Molecular Probes in the Study of Polymer Structure

Abstract

Recent experiments in our laboratories [1–31], have shown that the technique of gas chromatography may be utilized to obtain extensive information about polymer structure and interactions in the solid phase. Although it might appear logical to apply the name “gas chromatography of polymers” to such experiments, the terminology is misleading in that the polymer is obviously not in the gas phase, nor is it undergoing a chromatographic separation. The terms GLC (gas-liquid chromatography) and GSC (gassolid chromatography) appear to be equally inapplicable for similar reasons. In fact, the nature of the experiment has more in common with the molecular beam technique for gaseous reactions and we prefer therefore to refer to these as studies on polymers using “molecular probes.”