Polymeric iodophors with poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) and poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone): optical, hydrodynamic, thermodynamic, and antimicrobial properties

Formation of iodophors by interactions of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) and poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) with molecular iodine dissolved in aqueous solutions with addition of potassium iodide and ethanol has been studied using a range of physicochemical techniques including UV-Vis spectroscopy, viscometry, dynamic light scattering, isothermal titration calorimetry and partitioning through semi-permeable membrane. It was established that poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) exhibits greater ability to bind iodine compared to poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone). Despite the difference in the binding ability of these two polymers, their iodophors exhibited similar antimicrobial properties