Poly(acrylamide-co-dihexylacrylamide) (PAHM-0) and poly(acrylamide-co-sodium acrylate-co-dihexylacrylamide) (PAHM-21) were studied through small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), light scattering (LS) and rheology. SAXS results highlighted the polyelectrolyte character of PAHM-21, with highly extended conformation in aqueous solution owing to charge repulsion, while the PAHM-0 has a coil conformation. LS measurements indicated that PAHM-0 makes intermolecular clusters in solution, in presence and absence of salt, even with a lower hydrophobic content than that described in the literature to the associative polyacrylamides. However, the rheological results showed that there is not an enhancement of the viscosity although hydrophobic association takes place. LS results for PAHM-21 suggest that this polymer makes intramolecular associations mainly in the presence of salts. Furthermore, the viscosity measurements show that its viscosity decreases due to screening of the charges by the addition of salts.
amphiphilic polyacrylamide; polyelectrolyte; slow relaxation mode; cluster; self-diffusion of charged chains
