Effect of the molecular weight on the lower critical solution temperature of poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide) in aqueous solutions
The molecular weight dependence of the lower critical solution temperature of poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide) was studied with 11 samples of the polymer with a number-average molecular weight (Mn) ranging from 9.6 × 103 to 1.3 × 106 g mol1 and relatively narrow polydispersity indices from 1.19 and 2.60. These samples were obtained by fractional precipitation of the polymer. LCST values of polymers were measured by turbidimetry and microcalorimetry. An inverse dependence of LCST on the molar mass was found and the LCST of the samples remained more or less a constant above a critical molecular weight of ca. 2 × 105 g mol1. The enthalpy and the entropy changes as well as the LCST of the polymer depend strongly on the molar mass of the polymer, especially in low molecular weight range.Key words: poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide), LCST, thermosensitive, phase diagram, effect of molecular weight.