Conformational symmetry and vibrational dynamics of polymers

Abstract

Polymers are an important class of materials, and their conformation dictates their dynamical, thermodynamical, and hydrodynamical behavior. Several spectroscopic and other techniques have been employed to characterize their conformation. However, little use has been made of group-theoretical techniques except in the classification of symmetry species. In the present review, an attempt has been made to correlate normal modes and their dispersion profiles with the conformation of the polymeric systems. This has been attempted in the case of 2-, 3-, 4-fold and α-helical polymers.