How does Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Trigger Phase Separation in Aqueous Alcohol?1, "Высокомолекулярные соединения. Серия С"

Abstract - Short chain alcohols, such as methanol and ethanol, are fairly well miscible in water over full mixing ratios. Moreover, when poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) is added in the same mixtures, the solution phase separates at low alcohol concentrations. From the fundamental understanding of phase separation within the mean-field picture, we can expect interaction parameter between water and alcohol to be significantly larger than unity. On the contrary, however, remains invariant and close to zero over full mixing ratios of aqueous alcohol mixtures. Here, we show how the preferential binding of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) with alcohols facilitates local phase separation without altering bulk solution .