Isotactic structures helical conformation

The conformation adopted by a molecule in the crystalline structure will also affect the density. Whereas polyethylene adopts a planar zigzag conformation, because of steric factors a polypropylene molecule adopts a helical conformation in the crystalline zone. This requires somewhat more space and isotactic polypropylene has a lower density than polyethylene. 

The case of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) presents some differences with respect to those just discussed. While both sPP and PET adopt in their mesophases disordered, extended, essentially non-helical conformations, iPP is characterized by a unique, relatively well ordered, stable chain structure with three-fold helical symmetry [18,19,36]. More accurately we can state that an iPP chain segment can exist in the mesophase either as a left handed or as the enantiomeric right-handed three-fold helix. The two are isoener-getic and will be able to interconvert only through a rather complex, cooperative process. From a morphological point of view Geil has reported that thin films of mesomorphic iPP quenched from the melt to 0 °C consist of... 

In the crystal structures of many other isotactic polymers, with chains in threefold or fourfold helical conformations, disorder in the up/down positioning of the chains is present. Typical examples are isotactic polystyrene,34,179 isotactic poly(l-butene),35 and isotactic poly(4-methyl-l-pentene).39,40,153,247... 

Several studies have been made of LB films of esters of naturally occurring polysaccharides. Kawaguchi et al. [242] formed long chain esters of cellulose which, however, could only be formed into multilayers by the horizontal lifting technique. Schoondorp et al. [243] studied LB multilayers of esters of amylose and showed that materials with short alkyl side chains have a helical conformation at the air/water interface and that this structure can be transferred into multilayers. As in the case of the isotactic polymethylmethacrylate, the helical structure appears to lead to an oriented structure in the LB film. These two families of materials are illustrated in Figure 5.9. 

The crystal polymorphism of the chiral but racemic P5MH1 is, to some extent, very reminiscent of that of isotactic polypropylene. It exists in two crystal modifications. One crystal modification is stable at high temperature, and was observed early on by Corradini et al [39]. Its structure has been redefined as a chiral, frustrated one based on a trigonal cell with three threefold helices per cell. We have also discovered a second crystal modification produced from solution. It has an orthorhombic unit cell that contains four chains in - again - three-fold helical conformation, for which one must assume coexistence of two right- and two left-handed helices. Contrary to the a and ft phases of iPP, the frustrated structure of poly( 5-methyl-hexene-1) is the more stable one [40]. 

Isotactic poly(x-olcfin)s crystallise in a helical conformation, and, in the case of polypropylene, with three units per turn [4,5], Isotactic polypropylene has a melting point of 175°C and does not dissolve in boiling n-heptane [6,7], Note that, depending upon the configuration of the tertiary carbon atom of the polymer main chains, the poly(x-olefin) helices will be characterised by right-handedness or left-handedness. It should be mentioned that the helical structure of the poly(x-olcfin) chain per se is sufficient for the appearance of chirality of such a macromolecule [8], Figure 3.3 presents the helical conformation of chains of isotactic poly(a-olefin)s in the crystalline state (with three units per turn - the case of polypropylene) [5],... 

Being acquainted with the structure of poly(a-olefin)s, one may reasonably explain some of the differences in their physicochemical properties. For example, isotactic polypropylene, the chains of which in the helical conformation can be closely packed, has rather a high density (0.92-0.94 g/cm3) and melting point (175°C) and is insoluble in low-boiling aliphatic hydrocarbons at boiling point. Syndiotactic polypropylene, consisting of chains in the form of binary helices, which cannot be packed so closely as in the previous case, has a density of 0.89-0.91 g/cm3 and a melting point of 135°C, which is 40 k lower from that of isotactic polypropylene syndiotactic polypropylene is also moderately soluble in... 

In polypropylene, one methyl group replaces an hydrogen atom in the polyethylene repetitive unit this results in an intense structure located in the middle of the C-C (C2s) band. In isotactic polypropylene moreover, the bonding and antibonding structures of this band are split in accordance with theoretical calculations performed on isotactic polypropylene in an helical conformation (1, A4). 

