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Light Scattering by very Stiff Chain Molecules

Abstract

VERY precise light-scattering measurements by B. H. Bunce1 on several thymonucleic acid preparations have shown that the scattering function of these gigantic macromolecules—the molecular weights are between 2.6 and 6.7 millions—differ remarkably from that of a random coil. The angular dependence of the reciprocal reduced intensity 1/P = I(0)/I(ϑ), for all samples, reveals that the molecules are not perfectly coiled. The experimental points are situated between the curves for a random coil and that for a stiff rod.

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References

  1. Bunce, B. H., thesis, Cambridge, Mass. (1951).

  2. Peterlin, A., J. chim. Phys., 47, 669 (1950); 48, 13 (1951); J. Polymer Sci., 8, 173 (1952).

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  3. Porod, G., Monatsh. Chem., 80, 251 (1949). Kratky, O., and Porod, G., Proc. Int. Coll. Macromol. Amsterdam, 250 (1949).

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PETERLIN, A. Light Scattering by very Stiff Chain Molecules. Nature 171, 259–260 (1953). https://doi.org/10.1038/171259b0

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