Broken rodlike chain model and its applicability to conformational analysis of polymer chains

Abstract

The particle scattering function P (θ) and the mean-squared radius of gyration, were theoretically derived for broken-rodlike chains (BR chains) which consist of rigid rods or rigid and straight helical-chains alternatively joined together by flexible random coils. The P (θ) and for various types of BR chains were applied to the analyses of the small-angle X-ray or neutron scattering curves for some polymers, including poly(L-glutamic acid), poly(L-lysine , tobacco mosaic virus RNA, and α-tropomyosin coiled coils in aqueous solutions, and isotactic polystyrene in the gel state. The was applied for the conformational analysis of poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate) in helicogenic solvents. Several long-standing questions were answered by these analyses.