Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/L35027/01
Title:	CRYSTALLIZATION STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATIONS MONODISPERSE OLIGOAMIDES RELATED TO NYLONS & SIMPLE PROTEINS
Principal Investigator:	Atkins, Professor E
Other Investigators:	Hill, Dr M Stejny, Dr J
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Durham, University of
Department:	Physics
Organisation:	University of Bristol
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 April 1997	Ends:	31 December 2000	Value (£):	185,862
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The aliphatic polyamides (nylons) are a family of polymers of major industrial, biological and medical importance that chain-fold in the semi-crystalline solid state. The subtle interplay between the nature and frequency of the folds and the specific inter-chain hydrogen bonds controls their structure, texture, morphology and melting. These relationships will be investigated at a fundamental level by studying specially selected monodisperse oligoamides synthesised for us by Dr Brooke at Durham University. We will use electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, DSC and supplementary techniques to study crystallisation and architecture. It is only with these pedigree molecules, of precisely defined length, that we can establish the ground rules to predict desirable architecture for their high molecular weight polydisperse counterparts. We will be particularly interested in their structural changes as a function of temperature, the crystallisation behaviour of mixed populations (in chain length) and a comparison with crystallisation of related monodisperse periodic polypeptides (nylon 2 backbones) being undertaken in Professor Tirrell's laboratory in the USA and the related work being undertaken by Dr Barham at Bristol on the monodisperse n-alkanes (GR/L07482). We believe our results will be important for the understanding of polymer crystallisation and its effect on structure, morphology and properties.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.bris.ac.uk