Effect of interfacial tension on micellization of a polystyrene–poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer in a mixed solvent system

The micellization of a polystyrene–poly(ethylene oxide) (PS–PEO) diblock copolymer in a mixed solvent of water and tetrahydrofuran (THF) was studied in terms of an aggregation number as measured by laser light scattering. The results show the aggregation number (f) of the micelle decreases monotonically as the amount of THF is increased. These experimental results are compared with a theoretical model that includes the variations in the interfacial tension. Experimentally, the interfacial tension is adjusted with the addition of relatively low levels of THF. The theory indicates that the aggregation number decreases as the interfacial tension is decreased. The theoretical prediction is in very good agreement with the experimental results. The main conclusion of this study is that the interfacial tension is the key factor in determining the aggregation number of the diblock copolymer micelle in a water–THF solvent system.