ABSTRACT
In polymer-surfactant systems the basic spin relaxation approach may provide detailed information on local molecular dynamics and order of alkyl chains, water or counterions in the system. A three-component system polymer-surfactant-water is much more complex than single aqueous solutions of surfactant or polymer alone, not only from an aggregation/interaction point of view, but also from basic considerations about the detection of a useful nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum. Polymers or surfactants in solution do not really have well-resolved NMR-spectra to begin with, a problem that becomes amplified in mixed systems. A case where one can actually interpret chemical shift effects is in situations where NMR-active nuclei are in the vicinity of an “aromatic-ring” resulting in so-called aromatic ring-current induced shifts. The macroscopic viscosity of polymer systems in solution varies considerably with solution composition, which is a quite central problem in the present type of experimental approach. Proton-based solids NMR work is also quite difficult for a number of fundamental reasons.
