New nonionic head type polysoaps: A way to reversed liquid crystalline phases

The preparation and characterization of new oligooxyethylene alkyl ether surfactants and their corresponding polysoaps are described. The monomers are epoxy-terminated at their hydrophilic end, which allows an AcAc/H2O/AlEt3 catalyzed polymerization to high molecular weight polymers with a water-soluble backbone. The behavior of the monomers and polymers in water and organic solvents is characterized by static and dynamic light scattering. The binary phase diagrams of these surfactants with water display broad lyotropic liquid crystalline phases. The identical chemical constitution of the polymeric backbone and the hydrophilic head groups of the surfactant units enables the formation of reversed aggregates. As a consequence, for the first time, a reversed hexagonal phase in side-chain polymeric surfactants is observed.