Key Factors to Prepare Polyelectrolytes Showing Temperature-Sensitive Lower Critical Solution Temperature-type Phase Transitions in Water

Abstract

Tetrabutylphosphonium styrenesulfonate and its homopolymer showed a lower critical solution temperature-type phase transition in water. As the hydrophobicity of these monomeric and polymeric salts affects phase behaviour, the phase transition temperature of the polyelectrolyte was changed by the introduction of monomers having different alkyl chain length on the phosphonium cations.