Conformational drift process

In the catalyst reoxidation step, contrary to the electron-transfer step, the polymer ligand should shrink because of the formation of the Cu(II) complex. Therefore, the polymer chain may partially repeat are expansion and contraction occurring during the catalytic cycle. When one has a view of the polymer-Cu catalyst as a whole, each part of the polymer catalyst domain, which is drifted in solution, is seen to be fluctuating during the catalytic process [Fig. 32(b)]. The fluctuating shape of biopolymers in enzymic reactions has been pointed out, and the dynamically conformational change of a flexible polymer chain is considered to be one of the effects of the polymer catalyst. 

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