FLUORINATED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS POSSESSING BIOLOGICAL-ACTIVITIES - GEL FORMATION OF NOVEL FLUOROALKYLATED END-CAPPED 2-ACRYLAMIDO-2-METHYLPROPANESULFONIC ACID POLYMERS UNDER NON-CROSS-LINKED CONDITIONS

New fluoroalkylated end-capped 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic ac id homopolymers were prepared by reaction of fluoroalkanoyl peroxides with 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS). Similarly, fluo roalkylated end-capped copolymers were prepared by reaction of fluoroa lkanoyl peroxides with AMPS and the comonomers such as trimethylvinyls ilane and methyl methacrylate. These thus-obtained fluoroalkylated end -capped AMPS polymers were found to form gels not only in water but al so in organic polar solvents such as methanol, ethanol, N,N-dimethylfo rmamide and dimethyl sulfoxide under non-crosslinked conditions. On th e other hand, AMPS polymer containing fluoroalkylene units {[-R-F-(AMP S)(q)](p)-} could cause no gelation under similar conditions. This sug gests that fluoroalkylated end-capped AMPS polymers can cause gelation where strong aggregation of the end-capped fluoroalkyl segments is in volved sterically in establishing the physical gel network in these me dia. Interestingly, these fluoroalkylated end-capped AMPS polymer hydr ogels had a strong metal ion binding power. Moreover, it was demonstra ted that these fluoroalkylated gelling polymers are potent and selecti ve inhibitors of HIV-1 replication in cell culture. In addition, one o f these gelling polymers was found to possess antibacterial activity a gainst Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, these fluorinated gelling pol ymers are suggested to have high potential for new functional material s through their gelling ability and biological activity.