Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-C60 Complexes in Aqueous Solution.

The structure of first synthesized Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-C60 complexes in aqueous solution has been investigated by neutron small-angle scattering in the temperature range of 20-40°C around the coil-globule transition (TC ∼ 32°C). A strong action of linked fullerenes on polymer conformation is revealed far below the critical region (T ∼ TC). The complex even at 20°C exists in globular state. Polymer concentration in globule is increased by one order in magnitude as compared to this one in a coil. Along with a condensation of macromolecule to globular structure, the fullerenes stabilize a stretched chain conformation at segmental scale. The structural peculiarities of fullerene-polymer complex are expected to be useful for complexes' biological and medical applications assuming the C60 antiviral activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]