Order-Disorder Transition of Symmetric Poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) in Bulk and Solution

Order-disorder transitions (ODT) of symmetric poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) in a common good solvent and bulk were determined by dynamic rheological and small-angle neutron scattering measurements. ODT conditions determined by both methods are consistent with each other and the degree of polymerization dependence of critical volume fraction in solution at almost constant temperature agrees with the theoretical prediction for semidilute solutions. However, semidilute behavior persists to a much higher concentration than for ordinary polymer solutions and the crossover from semidilute to concentrated regimes is not clear.