The Adsorption of a Polystyrene-b-Polyisoprene Block Copolymer at the n-Hexadecane/Air Interface

Surface-tension measurements were used to investigate the surface adsorption and micellisation of a polystyrene-b-polyisoprene block copolymer in n-hexadecane which is a selectively bad solvent for polystyrene. Measurements were made over a range of concentrations (1.29–2.88)x10^?4 mol dm^?3 and temperatures 25–40°C. The block copolymer was found to be positively adsorbed at the n-hexadecane/air interface. The linearity of plots of γ against In c just below the critical micelle concentration (c.m.c.) indicated an approximately constant surface concentration. The area per block copolymer molecule at the surface had an average value of 4.1 nm². A plot of In (c.m.c.) against T^?1 gave a value for the standard enthalpy of micellisation of -41.9.3.0 kJ per mole of copolymer chains. The standard entropy contribution (-TΔSΔ) to the standard free energy of micellisation was found to be 19.7.3.0 kJ mol^?1. These thermodynamic values are in good agreement with results obtained earlier for this system by light scattering and calorimetry.