The phase behavior of blends containing N-alkylitaconamic acid-co-styrene copolymers (NAIA-co-S) with poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVY) of two different weight average molecular weights (M-w($) over bar), poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VPy) and poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VPy), was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Copolymers containing 80% S are miscible with PVT10, PVP24, and P4VPy over the whole range of composition. In the case of blends with P2VPy, miscibility is observed only for the first three members of the series, i.e., NEIA-co-S, NPIA-co-S, and NBIA-co-S. For copolymers containing hexyl to dodecyl moieties, phase separation is observed in blends with P2VPy. Copolymers containing 50% S are miscible over the whole range of composition irrespective of the homopolymer and the length of the side chain of the itaconamic moiety of the copolymer. This behavior is interpreted in terms of steric hindrance, in the sense that the copolymers with long side chains are not able to interact with the nitrogen of P2VPy because of the position in the aromatic ring. The interactions between copolymers and homopolymers are discussed in terms of specific interactions like hydrogen bonds between the itaconamic moiety and the different functional groups of the homopolymers, together with the hydrophobic interaction, which cannot be disregarded. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.