Conformational States of Real Polymer Molecules in the Solid State

3 Conformational States of Real Polymer Molecules in the Solid State 

In a real polymer system, the chain will attempt to crystallize in the lowest energy state. The lowest energy state for a polymer such as poly(methylene) will be an extended all-trans structure. Studies of single crystals of poly(methylene) formed from dilute solution resemble the predicted structure of a single crystal however, there are a number of other factors which will influence the nature of the crystal structure or morphology observed. It is appropriate to divide polymers into various types depending on their chemical repeat unit. 

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