Effect of SDS on the self-assembly behavior of the PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer (EO)20(PO)70(EO)20

The mixed micellar system comprising the poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)-based triblock copolymer (EO)(20)(PO)(70)(EO)(20) (P123) and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been investigated in aqueous media by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and viscosity measurements. The aggregation number of the copolymer in the micelles decreases upon addition of SDS, but a simultaneous enhancement in the degree of micellar hydration leads to a significant increase in the micellar volume fraction at a fixed copolymer concentration. This enhancement in the micellar hydration leads to a marked increase in the stability of the micellar gel phase until it is destroyed at very high SDS concentration. Mixed micellar systems with low and intermediate SDS concentrations form the micellar gel phase in much wider temperature and copolymer concentration ranges than the pure copolymer micellar solution. A comparison of the observed results with those for the copolymers (EO)(26)(PO)(40)(EO)(26) (P85) and (EO)(99)(PO)(70)(EO)(99) (F127) suggests that the composition of the copolymers plays a significant role in determining the influence of SDS on the gelation characteristics of the aqueous copolymer solutions. Copolymers with high PO/EO ratios show an enhancement in the stability of the gel phase, whereas copolymers with low PO/EO ratios show a deterioration of the same in the presence of SDS.     

Dynamics of Micelles of Polyethyleneoxide-Polypropyleneoxide-Polyethyleneoxide Block Copolymers in Aqueous Solutions

The dynamics of the micelles of five triblock poly(ethyleneoxide)-poly(propyleneoxide)-poly(ethyleneoxide) copolymers, the Pluronics P104 (EO27PO61EO27), P84 (EO19PO43EO19), P65 (EO18PO29EO18), P85 (EO26PO40EO26), and P103 (EO17PO60EO17), have been investigated using two chemical relaxation methods: the temperature-jump and the ultrasonic relaxation (absorption). In the frequency range investigated (0.5-50 MHz), the ultrasonic absorption spectra (absorption vs frequency plots) consisted in tails of relaxation curves, indicating characteristic times much longer than 0.3 μs for the exchange of copolymers between micelles and intermicellar solution. Absorption measurements at a fixed frequency yielded the critical micellization temperature of the solutions. The temperature-jump results obtained in this study together with those from a previous one for the copolymers L64 (EO13PO30EO13) and PF80 (EO73PO27EO73) (B. Michels et al., Langmuir 13, 3111, 1997) showed that the relaxation time associated with the formation/breakup of micelles becomes longer upon increasing copolymer molecular weight at constant composition. This time also increased when decreasing the length of the hydrophilic block at fixed hydrophobic block length or increasing the length of the hydrophobic block at fixed hydrophilic block length, similar to conventional surfactants. The dynamics of block copolymers micelles in aqueous solution are discussed. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Calorimetric and Scattering Studies on Micellization of Pluronics in Aqueous Solutions: Effect of the Size of Hydrophilic PEO End Blocks,Temperature, and Added Salt

Micellar behavior of five ethylene oxide–propylene oxide (EO–PO) triblock copolymers, called Pluronics, with similar molecular weights of middle block PPO (～2250 g/mol) and varied percentages of poly(ethylene oxide) (10%, 40%, 50%, 70%, and 80%, referred to as L81, P84, P85, F87, and F88, respectively) was examined by thermal (isothermal titration calorimetry and high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry), spectral (UV–vis), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. Micellization was decreased with increasing hydrophilicity of copolymer but induced in the presence of salt. Critical micelle temperatures (CMTs) of copolymers at different concentrations, with and without sodium chloride, are reported. Viscosity and DLS results reveal that highly hydrophilic copolymers (F87 and F88) did not show significant change in micelle size even at temperatures close to cloud point, whereas micelle growth and sphere-to-rod transition occurred for P84 and P85. Surface tension of solutions in water and salt also show enhanced surface activity and salt-induced micellization. The CMTs for different systems using different methods are compared.     

