Molecular Weight Dependence of Hydrodynamic and Thermodynamic Properties for Well-Defined Linear Polymers in Solution

Data on hydrodynamic and thermodynamic properties of several well-defined, linear flexible polymer chains in thermodynamically good solvents and theta solvents are tabulated and critically evaluated. The polymers considered are 1,4-polybutadiene, 1,4-polyisoprene, polyisobutylene, polystyrene, and poly(α-methylstyrene). Extensive data, obtained as a function of molecular weight, are evaluated for the intrinsic viscosity, radius of gyration, hydrodynamic radius, and second virial coefficient. The resulting power law relationships between the measured properties and polymer molecular weight are reported.