Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) of cyclic and linear polystyrene in toluene

Samples of ring and open chain polystyrene in dilute perdeuterated toluene solution were measured by small angle neutron scattering up to a value of the scattering vector Q = 2 nm −1 . The molar masses 12000 ≤ M /(g/mol) ≤ 22000, the mean square radii of gyration 〈 R 2 〉 and the second virial coefficients A 2 of the samples were determined. The results are compared to theories which describe the dependencies 〈 R 2 〉 = f( M ) and A 2 = f( M ) for both cyclic and linear chain molecules. A qualitative agreement between theory and experiment is obtained.