A small-angle neutron scattering study on poly(ethylene oxide) crystals

Small-angle neutron scattering measurements were made on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) crystallized from the melt. Samples with the deuterated species (DPEO) as a matrix present distinct Bragg peaks from which the lamella spacings can be determined. As a result of strong void-scattering, quantitative analysis of the low-angle regime of these scattering curves is not possible. Samples with the protonous species as a matrix, for which void-scattering is expected to be negligibly small, present unusual scattering curves indicating that they consist of two components, i.e. the intramolecular and intermolecular interference terms. A quantitative analysis of these curves indicates: (1) the solute DPEO molecules are embedded in the crystalline structure of the matrix, assuming rod-like conformations but (2) forming essentially homogeneous aggregates of a few to tens of the DPEO molecules, depending on the crystallization temperature and the DPEO concentration; (3) the DPEO molecules or aggregates are distributed in space in a non-random manner that corresponds to the presence of inhomogeneous ‘domains’ having root-mean-square radii of about 250 Å, and each containing about 100 DPEO molecules.