Deformation mechanisms of constrained polymer chains. II. Deformation energetics of tie molecules

Abstract

Energy‐deformation characteristics for the primary T, S, and U conformational units of tie molecules were obtained from the analysis of data generated from a constrained minimization algorithm. Energy‐deformation profiles (covering the range from compact equilibrium defect structures to the fully extended chain) are reported for the S₀ and S₁ members of the S_λ family and for the U₀₀ member of the U_mn family. Estimates of the energy content V⁰ and the elastic modulus E were obtained from the computed energy‐deformation data in the vicinity of the equilibrium Structure—S₀ → {60°, 180°, −60°}, V = 1.7 kcal/mole, E = 60 kcal/cm³ [250 × 10¹⁰ dyn/cm²];S₁ → {60°, 180°, 180°, 180°, −60°}: V = 1.7 kcal/mole, E = 25 kcal/cm³ [100 × 10¹⁰ dyn/cm²]; and U₀₀ → {60°, 180°, 60°, 180°, 60°}: V = 2.7 kcal/mole, E = 80 kcal/cm³ [340 × 10¹⁰ dyn/cm²]. Although the elastic modulus of the U₀₀ unit is comparable to the elastic modulus of the fully extended chain, the highenergy content of this unit (V₀ = 2.7 Kcal/mole) prohibits a significant population and thereby mitigates an appreciable reinforcing effect from this rigid unit. A model for a surrogate force constant is introduced to generalize the results from this study to any member of the S_λ or U_mn family as well as any combination of S_λ and U_mn units. This generalization provides a basis for estimating the deformation characteristics of tie molecules comprised of various populations of these primary conformational building blocks.