Interaction between zero-charged catanionic vesicles and PEO–PPO–PEO triblock copolymers

We investigate the interaction between zero-charged catanionic vesicles and PEO–PPO–PEO (poly(ethylene oxide–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide)) triblock copolymers. The 25-mg mL^?1 aqueous solution of tetradecyltrimethylammonium laurate (TTAL) contains closely packed uni- and multi-lamellar vesicles and shows viscoelastic properties with a dominant elastic modulus (G′) over a viscous modulus (G″). When a small amount of F127 ((EO)₉₇(PO)₆₉(EO)₉₇) or F68 ((EO)₇₆(PO)₂₉(EO)₇₆) was added, an improvement of the viscoelasticity was observed at suitable polymer concentrations. Freeze–fracture transmission electron microscopy (FF-TEM) observations on an F68-containing system revealed interesting aggregate transition from vesicles to flexible tubules and back to vesicles. The improvement of the viscoelasticity of the vesicular solution containing F68 or F127 can be explained by the formation of tubule and polymer–vesicle associates, while no such phenomenon was noticed for P123 ((EO)₁₉(PO)₆₉(EO)₁₉) which has the highest propylene oxide (PO) content and the strongest ability to self-associate in aqueous solution. In all the cases, vesicles will be destroyed and phase separation can be observed at high polymer contents (>5-mg mL^?1).     

Formation of micelles of Pluronic block copolymers in PEG 200

The formation of micelles of Pluronic block copolymers in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was studied using fluorescence, solubilization measurements, and frozen fracture electron microscopy (FFEM) methods at 40 degrees C. It was discovered that surfactants L44 (EO(10)PO(23)EO(10)), P85 (EO(26)PO(40)EO(26)), and P105 (EO(37)PO(56)EO(37)) can form micelles in PEG 200 (PEG with a nominal molecular weight of 200), and the critical micellization concentration (CMC) decreases with increasing molecular weight of the surfactants. The size of the micelles formed by these Pluronic block copolymers is in the range of 6-35 nm. The CMC values in PEG 200 are higher than those in aqueous solutions.     

Effects of block size of pluronic polymers on the water structure in the corona region and its effect on the electron transfer reactions

Effects of constituent block size of triblock copolymers on the nature of the water molecules in the corona region of their micelles have been investigated using time-resolved fluorescence measurements. The physical nature of the water molecules in the micellar corona region of the block copolymer, Pluronic F88 ([ethylene oxide (EO)]103-[propylene oxide (PO)]39-EO103), has been studied using a solubilized coumarin dye. Solvent reorientation time and rotational correlation time have been measured and compared with another block copolymer, Pluronic P123 (EO20-PO70-EO20), which has a different composition of the constituent PO and EO blocks. It is noted that due to the presence of larger number of EO blocks in F88 as compared with P123, the corona region of the former micelle is more hydrated than that of the latter. The solvent reorientation time and rotational correlation time are found to be relatively shorter for F88 as compared with P123. This indicates that the water molecules in the corona of the F88 micelle are more labile than those of P123, which is also supported from the estimated number of water molecules associated with each EO unit, measured from the size of each type of micelle and its aggregation number. To understand the effect of block size on the chemical reactions in these microheterogeneous media, electron transfer reactions have been carried out between different coumarin acceptors and N, N-dimethylaniline donor. The electron transfer results obtained in F88 micelles have been compared with those obtained in P123, and the results are rationalized on the basis of the relative hydration of the two triblock copolymer micelles.     

Phase equilibrium in aqueous two-phase systems containing ethylene oxide–propylene oxide block copolymers and dextran

Phase equilibrium of aqueous two-phase systems containing the polysaccharide dextran and ethylene oxide (EO)/propylene oxide (PO) triblock copolymers was investigated in this work. Phase diagrams at 25.0 °C were experimentally obtained for systems formed by either dextran 19 (average molar mass of 8200 g mol⁻¹) or dextran 400 (average molar mass of 236 kg mol⁻¹) and one of the following block copolymers F38, F68, F108, P105 and P103, which present different structures in terms of EO/PO ratios and molar masses. It was possible to assess the influence of the polymer features on the phase equilibrium: the main factors affecting phase equilibrium being the size of dextran molecule and the structure (mainly the EO/PO ratio) of the copolymer. The Flory–Huggins equation was used to correlate the experimental data with good qualitative agreement, allowing the inference that changes in the copolymer hydrophobicity are the main responsible for the observed phase diagrams.     

