ISSN:
0098-1273
Keywords:
Physics
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Physics
Notes:
A conformational analysis of isolated chains of polymethylacetylene (PMA), polypentylacetylene (PPA), and poly(t-butylacetylene) (PTA) was carried out taking into account interactions between nonbonded atoms and torsional potentials. It was found that the trans configuration of all three polymers is more stable than the cis configuration, the difference in potential energy between the trans and the cis isomers however being very small for PTA, leading to the possibility of observing a trans→ cis isomerization in some solvents. The calculations show that the substituted polyacetylenes are not found in a planar conformation, the larger deviations from planarity being found with the bulkier substituents: PTA 〉 PPA 〉 PMA. A correlation could be established between the UV absorption limit of the samples and the minimum torsional angle of the potential-energy functions. This relation predicts that the absorption limit is shifted to long wavelengths on increasing the planarity of the molecule. Moreover, UV spectra could be calculated from the potential-energy functions, and it is shown that the potential-energy functions of other substituted polyacetylenes can be calculated from their experimental UV spectra.
Additional Material:
6 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pol.1985.180231004