Micellization in aqueous solution of an ethylene oxide–propylene oxide triblock copolymer, investigated with 1H NMR spectroscopy, pulsed-field gradient NMR, and NMR relaxation

1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been applied to study the temperature and concentration-induced micellization of a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) triblock copolymer, Pluronic P105, in D2O solutions in the temperature range from 5 to 45 °C and the concentration range from 0.01 to 15% (w/v). The intrinsic probes, the chemical shift, and the half-height width of the PO CH3 signal are very sensitive to the local environment and can be used to characterize the temperature and concentration-dependent aggregation process. When the temperature approaches the critical micellization temperature or the polymer concentration reaches the critical micellization concentration, the chemical shift of the PO CH3 signal moves toward lower ppm values and the half-height width of the PO CH3 signal shows a sudden increase. It indicates that the methyl groups are experiencing a progressively less polar environment and transferring from water to the hydrophobic micellar core. The hydrodynamic radius of the unimers and the micelles are determined as be 1.8 and 5.0 nm by means of pulsed-field gradient spin-echo (PGSE) NMR. They were independent of temperature and concentration. The drastic shortening of spin–lattice relaxation time T1T1 for the PO CH3/CH2 protons in the transition region suggested that the PPO blocks are located in a “liquid-like” micellar core, whereas the exponential increase of T1T1 for the PEO CH2 protons implied that the PEO blocks are still keeping in contact with surrounding water. Thermodynamics analysis according to a closed association model shows that the micellization process is entropy-driven and has an endothermic micellization enthalpy.

(a) Overall 1H NMR spetra of 1% Pluronic P105 in D2O solution recorded at 5 °C; (b) Stack plot of PO CH3 signal in 1H NMR spectra at various temperatures.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide