Water-Soluble Polymers. 79. Interaction of Microblocky Twin-Tailed Acrylamido Terpolymers with Anionic, Cationic, and Nonionic Surfactants

Terpolymers composed of acrylic acid, methacrylamide, and DiC 6, DiC 8, or DiC 10 twin-tailed hydrophobic monomers have been synthesized using micellar polymerization methods, and the interactions of these polymers with surfactants were investigated. These surfactants include sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and Triton X-100. Viscosity measurements of DiC 6 AM and DiC 8 AM mixtures indicate little interaction with SDS, gelation with CTAB, and hemimicelle formation followed by polymer hydrophobe solubilization with Triton X-100. The DiC 10 AM terpolymer shows similar interaction behavior with CTAB and Triton X-100. However, the enhanced hydrophobic nature of the DiC 10 polymer allows complex formation with SDS as confirmed by surface tensiometry. Fluorescence measurements performed on a dansyl-labeled DiC 10 AM terpolymer in the presence of increasing amounts of each of the surfactants indicate relative interaction strengths to be CTAB > Triton X-100 > SDS.