Catalytic modification of polymer chains in copper sols stabilized by poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)

The hydrolysis of lactam cycles in copper sols stabilized by poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) was studied. The effects of various factors (polymer chain length, temperature, size of copper nanoparticles) on the ultimate conversion of PVP and the yield of amino acid groups in the repeating units of the polymer as a function of time were examined. A mechanism for the consecutive pulling of polymer chains modified through contacts with the surface of copper nanoparticles was advanced. This mechanism accounts for a high yield of amino acid units under the condition that a great excess of free chains of a shielding polymer occurs in the dispersion medium. A technique for measuring conversion in the systems under examination was developed.