Memory effect in the chain-collapse process in a dilute polymer solution.

Abstract

The effect of temperature perturbation on a single-chain-collapse process was studied for poly(methyl methacrylate) with the molecular weight M(w)=1.05 x 10(7) in the mixed solvent of tert-butyl alcohol+water (2.5 vol %). In the chain-collapse process after a quench from the theta; temperature to a temperature T(1), the temperature was changed from T(1) to T(2) at the time t(1) after the quench and returned to T(1) at the time t(1)+t(2). In the three stages at T(1), T(2), and T(1), measurements of the mean-square radius of gyration of polymer chains were carried out by static light scattering and the chain-collapse process was represented by the expansion factor as a function of time. An effect of chain aggregation on the measurements was negligibly small because of the very slow phase separation. For the negative temperature perturbation (T(1)>T(2)), the chain-collapse processes observed in the first and third stages were connected smoothly and agreed with the collapse process due to a single-stage quench to T(1). A memory of the chain collapse in the first stage at T(1) was found to persist into the third stage at the same temperature T(1) without being affected by the temperature perturbation of T(2) during t(2). The memory effect was observed irrespective of the time period of t(2). The positive temperature perturbation (T(1)<T(2)) showed an acceleration of the chain-collapse process.