蛋白质在表面活性剂与高分子共组双水相体系中 的分配

高分子和正负离子表面活性剂混合物可形成一种新型双水相体系。研究蛋白质在溴化十二烷基三乙铵/十二烷基硫酸钠与聚氧乙烯(EO)-聚氧丙烯(PO)嵌段共聚物(EO~2~0PO~8~0)共组双水相体系中的分配。通过在高分子接上亲和配基,研究蛋白质在带有亲和配基高分子的双水相体系中的分配。将表面活性剂富集相稀释或加热高分子富集相,又可形成新的双水相体系,由此可进行蛋白质的多步分配。在蛋白质的分配完成之后,通过将表面活性剂富集相进一步稀释或将高分子富集相加热至高分子浊点以上可将表面活性剂和高分子与目标蛋白质分离。正负离子表面活性剂和高分子还可以循环使用。     

Clouding Behavior of Ethylene Oxide‐Propylene Oxide Block Copolymer P85: The Effect of Additives

The characteristic feature of nonionic poly(ethylene oxide)‐poly(propylene oxide)‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO‐PPO‐PEO) triblock copolymers is that at higher temperatures they undergo clouding and liquid‐liquid phase separation. The clouding temperature of such block copolymers can be profoundly altered in the presence of various additives. In this work the effect of various additives on the clouding phenomenon of triblock copolymer P85[(EO)₂₆(PO)₃₉(EO)₂₆] is discussed.     

Improved micellar hydration and gelation characteristics of PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer solutions in the presence of LiCl

LiCl-induced changes in the micellar hydration and gelation characteristics of aqueous solutions of the two triblock copolymers F127 (EO(100)PO(70)EO(100)) and P123 (EO(20)PO(70)EO(20)) (where EO represents the ethylene oxide block and PO represents the propylene oxide block) have been studied by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and viscometry. The effect of LiCl was found to be significantly different from those observed for other alkali metal chloride salts such as NaCl and KCl. This can be explained on the basis of the complexation of hydrated Li(+) ions with the PEO chains in the micellar corona region. The interaction between the chains and the ions is more significant in the case F127 because of its larger PEO block size, and therefore, micelles of this copolymer show an enhanced degree of hydration in the presence of LiCl. The presence of the hydrated Li(+) ions in the micellar corona increases the amount of mechanically trapped water there and compensates more than the water molecules lost through the dehydration of the PEO chains in the presence of the Cl(-) ions. The enhancement in micellar hydration leads to a decrease in the minimum concentration required for the F127 solution to form a room-temperature cubic gel phase from 18% to 14%. Moreover, for both copolymers, the temperature range of stability of the cubic gel phase also increases with increasing LiCl concentration, presumably because of the ability of the Li(+) ions to reduce micellar dehydration with increasing temperature. Viscosity studies on a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) homopolymer with a size equivalent to that of the PEO block in F127 (4000 g/mol) also suggest that the dehydrating effect of the Cl(-) ion on the PEG chain is compensated by its interaction with the hydrated Li(+) ions.     

Room temperature sphere-to-rod growth and gelation of PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymers in aqueous salt solutions

The effects of NaCl and KF on the sphere-to-rod micellar growth behavior of triblock copolymers having two different compositions, (EO)20(PO)70(EO)20 (P123) and (EO)26(PO)40(EO)26 (P85), have been studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS), small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and dilute solution viscometry. NaCl can effectively tune the sphere-to-rod growth temperature of the micelles of both these copolymers and induce micellar growth down to the room temperature and below. The growth behavior is found to be dependent on the composition of the copolymer as P123 being more hydrophobic shows the room temperature growth in the presence of ethanol at significantly lesser NaCl concentration than the less hydrophobic copolymer P85. DLS studies depict for the first time the growth driven transition of the copolymer solutions from dilute to semi-dilute regime as a function of copolymer and salt concentrations. KF can also induce room temperature growth of the P123 micelles at lesser salt concentration than NaCl but it fails to induce any such growth of the P85 micelles. A pseudo-binary temperature-concentration phase diagram on 15% copolymer solutions shows the variation of the sphere-to-rod transition temperature and the cloud point of the copolymer solutions as a function of salt concentration.     

