The coil–globule transition: Radius of gyration of polystyrene in cyclohexane

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the radius of gyration of polystyrene (MW=2.6×107) in cyclohexane in the good through poor solvent regimes was obtained by analysis of the angular dependence of the autocorrelation function of light scattered from the solution. The observed transition in polymer dimensions through the coil to globule states is in good agreement with the predictions of mean field theory.