Synthesis and characterization of thermoreversible hydrogels from associating polymers

Multiblock copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide)$_{99}$-poly(propylene oxide)$_{69}$-poly(ethylene oxide)$_{99}$ were synthesized by coupling with hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The rheological, morphological and structural properties of the gel were characterized as a function of temperature, composition and block number. Mixtures of multiblock and single block copolymers were also studied. Using neutron scattering we found that a large degree of alignment could be induced in the single block gel, but no order could be found in the multi-block or homopolymer multiblock mixture. The yield strain in samples with 3.2 of multiblocks was nearly an order of magnitude higher than the single bock gel. This was interpreted in terms of an ordered layered state of micelles being formed by steady shear. A model based on the competition between forming non-interacting micelles and forming bridges will be presented.