Conformations and Mobilities of Polymer Chains in Narrow Channels of Their Crystalline Inclusion Compounds

在固体聚合物相中，客体聚合物链与小分子主体笼形物之间形成的晶体包合物（IC）是独特的。在包合物中，客体聚合物链被限制在狭窄的通道中，其壁是由主体笼形物基质形成的，因此与所有邻近的聚合物链隔离。最终的结果是一个固体结晶相，其中聚合物链与它们的邻居很好地分离。这种环境提供了研究孤立而坚固的聚合物链的机会，因为它们在集成电路通道中保持一致并移动，在那里它们不受相邻聚合物链的影响，而在大块聚合物相中，相邻聚合物链通常具有高度的协同性和复杂性。差热分析，x射线，傅里叶变换红外，特别是固体核磁共振对包合化合物中聚合物的观察，以及它们与体聚合物观察的比较，应该允许对固体聚合物的固有流动性和构象进行评估，并帮助我们评估约束环境（窄通道）对其的影响。最终，将尝试从它们的包合物中纺丝和提取纤维，希望高度延伸和隔离的聚合物链将产生具有更高强度的纤维，因为它们的高延伸和在它们合并时没有链折叠形态。

Among solid polymer phases, the crystalline inclusion compounds (IC) formed between guest polymer chains and small-molecule host clathrates are unique. In inclusion compounds guest polymer chains are confined to narrow channels whose walls are formed by the host clathrate matrix, and, as a consequence, are isolated from all neighboring polymer chains. The net result is a solid crystalline phase where polymer chains are well-separated from their neighbors. This environment affords the opportunity to study isolated, yet solid, polymer chains as they conform and move in their IC channels, where they are free from the influences of neighboring polymer chains, which in bulk polymer phases are often highly cooperative and complex. Differential thermal analysis, X-ray, Fourier transform infrared, and especially solid-state Nuclear magnetic resonance observations of polymers in inclusion compounds and their comparison to bulk polymer observations should permit an assessment of the inherent mobilities and conformations of solid polymers and help us to evaluate the effects of constraining environments (narrow channels) on the same. Ultimately, an attempt will be made to spin and draw fibers from their inclusion compounds with the hope that the highly extended and isolated polymer chains will produce fibers with improved strengths because of their high extensions and the absence of a chain folded morphology when they are coalesced.