Aggregation of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) block copolymers in aqueous solution: DPD simulation study

The dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation method was applied to simulate the aggregation behavior of three block copolymers, (EO)16(PO)18, (EO)8(PO)18(EO)8, and (PO)9(EO)16(PO)9, in aqueous solutions. The results showed that the size of the micelle increased with increasing concentration. The diblock copolymer (EO)16(PO)18 would form an intercluster micelle at a certain concentration range, besides the traditional aggregates (spherical micelle, cylindrical micelle, and lamellar phase); while the triblock copolymer (EO)8(PO)18(EO)8 would form a spherical micelle, cylindrical micelle, and lamellar phase with increasing concentration, and (PO)9(EO)16(PO)9 would form intercluster aggregates, as well as a spherical micelle and gel. New mechanisms were given to explain the two kinds of intercluster micelle formed by the different copolymers. It is deduced from the end-to-end distance that the morphologies of the diblock copolymer and triblock copolymer with hydrophilic ends were more extendible than the triblock copolymer with hydrophobic ends.     

Effect of acid on the aggregation of poly(ethylene xide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers

The acid effect on the aggregation of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers EO(20)PO(70)EO(20) has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), particle size analyzer (PSA), Fourier transformed infrared, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The critical micellization temperature for Pluronic P123 in different HCl aqueous solutions increases with the increase of acid concentration. Additionally, the hydrolysis degradation of PEO blocks is observed in strong acid concentrations at higher temperatures. When the acid concentration is low, TEM and PSA show the increase of the micelle mean diameter and the decrease of the micelle polydispersity at room temperature, which demonstrate the extension of EO corona and tendency of uniform micelle size because of the charge repulsion. When under strong acid conditions, the aggregation of micelles through the protonated water bridges was observed.     

Apparent Specific Volume Measurements of Poly(ethylene oxide), Poly(butylene oxide), Poly(propylene oxide), and Octadecyl Chains in the Micellar State as a Function of Temperature

Apparent specific densities of aqueous solutions of the diblock copolymers C18(EO)100, C18(EO)20, and (EO)92(BO)18 and the triblock copolymers (EO)25(PO)40(EO)25 and (EO)21(PO)47(EO)21 in the micellar state have been measured over a temperature range from 10 to 90 degrees C at concentrations between 1% and 5%, using an oscillating tube densitometer. From these measurements, apparent specific volumes of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(propylene oxide) (PPO), poly(butylene oxide) (PBO), and octadecane in the micellar state have been determined. The composition of the block copolymers was checked by NMR spectroscopy. Results were compared with published data for the polymers and bulk values for octadecane, respectively. The apparent specific density of PEO chains in the dissolved state was also measured for PEG4600 solutions at different concentrations and compared with results in the micellar state. The results presented in the paper are crucial in connection with analysis and modeling of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data from polymer and block copolymer micellar systems. PEO and PPO have a relatively low apparent partial specific volume in water at low temperatures. It is associated with water molecules making strong hydrogen bonds with the oxygen atoms on the polymer backbone. These water molecules gradually become disordered when the temperature is increased and the polymer apparent specific volume increases. For PBO in the micellar cores of PBO-PEO block copolymer micelles and in PNiPAM microgels, pronounced temperature dependence with the same origin is also found. The application of the derived results for the apparent specific volume of PEO for deriving contrast factors is demonstrated and the results are used in the analysis of SAXS data for semidilute solutions of PEG4600 in a broad temperature range.     

