GLYCINE RESIDUES INDUCE A HELICAL STRUCTURE IN POLYAMIDES

We analyse the conformation of copolyamides with regularly alternating glycine and omega-amino acid units (nylons 2/n). These polymers have a crystalline structure with hydrogen bonds running in three different directions; the standard structure of nylons with parallel sheets of hydrogen-bonded molecules is no longer present. The detailed structure depends on whether n is odd or even, which respectively gives rise to trigonal or hexagonal crystalline structures.