Hydrodynamic, electrooptical, and conformational properties of fullerene-containing poly(2-vinylpyridines) in solutions

For C60 fullerene-containing poly(2-vinylpyridines) synthesized by anionic polymerization, the molecular mass and hydrodynamic size of macromolecules in solutions have been determined by molecular hydrodynamics (translational diffusion and viscometry) and electrooptics in dilute benzene and THF solutions. Under the same conditions in the molecular mass range (9.8–123) × 103, the hydrodynamic behavior of linear poly(2-vinylpyridines) and their molecular-mass dependences have been examined and the conformational characteristics of macromolecules have been established. The branching of macromolecules has been characterized by comparing the properties of star-shaped fullerene-containing and linear poly(2-vinylpyridines). With consideration of the hydrodynamic data interpreted within the framework of regular star model, it is inferred that on average three to four linear polymer chains with a molecular mass of (8 ± 3) × 103 for each chain are attached to a fullerene core of C60 in molecules of fullerene-containing poly(2-vinylpyridines). The specific Kerr constant of fullerene-containing poly(2-vinylpyridines) in dilute benzene solution is −(14 ± 1) × 10−12 cm5/[g (300 V)2]. As evidenced by the electrooptical data, the incorporation of fullerene into the polymer weakens self-association of macromolecules in solution.