Light scattering and viscosity studies of poly(2-vinylpyridine 1-oxide) in some organic solvents at 25°C

Light scattering in 2-propanol and viscosity measurements in six good solvents were carried out at 25°C for fourteen fractions of poly(2-vinylpyridine 1-oxide) (P2VPO) with molar mass of (1,3–34,4) · 10⁴ g · mol^?1, which were synthesized by oxidizing poly(2-vinylpyridine) with H₂O₂. The numerical values of the Mark-Houwink-Sakurada constants K′ and a and of the parameters K and B from the plots of Kamide-Kawai, Kurata-Stockmayer and Inagaki-Ptitsyn as well as Stockmayer-Fixman, were determined as well. The averaged characteristic ratio C∞ and steric factor σ for this polymer are 8,58 and 2,07, evaluated from K in each solvent except benzyl alcohol with the last plot. The value in benzyl alcohol is rather large and clearly shows the solvent dependence in K. Comparing this average value with those of similar polymers, it is concluded that the P2VPO chain acquires a compact coil structure. The solvent power was found to increase in the following sequence: chloroform < 2-propanol < 1-propanol < methanol ≤ 1-butanol < benzyl alcohol, as judged from the B values.