Polyelectrolyte-like behaviour of poly(ethylene-oxide) solutions with added monovalent salt

Abstract

Solvent effects on the conformation of poly(ethylene-oxide) (PEO) and complexation of PEO by monovalent cations have been examined by using small-angle neutron scattering. In methanol and acetonitrile, a big change in interchain interaction, osmotic compressibility and local chain conformation have been observed upon addition of small amounts of potassium iodide. The amplitude of the total intensity decreases significantly and a peak at a certain value of the wave vector q* appears as signature of a polyelectrolyte-like behaviour. With further addition of salt, the ionic strength of the solution increases and potassium binding becomes less favorable: the binding constant decreases with the ionic strength and PEO behaves as a neutral polymer with excluded volume. No association between PEO and potassium iodide was observed in aqueous solutions.