Study of the self-diffusion of poly(ethylene glycol)s in poly(vinyl alcohol) aqueous systems

We have measured the self-diffusion coefficients of a series of oligo- and poly(ethylene glycol)s with molecular weights ranging from 150 to 10,000, in aqueous solutions and gels of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), using the pulsed-gradient spin-echo NMR techniques. The PVA concentrations varied from 0 to 0.38 g/mL which ranged from dilute solutions to polymer gels. Effects of the diffusant size and polymer concentration on the self-diffusion coefficients have been investigated. The temperature dependence of the self-diffusion coefficients has also been studied for poly(ethylene glycol)s with molecular weights of 600 and 2,000. Several theoretical models based on different physical concepts are used to fit the experimental data. The suitability of these models in the interpretation of the self-diffusion data is discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2396–2403, 1999

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