Chain Structure Effects

In this chapter we examine the elastic behavior of polymers. We shall see that this behavior is quite different from the elasticity displayed by metals and substances composed of small molecules. This is a direct consequence of the chain structure of the polymer molecules. In many polymers elasticity does not occur alone, but coupled with viscous phenomena. The combination of these effects is called viscoelasticity. We shall examine this behavior as well. 

Effect of chain structure on the hydrolysis of polyester polyurethanes... 

Sodium a-sulfonated fatty acid esters of long-chain alcohols have a structural effect on the Krafft point different from that of amphiphiles with short alkyl chains [60]. In a series of homologs with the same total carbon number the Krafft points are highest when the hydrophilic alkyl chain lengths in the a-sulfonated fatty acid and the alcohol are fairly long and equal. In this case the packing of the molecules becomes close and tight. 

Techniques were developed for the dilute solution characterization of polydlchlorophosphazene. The purity of the trimer has a significant effect on oligomer formation, polymerization time and polymer MW and MWD. The polymers prepared in this study have high molecular weights and broad molecular weight distributions and probably have similar, if not identical, chain structures. 

Several assumptions were made in using the broad MWD standard approach for calibration. With some justification a two parameter equation was used for calibration however the method did not correct or necessarily account for peak speading and viscosity effects. Also, a uniform chain structure was assumed whereas in reality the polymer may be a mixture of branched and linear chains. To accurately evaluate the MWD the polymer chain structure should be defined and hydrolysis effects must be totally eliminated. Work is currently underway in our laboratory to fractionate a low conversion polydlchlorophosphazene to obtain linear polymer standards. The standards will be used in polymer solution and structure studies and for SEC calibration. Finally, the universal calibration theory will be tested and then applied to estimate the extent of branching in other polydlchlorophosphazenes. 

The detection of the structural effects of B—C rr-bonding in unsaturated open-chain organoboranes should prove more difficult than in boracyclo-polyenes for several reasons. First, as already mentioned, there is the conformational freedom of the open-chain boranes, which reduces B(2pz)—C(2pz) overlap (cf. 17 vs. 19). Second, there is the linear overlap of 34 versus the cyclic, Htickel aromatic overlap of 35. 

The silver(I) complexes with the tetrakis(methylthio)tetrathiafulvalene ligand have been reported, the nitrate salt presents a 3D structure with an unprecedented 4.16-net porous inorganic layer of silver nitrate,1160 the triflate salt presents a two interwoven polymeric chain structure.1161 The latter behaves as a semiconductor when doped with iodine. With a similar ligand, 2,5-bis-(5,5,-bis(methylthio)-l,3,-dithiol-2 -ylidene)-l,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene, a 3D supramolecular network is constructed via coordination bonds and S"-S contacts. The iodine-doped compound is highly conductive.1162 (Methylthio)methyl-substituted calix[4]arenes have been used as silver-selective chemically modified field effect transistors and as potential extractants for Ag1.1163,1164... 

JThe effect of the substituent on the properties of the polyphosphazenes is not fully understood. For instance, [NP(OCH ) ]n and [NP C CH. homopolymers are elastomers (8,29). Synthesis using lithium, in contrast to sodium, salts is claimed to produce rubber-like fluoroalkoxyphosphazene polymers (30). The presence of unreacted chlorine or low molecular weight oligomers can affect the bulk properties (31,32). Studies with phosphazene copolymers both in solution and in the bulk state (29,33-38) indicate a rather complex structure, which points out the need for additional work on the chain structure and morphology of these polymers. 

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