ON THE STRUCTURE AND CONFORMATION OF POLYMER-CHAINS IN LATEX-PARTICLES .1. SMALL-ANGLE NEUTRON-SCATTERING CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYSTYRENE LATEXES OF SMALL DIAMETER

Polystyrene latexes with 40-60 nm diameter and molecular weights ranging from 6×104to 6×106 g/mol were synthesized by a two-step equilibrium swelling method, with deuterated polymer forming either the first or second step. Below about 1×106 g/mol, small-angle neutron scattering gave zero-angle scattering intensities much higher than expected on the basis of gel permeation chromatography molecular weights. Several models were examined, the leading model based on a core-shell latex structure.