LYOTROPIC LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE PHASE-BEHAVIOR OF A POLYMERIC AMPHIPHILE POLYMERIZED VIA THEIR HYDROPHILIC ENDS

The reaction of the nonionic low molecular mass surfactant 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24-octaoxaoctatriacontane-1-ol (CH//3(CH//2)//1//3(OCH//2CH//2)//8OH, C//1//4E//8) with acryloyl chloride yielded the monomeric amphiphile II (CH//3(CH//2)//1//3(OCH//2CH//2)//8O//2C(CH:CH//2) with the polymerizable group located at the hydrophilic end of the molecule. Using radical polymerization, the polymer surfactant III is obtained. These three surfactant water systems exhibit lyotropic liquid crystalline phases. The binary phase diagrams are compared with each other. In changing from the monomer-water to the polymer-water system a stabilization of the lyotropic mesophases is observed with amphiphiles which are connected via their hydrophilic ends; it is known for the surfactants to be connected via their hydrophobic ends. The appearance of the inverse mesophases, as expected from the molecular geometry of the polymer, is not observed.