Polymer Conformation and Crystallinity. Beyond the stereoregularity and tacticity, the geometrical conformation of the polymer chain in the solid material could influence its electronic structure, through a modification of its valence band molecular orbitals. Indeed, a few years ago, very characteristic band structures were calculated for T, G, TG, and TGTG polyethylenes ( ). More recently. Extended Huckel crystal orbital calculations showed that for isotactic polypropylene, a zig-zag planar or a helical conformation resulted in significant changes in the theoretical valence band spectra, supporting the idea that conformation effects could be detected experimentally by the XPS method ( ). 

A helical structure for vinyl polymers with an excess helicity in solution was realized for isotactic poly(3-methyl-1-pentene) by Pino in I960.12 Although the chiral side groups affect the helical conformation in the polyolefin, the single-handed helix of poly-... 

The isotactic polyolefins prepared using a Ziegler— Natta catalyst form a helical conformation in the solid state (crystalline regions).11 38,42 This helical structure persists in solution, but because of fast conformational dynamics, only short segments of the helix exist among disordered conformations. When an isotactic polyolefin is prepared from an optically active monomer having a chiral side group, the polymer shows the characteristic chiroptical properties which can be ascribed to a helical conformation with an excess helicity.12,43-46 The chiroptical properties arise in this case predominantly from the helical conformation of the backbone. 

Helical conformations were also proposed for the isotactic copolymer derived from (/T)-3,7-d imethyl-1 -octene and styrene.48,49 The copolymer showed intense CD bands based on the styrene units incorporated into the polymer chain. The CD intensity was much larger than that of a model compound of an adduct of the chiral olefin and styrene. The helical structure of polyolefins has also been supported by force field calculations.50 The relationship of these considerations to isotactic vinyl polymers and more recent studies have recently been reviewed.41... 

Some isotactic polymers such as polychloral and poly(triphenylmethyl methacrylate)289 are known to exist only in purely helical conformation. The helical structure of the polymers is rigid even in solution, owing to the bulkiness of the side-groups. This has been demonstrated by the measurement of high optical activity of the polymers prepared by asymmetric polymerizations the optical activity is based on a one-handed helical conformation of the polymer chain. 

For isotactic poly (1-butene) (i-PlB) [45], it is well known that the solid structures are three kinds of (-TG-) helical conformations as shown in Fig. 

The team in Milan had to face two major scientific problems assign the structure of the new polymer and explain its genesis. The first part could be accomplished with a clever analysis of the X-ray diffraction patterns, recognized by Corradini [20 and references therein] as compatible with the 3i helical conformation anticipated by Bunn [21] for a hypothetical stereoregular hydrocarbon with the configuration that we now name isotactic after the suggestion by Natta s wife [11] (Fig. 3). 1 am not a believer in Lukacs reflection theory [22], but 1 find it a fascinating coincidence that Watson and Crick published their fundamental work on the a-helix of DNA at about the same time [23]. 

Abstract Stereocomplexes have been formed by mixing the two isotactic poly(a-methyl-a-cthyl-p-propriolactones) (PMEPL) of opposite chirality. This leads to an insoluble complex exhibiting a melting transition which is 40 C above that of the initial isotactic components. Structural differences between these samples have been determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and electron diffraction. It was found by NMR that the stereocomplex crystallizes in a 2 helical conformation whereas the corresponding isotactic chains exhibit a helical or extended chain conformation depending upon the method of sample preparation. Electron diffraction confirms these measurements with the determination of a,b and c dimensions of the orthorombic unit cells. 

Several works have shown that the aggregation of isotactic and syndiotactic chains leads to the formation of stereoeomplexes for which the iso/syndio stoichiometry is found equal to 1/2, probably with a structure composed of a double-stranded helix of a 30/4 helicoidal isotactic chain surroxmded by a 60/4 helicoidal syndiotactic chain. Syndiotactic PMMA self-aggregates exhibit similar structures, with conformations close to extended chains. Experimental data indicate that, in self-aggregated syndiotactic PMMA in solution, some of the ester groups are close in contact, probably in a double helix slructure with solvent molecules included in the cavities of inner- and inter-helices. Isotactic PMMA self-aggregates also exhibit conformational helix structures. 

In the case of isotactic polypropylene, the methyl groups dictate a helical conformation to the backbone and this results in a regular structure which is able to crystallize readily. 

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