Crystal Structure of the Clathrate Form of Syndiotactic Poly(<i>p</i>-methylstyrene) Containing Tetrahydrofuran

Abstract

The crystal structure of the clathrate form of syndiotactic poly( p -methylstyrene) containing tetrahydrofuran is presented. Polymer chains in the s(2/1)2 helical conformation and molecules of tetrahydrofuran are packed in the monoclinic unit cell with axes a =18.8 Å, b =12.7 Å, and c = 7.7 Å, and with γ = 100° according to the space group P 2 1 / a . Two polymer chains (eight monomer units) and four molecules of tetrahydrofuran are included in the unit cell. The calculated crystalline density is 1.13 g/cm 3 . Tetrahydrofuran molecules occupy cavities delimited by the benzene rings of adjacent polymer chains along the b axis; each cavity is occupied by two molecules of tetrahydrofuran related by the 2-fold screw axis. A comparison with the crystal structures of the clathrate forms of syndiotactic polystyrene is presented.