Chain conformation characteristics

As described above, high-resolution C NMR spectra are obtainable also for solid samples, combining techniques such as DD, MAS and CP. It is, then, possible to investigate the molecular chain conformation characteristics of the solid state via the chemical shift of individual carbons. Furthermore, if one measures simultaneously the relaxation of C magnetization, one also expects to obtain information on molecular chain dynamics. This section describes the relaxation phenomenon. 

The conformational characteristics of PVF are the subject of several studies (53,65). The rotational isomeric state (RIS) model has been used to calculate mean square end-to-end distance, dipole moments, and conformational entropies. C-nmr chemical shifts are in agreement with these predictions (66). The stiffness parameter (5) has been calculated (67) using the relationship between chain stiffness and cross-sectional area (68). In comparison to polyethylene, PVF has greater chain stiffness which decreases melting entropy, ie, (AS ) = 8.58 J/(molK) [2.05 cal/(molK)] versus... 

In the previous section, the adaptation of the RIS model was based on the distance between next-nearest neighbor beads. This approach is obviously inadequate for CH3-CHX-CH2-CHX-CH3, because it necessarily abandons the ability to attribute different conformational characteristics to the meso and racemo stereoisomers. Therefore a more robust adaption of the RIS model to the 2nnd lattice is necessary if one wants to investigate the influence of stereochemical composition and stereochemical sequence on vinyl polymers [156]. Here we describe a method that has this capability. Of course, this method retains the ability to treat chains such as PE in which the bonds are subject to symmetric torsion potential energy functions. 

Before discussing details of their model and others, it is useful to review the two main techniques used to infer the characteristics of chain conformation in unordered polypeptides. One line of evidence came from hydrodynamic experiments—viscosity and sedimentation—from which a statistical end-to-end distance could be estimated and compared with values derived from calculations on polymer chain models (Flory, 1969). The second is based on spectroscopic experiments, in particular CD spectroscopy, from which information is obtained about the local chain conformation rather than global properties such as those derived from hydrodynamics. It is entirely possible for a polypeptide chain to adopt some particular local structure while retaining characteristics of random coils derived from hydrodynamic measurements this was pointed out by Krimm and Tiffany (1974). In support of their proposal, Tiffany and Krimm noted the following points ... 

Enzymes are proteins, i.e. sequences of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. The sequence of amino acids within the polypeptide chain is characteristic of each enzyme. This leads to a specific three-dimensional conformation for each enzyme in which the molecular chains are folded in such a way that certain key amino acids are situated in specific strategic locations. This folded arrangement, together with the positioning of key amino acids, gives rise to the remarkable catalytic activity associated with enzymes. 

Polyisocyanates have attracted much attention owing to their liquid crystalline properties, stiff-chain solution characteristics, and induced optical activities associated with helical chain conformation (Scheme 8). Pattern and Novak [39]... 

From the density profiles one cannot really judge the effect of the double bonds the density profiles for membranes of saturated lipids are very similar to those of unsaturated ones. Therefore it is necessary to consider some of the conformational characteristics of the tails. It is possible to compute the order parameter profile for both the saturated and the unsaturated chains. The order parameter profile for the saturated chain closely follows the results presented in Figure 17 for DMPC membranes for both the SCF and the MD predictions. The order parameter profiles for the unsaturated chain closely follows the MC predictions, as discussed in Figure 9. A pronounced dip is found near the cis double bond. For this reason, we choose here to present complementary data about the conformational properties of the acyl chains. 

Conformational characteristics of PTFE chains are studied in detail, based upon ab initio electronic structure calculations on perfluorobutane, perfluoropentane, and perfluorohexane. The found conformational characteristics are fully represented by a six-state RIS model. This six-state model, with no adjustment of the geometric or energy parameters as determined from the ab initio calculations, predicts the unperturbed chain dimensions, and the fraction of gauche bonds as a function of temperature, in good agreement with available experimental values. 

Distribution functions for the end-to-end separation of polymeric sulfur and selenium are obtained from Monte-Carlo simulations which take into account the chains geometric characteristics and conformational preferences. Comparisons with the corresponding information on PE demonstrate the remarkable equilibrium flexibility or compactness of these two molecules. Use of the S and Se distribution functions in the three-chain model for rubberlike elasticity in the affine limit gives elastomeric properties very close to those of non-Gaussian networks, even though their distribution functions appear to be significantly non-Gaussian. 

The configurational-conformational characteristics of PP are discussed by considering every polymer chain as constituted by the periodic repetition of a sequence of monomeric units in a given configuration. Calculations are presented for the special case in which mesa and racemic diads are distributed according to Bemoullian statistics. Numerical results show that the characteristic ratio of atactic PP reaches an asymptotic value of 5.34 when the size of the periodic sequence corresponds to six monomeric units. 

Dipole measurements of PEMA are performed in different solvents, and experimental measurements are theoretically analyzed on the basis of the RIS formalism. Energetic and geometric parameters proposed for PMMA are found to give a reasonable account of the experimentally measured values, in general. However, the change in average dipoles with temperature is found to exhibit a substantial dependence on the type of solvent, which indicates the importance of specific solvent-polymer interaction on the conformational characteristics of the chain. 

The relaxation behavior of amorphous rigid polymers is studied by using the model PDCMI. Moreover, the conformational characteristics of the polymer are investigated by critically analyzing the dipole moments of the chains. 

Discussion. We can now propose a coarse description of the paraffinic medium in a lamellar lyotropic mesophase (potassium laurate-water). Fast translational diffusion, with D 10"6 at 90 °C, occurs while the chain conformation changes. The characteristic times of the chain deformations are distributed up to 3.10"6 sec at 90 °C. Presence of the soap-water interface and of neighboring molecules limits the number of conformations accessible to the chains. These findings confirm the concept of the paraffinic medium as an anisotropic liquid. One must also compare the frequencies of the slowest deformation mode (106 Hz) and of the local diffusive jump (109 Hz). When one molecule wants to slip by the side of another, the way has to be free. If the swinging motions of the molecules, or their slowest deformation modes, were uncorrelated, the molecules would have to wait about 10"6 sec between two diffusive jumps. The rapid diffusion could then be understood if the slow motions were collective motions in the lamellae. In this respect, the slow motions could depend on the macroscopic structure (lamellar or cylindrical, for example)... 

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