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In this paper, the interaction between the water-soluble conjugated polyelectrolyte poly1,4-phenylene9,9-bis(4-phenoxybutylsulfonate)fluorene-2,7-diyl copolymer and the amino acid glyceride conjugate 1-O-(l-arginyl)-2,3-O-dilauroyl-sn-glycerol dichlorohydrate (a mimic for the phospholipid lecithin) has been studied in aqueous solution by electronic spectroscopy (absorption and fluorescence) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). A significant increase in the polymer fluorescence and blue shift in its emission are observed on association with the surfactant. This is suggested to be due to breakup of polymer aggregates. In addition, the spectroscopic and photophysical data suggest this is followed by the vesicle to ribbon transition characteristic of this surfactant, leading to incorporation of single chains of the polymer within mixed polymer-surfactant aggregates. Support for this comes from preliminary SANS measurements, from which evidence for polymer dissolution and formation of two-dimensional structures has been obtained.

The effect of EuCl3on the aggregation processes of sodium dodecyl sulfate was investigated. Electrical conductivity data, combined with Eu(III) luminescence measurements, suggest that the formation of micelles involving EuCl3and SDS occurs at low SDS concentration; the formation of these mixed aggregates was also monitored by light scattering, which indicates that the addition of EuCl3to SDS concentration at values below the critical micelle concentration of the pure surfactant results in a much higher light scattering than that found just with SDS micelles. It was also found that the Eu(III)/DS-complexes are formed with a binding ratio which varies between 20 and 4, depending on the initial concentration of Eu(III). As the concentration increases, turbidity occurs initially, but solutions become clear subsequently. In contrast to the behavior of SDS in the presence of aluminum(III), no flocculation was observed. From the analysis of electrical conductivity data and comparison with other systems, it is suggested that growth of aggregates happens, probably with formation of nonspherical systems. At the highest concentrations these may involve just Eu(III) and DS-ions. The effect of temperature on the SDS micellization process was studied. The calculated free energy of SDS micellization is not dependent on the initial EuCl3but is dependent on the final balance between the presence of counterions in solution (ionic strength) and the temperature.