Influence of salts on hydrophobically end-capped polyethylene oxides in aqueous solution

The influence of four different salts (NaCl, KBr, CaCl₂ and MgCl₂) on the associative behaviour of poly(ethylene oxide) (POE with M=32000g/mol) hydrophobically end-capped with hexadecyl groups in aqueous solutions was investigated. Phase diagrams were obtained, structural properties were established by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements and studies on the viscoelastic properties of the solutions were performed by low-shear viscosity and dynamic stress experiments. The influence of the four salts is compared as well as the difference of the interactions obtained with and without salts.