ABSTRACT:Dielectric measurements were performed at frequencies ranging from 30Hz to 300KHz and at temperatures between -150 and l20°C for the following poly(y-monosubstitutedbenzyl n-glutamate)s; poly(y-o-chlorobenzyl o-glutamate) (o-CIPBDG), poly(y-m-chlorobenzyl Dglutamate) (m-CIPBMDG), poly(y-p-chlorobenzyl D-glutamate) (p-CIPBDG), poly(y-p-nitrobenzyl o-glutamate) (p-NPBDG), poly(y-p-methylbenzyl o-glutamate) (pMePBDG) and a racemic mixture of p-CIPBDG and p-CIPBLG (p-CIPBDG+p-CIBLG). Each sample exhibited a dielectric loss maximum in the temperature range of These loss maxima were attributed to the onset of large scale motion of side chains. The temperatures of maximum loss (the dispersion temperature) are shifted by the introduction of substituents. The dispersion temperature is highest for p-CIPBDG among three monochlorosubstituted PBDGs. For p-monosubstituted-PBDGs, p-NPBDG, which has the side chain with the largest dipole moment among three p-substituents studied, showee the highest dispersion temperature. The results are explained in terms of restriction caused by dipole-dipole interaction among dipoles in the side chain. The enormous relaxation strength of o-CIPBDG was considered to reflect a certain conformation of the side chain originating from steric hindrance between the ester and the a-substituent of a side chain. Racemic mixtures of p-CIPBDG and p-CIPBLG showed no evidence of the first-order solid-solid transition observed for racemic mixtures of PBDG and PBLG.KEY WORDS Poly(y-monosubstituted-benzyl n-glutamate) I Side-ChainMotion I Dipole-Dipole Interaction I Steric Hindrance I Racemic Mixtures I It has widely been accepted that even in the solid state, long side chains of the ()(-helical poly(IJ(-amino acid) undergo considerable motions while ()(-helical main chain remains rigid. The importance of side-chain motions of the ()(-helical poly(1J(-amino acid) in determining properties in the solid state has been recognized. 1 -9 conformation of the ()(-helical backbone. 13 • 14 Though qualitatively, the dependence of the helical structure and its stability on the species of the side chain has been explained in terms of side chain-side chain and side chain-backbone interactions. 8 Recently, it has been reported that in a series of poly(y-monosubstituted-benzyl o-glutamate)s, in which a substituent is introduced into the phenyl ring at the end of the side chain of poly(y-benzyl oglutamate) (PBDG), the properties markedly depend on the species and the position of the substituent.10 -12 It has been also reported that the different position of the substitution affects the * 3 To whom all inquiries should be addressed.The purpose of the present investigation is to examine the effects of the substitution to the benzyl group of PBDG on side-chain motions of PBDG. Dielectric and broad-line nuclear magnetic resonance measurements were performed to observed molecular motions for the following seven samples of poly(y-monosubstituted -benzyl glutamate)s; poly(y--chlorobenzyl o-glutamate) (o-ClPBDG), poly(y...