The temperature dependence of the specific refractive index increment d n /d c of aqueous poly( N isopropylacrylamide) solution in the range of 20 ℃ to 35 ℃ were determined by a differential refractometer. The measured d n /d c of the solution decreases regularly and smoothly with increasing temperature until to the specific coil globule transition temperature of PNIPAM (around 32 ℃) and afterwards it increases with increasing temperature on the contrary. This extraordinary phenomenon is successfully explained and treated by a quantitative theory in terms of accompanying solvation desolvation process in the course of coil globule transition of the polymer chain in solution.
