Gelation characteristics, block copolymer

To examine the characteristic behavior of thermosensitive physical gelation, block copolymer 75 with a hydrophilic polyalcohol segment and a thermosensitive seg-... 

Attwood, D., Tait, C.J. and Collett,J.H. (1987) Thermally reversible gelation characteristics, poly(oxyethy-lene)-poly(oxypropylene) block copolymer in aqueou.s solution after exposure to high-energy irradiation (Chapter 10), in Controlled-Release Technology Pharmaceutical Applications, Lee P.I., and Good, W. (eds), American Chemical Society, Washington D.C. 

In aqueous solutions of amphiphilic polymers, which contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic sequences, strong interpolymer hydrophobic association often leads to bulk-phase separation or gelation. However, there are classes of amphiphilic polymers that form well-organized associated structures in aqueous solution without accompanying macroscopic phase separation. This is generally characteristic of amphiphilic AB and ABA block copolymers, where A and B represent hydrophilic and hydrophobic sequences, respectively. These types of block copolymers and low molecular weight surfactant molecules have common features in their associating behavior. 

---