Poly(ethylene oxide)s hydrophobically modified. Adsorption and spreading at the air-water interface

A comparative study of spread and adsorbed monolayer of poly(ethylene oxide)s of different molecular weight hydrophobically modified with alkyl isocyanates of different length chain is reported. The modification of the polymer was carried out according to reported procedures. The polymers obtained were studied at the air-water interface by Langmuir isotherms for spread monolayers and by Gibbs isotherms for the adsorption process. Isotherms obtained are interpreted in terms of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic balance of the polymers. Limiting area per repeating unit ( A₀) and collapse pressure ( π_c) from spread monolayers were obtained. Spread monolayers of the hydrophobically modified polymers show larger collapse pressure values than unmodified polymer monolayers. In the adsorption process the excess surface concentration Γ^∞, area per repeat unit σ, and efficiency of the adsorption were determined. The values of the area occupied per repeat unit in adsorbed monolayer (σ) were larger than those of the spread monolayer. The efficiency of the adsorption of poly(ethylene oxide)s increases with the hydrophobic modification and with the alkyl chain length.