Luminescent polyelectrolytes with antiviral activity

Radical polymerization was used to synthesize and characterize (co)polymers with sodium styrenesulfonate (NaSS), 4-methacryloylamidosalicylic acid (MASA), and N-vinylpyrrolidone, which have a low cytotoxicity and a high antiviral activity against the human respiratory syncytial virus. The interaction of copolymers with Tb³⁺ ions was studied. The complexes formed in dilute aqueous solutions at a concentration of MASA units c ⩽ 1 · 10^-4 mol L^-1 demonstrate a strong luminescence. The luminescence intensity is independent of copolymer composition, but increases when the NaSS units are substituted with uncharged N-vinylpyrrolidone units. The obtained Tb³⁺ polymer complexes are promising luminescent sensors for the visualization of biological objects interacting with copolymers.