Surface Potentials of Hydrophobic Microdomains in Aqueous Solutions of Poly(dimethyldiallylammonium-co-methyl-n-dodecyldiallylammonium salts) with Different Counterions. Evidence for the Existence of a Critical Aggregation Concentration

The solvatochromic acid-base indicator 1-hexadecyl-4-[(oxocyclohexadienylidene)ethylene]-1,4-dihydropyridine (HOED) was used to determine surface potentials (Y) of micelles formed from methyldiallyl-ndodecylammonium salts containing different counterions (MDDAX, X- = Cl, Br, I, benzoate, salicylate). Y decreased in the order Cl > Br > I > benzoate, salicylate consistent with conductometrically determined values for the counterion binding. HOED was also used to probe the microdomains formed in aqueous solutions of poly(dimethyldiallylammonium-co-methyl-n-dodecyldiallylammonium salts) containing different counterions (Copol C1-12 90/10 X). A similar dependence of Y on the nature of the counterion was found. Raising the temperature led to higher values of Y, while increasing the polysoap concentration appeared to lower the surface potentials for all polysoaps. With the exception of Copol C1-12 90/10 I and Sal, an additional peak in the UV-vis absorption spectrum of the probe was observed which was attributed to the aggregation of probe molecules on nondomain forming strains of the polysoap. Support for this conclusion was obtained from the observation that the intensity of the additional peak greatly decreased upon increasing the polysoap concentration. This behavior can be reconciled with the occurrence of a critical aggregation concentration. The sudden rise of the aggregation numbers of Copol C1-12 90/10 Br and benzoate at ca. 10 mM, leading to a constant value at higher concentrations, provides additional evidence for this conclusion

Synthesis of Hydrophobically and Electrostatically Modified Polyacrylamides and Their Catalytic Effects on the Unimolecular Decarboxylation of 6-Nitrobenzisoxazole-3-carboxylate Anion

A series of hydrophobically and electrostatically modified polyacrylamides (Copol(AM-C12)) has been synthesized by radical-initiated copolymerization of acrylamide with n-dodecylmethyldiallylammonium bromide as the hydrophobe in aqueous solution using ammonium persulfate as the initiator. The formation of hydrophobic microdomains of the copolymers was revealed by large hypsochromic shifts of the longwavelength absorption band of the solvatochromic probe Methyl Orange, noncovalently bound to the macromolecule. It was found that the microdomains formed by these copolymers in aqueous solution are more hydrophobic than those of the cationic polysoaps poly(alkylmethyldiallylammonium halides) containing the same n-dodecyl groups as the side chains as a result of the reduced electrostatic repulsions at the periphery of the microdomains. The reduced cationic character of the copolymers Copol(AM-C12) most likely also accounts for the observation that the anionic dye Methyl Orange does not induce microdomain formation in aqueous solution. The effect of the hydrophobically and electrostatically modified polyacrylamides on the unimolecular decarboxylation of 6-nitrobenzisoxazole-3-carboxylate anion (6-NBIC) has been investigated in aqueous solutions at pH 11.3 and 30 °C. It is suggested that the relatively modest catalytic effects induced by Copol(AM-C12) should be ascribed to hydrogen-bond stabilization of the initial state by NH groups in the macromolecules. The decarboxylation rates of 6-NBIC at binding sites in hydrophobic microdomains increase with increasing n-dodecyl group content in the copolymers.