Preparation of films exhibiting a balanced temperature dependence to permeation by aqueous solutions—a study of lower consolute behavior

Temperature dependence of solute transport through aqueously swollen polymeric films and membranes can be altered to show even apparent negative activation energies by the use of polymers exhibiting a lower consolute behavior in solution. The principles by which we constructed a host of such polymers are discussed. A solubility rule is presented which predicts that solutes in water will show a lower critical solution temperature if the proper hydrophilic–hydrophobic balance is achieved.