Chain conformations of syndiotactic poly(m-methylstyrene) in the crystalline state

Abstract

A conformational energy analysis of the isolated chain of syndiotactic poly(m-methylstyrene) under the constraint of a crystalline field is reported. Two different minimum energy conformations having similar energy have been found; the trans-planar conformation with tcm symmetry and the two-fold helical conformation with s(2/1)2 symmetry, according with the observed polymorphic behavior of this polymer. The calculated chain axes are in agreement with the experimental axes of 5.1 and 7.9Å found for the different polymorphic forms of syndiotactic poly(m-methylstyrene). However, only a metastable disordered modification (form III) having chains in trans-planar conformation has been described. This indicates that, even though the trans-planar conformation is, in the isolated chain as stable as the helical conformation, the packing of the chains in helical conformation is probably more efficient than that of the trans-planar chains.