Solubilization of Homopolymers in a Solution of Diblock Copolymers

We study theoretically mixed solutions of homopolymer and diblock copolymer chains. The solvent is a poor solvent for the homopolymers and a selective solvent for the copolymers. We find that the formation of copolymer micelles containing also the insoluble chains allows for an increased solubility of the homopolymers in the solution. In agreement with experiments, we find also that the solubilization power of the micelles, that is, the maximum amount of total homopolymer weight solubilized per unit weight of copolymers in solution, decreases strongly with the homopolymer index of polymerization.