HYDRODYNAMIC PROPERTIES AND CONFORMATIONA L CHARACTERISTICS OF N-VINYLCAPROLACTAM-AMINOALKYLMETHACRYLATE COPOLYMERS

Copolymers of N-vinylcaprolactam and aminoalkylmethacrylates with equi molar component ratio were synthesized for the first time and their ch aracteristics were determined, including the coefficients of translati onal diffusion, the sedimentation constants, and the intrinsic viscosi ty in 0.1 N aqueous potassium chloride solution. The hydrodynamic beha vior of the copolymer solutions indicate that their molecules have the shape of strongly convoluted coils with a nearly globular structure. This is confirmed by the values of coefficients of the the Mark-Kuhn-H ouwink equation and small ratios of the Kuhn segment to the chain diam eter. The observed features are explained by the ability of copolymer units to form intra-chain bonds favoring the appearance of strongly co iled conformations.