A Small-angle Study of the Solution Properties of Dendrimer-like Star Polymers

The solution properties of poly(e-caprolactone) dendritic polymers are investigated by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques. Comparisons of the scattering function in the intermediate region of the SANS patterns with molecular dynamic simulations indicate that the dendritic polymers are relatively extended in their conformation. We report a decay exponent, which scales as l/{nu}, of -1.2, which suggests a conformation more extended than star polymers, approaching the case of sea urchins. Guinier plots of SANS patterns yield radius of gyration measurements R{sub g} {approx} 30{angstrom}, which increase with generation number. Modeling the scattering profiles according to a ''blob'' model yields values of the random walk persistence length <{xi}{sub E}> {approx} 10{angstrom}, which decreases with increasing polymerization generation.