Structuring of Nonionic Pluronic P123 Block Copolymer at Different Temperatures

Abstract

Dynamic light scattering has been employed to investigate aqueous Pluronic P123 solutions at different temperatures and in the presence of different solvents and quercetin additives. Significant changes have been revealed in the average particle size and polydispersity index depending on the conditions. The effect of temperature on micellization of the block copolymer in aqueous solutions has been studied in a range T = 15–45°C, which is most often considered when using P123 in the sol–gel synthesis of silica. The most pronounced effect of temperature on the micellization of the studied surfactant has been observed at T = 15–20°C. In this temperature range, the scattered light intensity distribution over particle sizes has a polymodal character, which indicates the presence of macromolecules, micelles, and their aggregates in the system. A further increase in temperature up to 45°C causes no significant changes in the particle size. In aqueous solutions, micelles with a narrow size distribution (minimum polydispersity index) are formed within temperature ranges of 21–25 and 35–40°C. Substantial effects have been found when adding alkanols and polyphenolic substances as solubilizers capable of influencing the structure of micelles both in their bulk and on the surface of polar moieties of the surfactant. It has been shown that, in the presence of butanol-1, micelles are stabilized at temperatures of 15–20°C. At T > 30°C, the structure of micelles is transformed. As the fraction of butanol-1 in the solution increases, its influence is manifested at lower temperatures. It has been noted that ethanol has a destructive effect on micelles. Additives of quercetin exhibit an opposite effect of micelle stabilization, which leads to the formation of a homogeneous surfactant structure. It has been shown that, by varying solvent composition, the flavonoid–micelle binding can be controlled due to changes in the solvation. The greatest influence of quercetin on the structure formation of P123 has been observed at a solvent composition corresponding to ethanol-to-block copolymer molar ratio of n(EtOH) : n(P123) = 80 : 1.