Transient network structure and dynamics in HEUR/oil mixed aqueous solutions

HEUR (Hydrophobically Modified Ethoxylated Urethane) is a representative telechelic polymer composed of a hydrophilic main chain and hydrophobic end groups. In aqueous solutions, those hydrophobic end groups aggregate through the hydrophobic interaction, forming a transient network sustained by flower micells consisting of hydrophilic loops and hydrophobic cores. The effective strand in this network is believed to be a multimer of HEUR chains linearly connected through those micelles. This study focuses on a relationship between this transient network structure and the dynamics of flower micelles in the HEUR/oil mixed aqueous solution wherein the oil molecules are included in the micellar cores. Rheological measurements were conducted for HEUR aqueous solutions and HEUR/tetradecane mixed aqueous solutions having the same HEUR concentration, and the results were analyzed using a dynamic network model. Further details will be discussed on site.