The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Worm-like micelles (WLMs) are common in products and show unique, self-assembled dynamics allowing chains to break and reform, resulting in complex behavior during deformation. Their topology, whether linear or branched, influences non-linear responses and shear-banding. Traditionally, branching is induced by adding salt, but the role of electrostatics is unclear. We study WLM transitions in a lecithin/water/decane system, where increasing water leads to branching, shown by a peak in viscosity. Decane enables dielectric rheology to separate chain and branch dynamics under shear. Using in-situ neutron scattering, we observed that branched WLMs align after accelerated branch-point breakage, marked by increased permittivity—a contrast to linear WLMs. We now extend this to transient flows, analyzing impedance, stress, and alignment to distinguish topological transitions preceding alignment.