Aggregation of partially quarternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) with anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate

Modified poly(4-vinylpyridine) was obtained by partial quarternization of nitrogen atoms in pyridine rings of poly(4-vinylpyridine) with methyl group. By means of laser light scattering and fluorescence, it was found that this modified polymer chains were aggregated in the aqueous solution and its structure was core-shell type. The hydrophobic parts of the chains were densely condensed in core part and the hydrophilic part of quarternized amine with positive charge formed the shell part. In the mixed system of modified poly(4-vinylpyridine) and anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate, it was observed that a critical aggregation concentration existed and that this critical concentration was suddenly decreased above 0.1 M NaCl. The size change of aggregates was also investigated by dynamic light scattering while sodium dodecyl sulfate was added into polymer solution upto the critical aggregation concentration.