MORPHOLOGY AND RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR OF Ag-SBS NANOCOMPOSITE GELS.

Block copolymers are of both theoretical and practical importance because of their ability to self-assemble in nano-ordered structures. The self-assembly processes in these materials, are a consequence of the intermolecular micro phase separation between the dissimilar chains covalently linked together. Another important property of block copolymers is that, in solution with a selective solvent, they aggregate to form physical gels. Their technological importance is due to their ability to form elastic solids via self-assembly, with midblocks bridging aggregated end-block micelles. In our study poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SBS), form, by its dissolution in a mid-block-selective solvent (THF) physical gels. So the morphology and the rheological behavior of the thermoreversible gels have been studied and characterized. Moreover, the gel behavior was also studied when Ag nanoparticles were added to the SBS matrix. The results of this study show that the gel stability is not affected by the presence of Ag nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]