules 31:6878

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Ogawa Y, Ogawa K, Kokufuta E (2004) Langmuir 20:2546

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Furukawa M, Farinato RS, Kokufuta E (2008) Colloid Polym Sci 286:1425

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Provencher SW (1982) Comput Phys Commun 27:229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Schmitz KS ed (1994) Macro-ion characterization: from dilute solutions to complex fluids. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, Chapters 25 and 26

  23. Konishi T, Yoshizaki T, Yamakawa H (1991) Macromolecules 24:5614

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Suzuki H, Wang B, Yoshida R, Kokufuta E (1999) Langmuir 15:4283

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Morawetz H (1965) Macromolecules in solutions. Wiley, New York, pp 348–356

    Google Scholar 

  26. Katchalsky A, Mazur J, Spitnik P (1957) J Polym Sci 23:513

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Savin G, Burchard W (2004) Macromolecules 37:3005

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work was supported in part by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research to E.K. from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (no. 20550183).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Etsuo Kokufuta.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Masaki, M., Ogawa, K. & Kokufuta, E. Unusual behavior in light scattering experiments of poly(N-vinylimidazole) prepared by precipitation polymerization. Colloid Polym Sci 287, 1405–1415 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-009-2104-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-009-2104-2

Keywords

Navigation