Ionomers, i.e. polymers having a small amount of ionic groups, were introduced ca. 40 years ago; since then, the morphologies and physical properties of the ionomers have received considerable attention from both industrial and academic arenas. Extens...
Ionomers, i.e. polymers having a small amount of ionic groups, were introduced ca. 40 years ago; since then, the morphologies and physical properties of the ionomers have received considerable attention from both industrial and academic arenas. Extensive studies on the morphology-structure-property relationships in ionomers in the solid state have been performed. In addition, over last two decades, the properties and morphology of ionomers in polar and non-polar solvents have also been studies. It is well known that, depending on the environment of the ionomer in solution, the ionomer chains behave like polyelectrolytes or lead to the aggregation. Under some conditions, they can form nano-sized micelles. The micelle-like ionomers in solution can be applied to drug-delivery systems, microreactors, and so on. From this point of view, it is very important to understand the factors altering the micellar structures.
This thesis consists of three chapters. In the first chapter as an introduction section, the history and general characteristics of ionomers are presented. The second chapter deals with the effect of ion content on the nano-sized particle formation of polystyrene ionomers in water. In the third chapter, the effect of degree of neutralization on the nano-sized particle formation of polystyrene ionomers in water is discussed. It was forward that, from the fluorescence study, the increase in the degree of neutralization and the contents of functional(acidic and ionic) groups shifted the CAC (critical aggregation concentration) to higher concentrations. The SEM (scanning electron microscope) images of the acis copolymers and their partly or fully neutralized form in THF/water(1/99 v/v) cast on to Si wafer that acid form copolymers produced spherical nano particles. However, ionization caused morphological transition of the ionomers from spheres to network-like features.