Self-assembled styrene based alternating copolymer nanotubes : modeling and experiment

• Main Author: Lazzara, Thomas Dominic.
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 2008
• Subjects: Nanotubes.; Polystyrene.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=112531

The structure and association behaviour of poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) (SMA) and poly(styrene-alt-N,N-dimethylpropylamide) (SMI) polymers were studied using molecular modeling. The conformational studies were carried out at a semi-empirical PM3 level. SMA and SMI polymers were found to associate into nanotubes. These nanotubes have primary, secondary and tertiary structures. The primary structure is the conformation the polymer takes depending on the degree of protonation and its chirality. The secondary structure is the association of many polymers to form a nanotube structure. The tertiary structure is a higher order aggregation between the nanotubes.