Purification of protein and recycling of polymers in a new aqueous two-phase system using two thermoseparating polymers

In this study we present a new aqueous two-phase system where both polymers are thermoseparating. In this system it is possible to recycle both polymers by temperature induced phase separation, which is an improvement of the aqueous two-phase system previously reported where one of the polymers was thermoseparating and the other polymer was dextran or a starch derivative. The polymers used in this work are EO50PO50, a random copolymer of 50% ethylene oxide (EO) and 50% propylene oxide (PO), and a hydrophobically modified random copolymer of EO and PO with aliphatic C14H29-groups coupled to each end of the polymer (HM-EOPO). In water solution both polymers will phase separate above a critical temperature (cloud point for EO50PO50 50 degrees C, HM-EOPO, 14 degrees C) and this will for both polymers lead to formation of an upper water phase and a lower polymer enriched phase. When EO50PO50 and HM-EOPO are mixed in water, the solution will separate in two phases above a certain concentration i.e. an aqueous two-phase system is formed analogous to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)/dextran system. The partitioning of three proteins, bovine serum albumin, lysozyme and apolipoprotein A-1, has been studied in the EO50PO50/HM-EOPO system and how the partitioning is affected by salt additions. Protein partitioning is affected by salts in similar way as in traditional PEG/dextran system. Recombinant apolipoprotein A-1 has been purified from a cell free E. coli fermentation solution. Protein concentrations of 20 and 63 mg/ml were used, and the target protein could be concentrated in the HM-EOPO phase with purification factors of 6.6 and 7.3 giving the yields 66 and 45%, respectively. Recycling of both copolymers by thermoseparation was investigated. In protein free systems 73 and 97.5% of the EO50PO50 and HM-EOPO polymer could be recycled respectively. Both polymers were recycled after aqueous two-phase extraction of apolipoprotein A-1 from a cell free E. coli fermentation solution. Apolipoprotein A-1 was extracted to the HM-EOPO phase with contaminating proteins in the EO50PO50 phase. The yield (78%) and purification factor (5.5) of apolipoprotein A-1 was constant during three polymer recyclings. This new phase system based on two thermoseparating polymers is of great interest in large scale extractions where polymer recycling is of increasing importance.     

Influence of various series of additives on the clouding behavior of aqueous solutions of triblock copolymers

The cloud point (CP) studies on aqueous solutions of two ethylene oxide-propylene oxide triblock copolymers (EO)_2.5(PO)₃₁(EO)_2.5 and (EO)₁₃(PO)₃₀(EO)₁₃ with varying number of ethylene oxide (EO) units were carried out in the presence of series of additives, such as alkali, acids, ionic surfactants, alcohols, salts, and hydrotropes. The results of this study show that sodium hydroxide decreases the CP of the two copolymers. Acids increase the CP in the order hydrochloric acid > acetic acid > formic acid for both the triblock copolymers. Hydrotropes increase the CP, whereas salts decrease or increase the CP based on their salting-out/salting-in nature. Alcohols, which are polar organic additives, affect the CP of the two copolymers differently. The change in the CP of the triblock copolymers depends upon the structure and concentration of the additives and on the number of EO units of the two triblock copolymers.     

Thermodynamics of temperature-sensitive polyether-modified poly(acrylic acid) microgels

The temperature-induced structural changes and thermodynamics of ionic microgels based on poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) networks bonded with poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) (Pluronic) copolymers have been studied by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), ultra-small-angle neutron scattering (USANS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and equilibrium swelling techniques. Aggregation within microgels based on PAA and either the hydrophobic Pluronic L92 (average composition, EO8PO52EO8; PPO content, 80%) or the hydrophilic Pluronic F127 (average composition, EO99PO67EO99; PPO content, 30%) was studied and compared to that in the solutions of the parent Pluronic. The neutron scattering results indicate the formation of micelle-like aggregates within the F127-based microgel particles, while the L92-based microgels formed fractal structures of dense nanoparticles. The microgels exhibit thermodynamically favorable volume phase transitions within certain temperature ranges due to reversible aggregation of the PPO chains, which occurs because of hydrophobic associations. The values of the apparent standard enthalpy of aggregation in the microgel suspensions indicate aggregation of hydrophobic clusters that are more hydrophobic than the un-cross-linked PPO chains in the Pluronic. Differences in the PPO content in Pluronics L92 and F127 result in a higher hydrophobicity of the resulting L92-PAA-EGDMAmicrogels and a larger presence of hydrophobic, densely cross-linked clusters that aggregate into supramolecular structures rather than micelle-like aggregates such as those formed in the F127-PAA-EGDMA microgels.     

Interaction of ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymers with ionic surfactants studied by calorimetry: random versus block copolymers

The present study used calorimetric techniques to follow the interaction of random and block ethylene oxide (EO)-propylene oxide (PO) copolymers with ionic surfactants. Features such as the intensity of the interaction (evaluated through their critical aggregation concentrations) and the profile of the isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) curves were comparatively analyzed for random and block copolymers with similar composition (number of EO and PO units). Random copolymers displayed an interaction similar to that observed with other hydrophilic homopolymers with the additional characteristic that the intensity of the interaction increased with the increase in the copolymer hydrophobicity (as determined by its PO content), revealing that these copolymers display an intermediate behavior between PEO and PPO. For nonaggregated block copolymers (unimers) with large enough EO blocks (molar mass above 2000 g mol-1), ITC curves revealed that the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) interacts with the PO and EO blocks almost independently, being more favorable with the PO block, which controls the critical aggregation concentration (cac) value. Effects of temperature and of the nature of the ionic surfactants on their interaction with these copolymers were found to agree with the previously reported trends.     

Temperature and concentration effects on supramolecular aggregation and phase behavior for poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)- b-poly(propylene oxide) copolymers of different composition in aqueous mixtures, 1

The phase behavior (temperature vs composition) and microstructure for the two binary systems Pluronic 25R4 [(PO)19(EO)33(PO)19]-water and Pluronic 25R2 [(PO)21(EO)14(PO)21]-water have been studied by a combined experimental approach in the whole concentration range and from 5 to 80 degrees C. The general phase behavior has been identified by inspection under polarized light. Precise phase boundaries have been determined by analyzing 2H NMR line shape. The identification and microstructural characterization of the liquid crystalline phases have been achieved using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The isotropic liquid solution phases have been investigated by self-diffusion measurements (PGSE-NMR method). 25R2 does not form liquid crystals and is miscible with water in the whole concentration range; with increasing temperature, the mixtures split into water-rich and a copolymer-rich solutions in equilibrium. 25R4 shows rich phase behavior, passing, with increasing copolymer concentration, from a water-rich solution to a lamellar and copolymer-rich solution. A small hexagonal phase, completely encircled in the stability region of the water-rich solution, is also present. In water-rich solutions, at low temperatures and low copolymer concentrations, the copolymers are dissolved as independent macromolecules. With increasing copolymer concentrations an interconnected network of micelles is formed in which micellar cores of hydrophobic poly(propylene oxide) are interconnected by poly(ethylene oxide) strands. In copolymer-rich solutions water is molecularly dissolved in the copolymer. The factors influencing the self-aggregation of Pluronic R copolymers (PPO-PEO-PPO sequence) are discussed, and their behavior in water is compared to that of Pluronic copolymers (PEO-PPO-PEO sequence).     

Aqueous nonionic copolymer-functionalized laponite clay. A thermodynamic and spectrophotometric study to characterize its behavior toward an organic material

The affinity of functionalized Laponite clay toward an organic material in the aqueous phase was explored. Functionalization was performed by using triblock copolymers based on ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) units that are EO(11)PO(16)EO(11) (L35) and PO(8)EO(23)PO(8) (10R5). Phenol (PhOH) was chosen as organic compound, which represents a contaminant prototype. To this purpose, densities and enthalpies of mixing as well as PhOH UV-absorption spectra were determined. The enthalpy and the spectrophotometry revealed PhOH-Laponite interactions whereas the volume did not. It emerged that the area occupied by PhOH on the Laponite surface is equal to that computed from the partial molar volume of PhOH in water, corroborating the insensitivity of the experimental volumes to the adsorption process. The situation where both PhOH and copolymer are simultaneously present in the aqueous Laponite suspension was also investigated. It turned out that the copolymer replaces PhOH from the water/Laponite clay interface, resulting in L35 being the more efficient. Moreover, the lateral copolymer-phenol interactions enhance the anchoring of PhOH to the solid surface. The reverse copolymer exercises the most important relevant effect. The UV-absorption spectra of PhOH in the water + copolymer + Laponite mixtures provided information that is consistent with those given by the calorimetric experiments. In conclusion, the aqueous copolymer-functionalized Laponite presents surface properties very different from the bare Laponite, favoring the removal of the organic compound from the solid surface.