there are provided amphiphilic biodegradable copolymers comprising a hydrophilic backbone with pendant aliphatic groups as the hydrophobic component . the polymers form nanoscale molecular aggregates in aqueous environments , which have hydrophobic interiors that are capable of solubilizing insoluble organic compounds and disrupting viral coat proteins . the polymers optionally feature reactive functional groups that provide attachment points for antibodies , ligands , and other targeting moieties which mediate adherence of the aggregate to a viral target .