Fine characterization of oligomers and polymers in dilute solution

A fine characterization was made of atactic poly(α-methylstyrene) and atactic polystyrene on the basis of the helical wormlike chain model. It is found that there is a remarkable difference in chain stiffness and local chain conformation between the two polymers. Such a difference is shown to be reflected clearly in behavior of equilibrium, transport, and dynamical properties and also in the excluded-volume effects.