(200a) Aqueous Solution Conformation Of Poly(2-Ethyl-2-Oxazoline) And Its Adsorption On Cellulose

Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOX) is an example of a nonionic, synthetic polymer which is soluble in both organic solvents and water. Hydrogen bonding between the PEOX carbonyl group and water is thought to facilitate the dissolution of PEOX in water and may result in conformational behavior besides a typical random coil of the polymer chain. Viscometry measurements of PEOX in water reveal a random coil which condenses in the presence of salt. The ordering of water molecules around PEOX that stabilize its conformations is believed to facilitate the adsorption of PEOX to surfaces through increased entropy of the water molecules upon adsorption. PEOX adsorption onto cellulose could produce a useful papermaking additive. Our investigations seek to elucidate the mechanism of the solution of PEOX in water in order to optimize an additive which does not interfere with various other additives that interact with cellulose through electrostatic interactions.