Gelation Dynamics and Mechanism(s) in Stereoregular Poly(Methyl Methacrylate)s

Chain conformation and gel structure of syndiotactic PMMA thermoreversible gels have been investigated using small angle neutron scattering (SANS). A double helix model for the chain conformation is proposed alongside a gel network model where the fibrils are formed by the proposed double helix and the junctions by the aggregation of 3 double helices. Preliminary results, also obtained by SANS, for stereocomplex gels prepared in bromobenzene are presented.