Structural characterization of a telechelic ionomer at various degrees of neutralization

The morphology of sodium-neutralized carboxytelechelic ionomers has been characterized by SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering) for varying degrees of neutralization between 20 and 100%. The good-quality data covering a broad q range have been fitted with a functional form of the intensity. It has been found that the aggregates grow as more chain ends are neutralized while the electron density is kept constant, in agreement with the multiplet model. The excess scattering at small angles was found to vary systematically with the degree of neutralization, confirming the ionic origin of this feature.