Poly helical conformation

Crystalline samples of syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (st-PMMA) may be obtained from chloroacetone 178). This guest could be completely replaced by a variety of other guest molecules such as acetone, 1,3-dichloroacetone, bromoacetone, pinacolone, cyclohexanone, acetophenone and benzene. The X-ray diffraction patterns for these inclusion compounds were similar. These data indicate that the st-PMMA chains adopt a helical conformation of radius about 8 A and pitch 8.85 A. The guest molecules are located both inside the helical canals and in interhelix interstitial sites. 

Data concerning the chain conformations of isotactic polymers are reported in Table 2.1. In all the observed cases the torsion angles do not deviate more than 20° from the staggered (60° and 180°) values and the number of monomeric units per turn MIN ranges between 3 and 4. Chains of 3-substituted polyolefins, like poly(3-methyl-l-butene), assume a 4/1 helical conformation (T G )4,45,46 while 4-substituted polyolefins, like poly(4-methyl-1-pentene), have less distorted helices with 7/2 symmetry (T G )3.5-39 When the substituent on the side group is far from the chain atoms, as in poly(5-methyl-1-hexene), the polymer crystallizes again with a threefold helical conformation (Table 2.1). Models of the chain conformations found for the polymorphic forms of various isotactic polymers are reported in Figure 2.11. 

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... 

Racemic complex (racemic PBG), composed of PBLG and its enantiomer poly(y-benzyl D-glutamate) (PBDG), takes an a-helical conformation in the solid state and has different physical properties from those of PBLG or... 

It was found that these showed UV absorption maxima at the same wavelength (ca. 395 nm) as their non-chiral-substituted analog, poly(bis- -butylphenylsilylene), as shown in Figure 37, from which it was concluded that the dihedral angles of these polymers were the same.282 The CD spectra showed Cotton effects, thus indicating that the polymers adopted PSS helical conformations and that they do not take all-anti conformations. 

Recently, the first example of chiral solvation of a polysilane was demonstrated dissolution of the inherently optically inactive poly(methylphenylsilyene), PMPS, and poly(hexylmethylsilylene), PHMS, in the optically active solvents (V)-2-methyl-l-propoxybutane and (V)-(2-methylbutoxymethyl)benzene induced the polymer chains to adopt PSS helical conformations as evidenced by (positive-signed) Cotton effects almost coincident with the UV a-a transition at 340 and 305 nm, respectively.332... 

Porat et al. performed TEM (zero-loss bright field) studies of very thin Nation films that were cast from ethanol/water solutions, and some of the conclusions are as follows. It was suggested that the backbone had a planar zigzag conformation in large orthorhombic crystallites as in polyethylene, in contrast with the helical conformation found in poly(tetra-fluoroethylene). This is an interesting result, although there are no other studies that support this view. Sulfur imaging indicated the presence of sulfonate clusters that are 5 nm in size. 

In the crystal state most stereoregular polymers have helical conformations. Group s(M/N) 1 comprises all the isotactic vinyl polymers [polypropylene, polybutene, polystyrene, etc., M/N = 3/1 poly-o-methylstyrene, etc., 4/1 ... 

The validity of the Forster theory was tested and confirmed in a number of model studies with compounds that contained a donor and an acceptor separated by well-defined rigid spacers. This work has been reviewed 5] In a classical study, a naphthyl group (donor) was attached to the C-terminal and a dansyl group (acceptor) to the N-terminal of poly-L-proline oligomers (1-12 proline residues) 61 These proline oligomers assume a trans helical conformation in ethanol and thus represent spacers of well-defined length (12-46 A). A continuous decrease in the transfer efficiency from 100% at a donor-acceptor separation of... 

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