No abstract

The association of phenols, such as p-cresol, tribromophenol, and trichlorophenol, with several amphipathic poly (n-alkylmethyldiallylammonium) chlorides in aqueous solution was studied by ultrafiltration. The n-alkyl residues were octyl, decyl, and dodecyl and the binding degrees were significantly higher than those found with the hydrophilic poly (diallyldimethylammonium) chloride. The results agreed well with the Satake and Yang's treatment and Hill's empirical equation for the association process, thereby revealing, in both cases, an increasing cooperative effect as the polyelectrolyte side chain increased in length for the same phenol, and when the hydrophobic nature of the phenol increased for the same kind of polyelectrolyte. From the phenomenological association constants, the estimated molar standard free energies of association ranged from −19 kJmol −1 , for the more hydrophilic phenoxide-polyelectrolyte pair, to −28 kJmol −1 for the more hydrophobic pairs. The main result is that the amphipathic nature of these polyelectrolytes makes them efficient systems to trap anionic contaminants, better than hydrophilic flocculants.