Directed polymerization in mesophases of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes

Polymerization of hydrophobic monomers, such as the difunctional monomer m-diisopropenylbenzene, within mesoscopically structured polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes as hosts, leads to the formation of unconventionally shaped polymeric particles. The influence of the presence of monomers and guest polymers on the phase morphology of the host is investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). SAXS shows that these new stable hosts can hold up to 17% guest polymer before phase disruption is encountered. These findings are supported by changes in the mechanical properties as determined by DMA. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations show that colloidal copies of the same length. scale as the deformable host are formed. The shapes of the mesostructures are dictated by the phase morphology of the structure-directing host to produce nanosized wires, cigars and fibrillar bent shapes, as revealed by TEM.