Theory of Phase Behavior of Poly(oxyethylene)−Poly(oxypropylene)−Poly(oxyethylene) Triblock Copolymers in Aqueous Solutions

The phase behavior of ABA triblock copolymers in aqueous solutions is studied theoretically, using both continuum and lattice mean-field theories. A variety of lyotropic liquid crystalline phases is found for the Pluronic family, and the effects of temperature, copolymer concentration, overall molecular weight, and block sizes are investigated. The theoretical scheme incorporates “internal” monomeric states as well as the effects of the spatial …