(539b) Tuning Weak Intermolecular Forces to Tune Self Assembly and Rheology: Hydrophobically Modified polymers, Surfactants, and Cyclodextrins

Self assembly is a way to control fluid microstructure, phase behavior and,ultimately, rheology. Water-soluble polymers with discrete hydrophobic anchoring sites offer significant flexibility in tuning the properties of these systems. The hydrophobic moiety can couple to the interior of surfactant micelles or lipid bilayers or to oil phases while the hydrophilic regions of the chain provide entropic barriers that control distances between structures. We will look at rod-like micelle solutions and concentrated surfactant lamellar phases.