Experimental study of intramolecular crosslinking of poly Nϵ-methacryloyl-L-lysine by copper ions

The intramolecular crosslinking of a polyelectrolyte by divalent metal ions has been investigated for poly-Nϵ-methacryloyl-L-lysine and copper (II) ions. It is shown that in the 4·5–11·0 pH range irreversible complex formation takes place, and is accompanied by a change in hydrodynamic properties of the macromolecules. The structure of the polymer-ligand (metal ion) complexes has been determined, and their behaviour in aqueous solutions investigated. Agreement between the results of theoretical calculations and experimental determination of change in the macromolecular coil dimensions during complexation reactions shows that the model used for theoretical calculations fits particular reactions of intramolecular crosslinking.