Kinetics of demixing and remixing transitions in aqueous solutions of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) : A temperature-jump H-1 NMR study

• The time course of the coil-to-globule collapse and intermolecular aggregation of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) in aqueous solution upon exceeding the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) are investigated by temperature-jump 1H NMR spectroscopy. After the temperature jump, we record the time dependences of (i) the mobile fraction of the polymer chain as revealed by the intensity of the liquid-like NMR signal, (ii) the local mobility of those chains as revealed by the transverse relaxation time T2, and (iii) their self-diffusion coefficient D. The same data are also reported at their temperature-dependent long-time limits. The results suggest a sudden, faster than one second, collapse and intermolecular aggregation into globules and a slower reorganization/redistribution of the individual chains among and within the globular and mobile states. We found that all molecular changes are reversible if the temperature remains less than ca. 6-8 K above the LCST for less than a few minutes; under those conditions, experiments upon sudden temperature quench below the LCST show that the aggregates disintegrate and swell into coils in less than a few seconds.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Fysikalisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Physical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Aggregation

Miscibility

NMR

Temperature jump

Turbidity

Physical chemistry

Fysikalisk kemi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)