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In order to clarify the structural changes that occur in the thermochromic phase transition of poly (3‐dodecylthiophene) [P3DT] and poly (3‐hexylthiophene) [P3HT], the temperature dependence of x‐ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectra was measured. (1) Orthogonal unit‐cell parameters were determined at room temperature: a=25.83 Å, b=7.75 Å, c (fiber axis)=7.77 Å for P3DT and a=16.63 Å, b=7.75 Å, and c=7.77 Å for P3HT. A large variation of the a‐axis length between P3DT and P3HT indicates the extended trans conformation for the alkyl side chains which are oriented along the lateral a‐axis direction. (2) The interplanar spacing, intensity, and integral width of the x‐ray (h00) and (00l) reflections were found to change drastically in the transition region. (3) Polarized infrared measurements at high temperature revealed a marked increase of the gauche band intensity for the alkyl side group modes followed by a decrease in the band intensity of the thiophene ring modes. (4) The layer reflections of the x‐ray fiber diagram become diffuse at high temperatures, indicating that the transition occurs in a liquidcrystalline manner with the orientation of the main chain axes preserved but with almost no axial correlation between the neighboring main chains. These results provide experimental support for the structural model proposed earlier: as the temperature increases, the trans‐type side chains begin to disorder by introduction of gauche bonds. This disordering disrupts the regularity of the main chain conformation and decreases the effective length of the polythiophene conjugated system.

Structural changes in the orthorhombic-to-hexagonal phase transition of polyethylene crystal has been investigated by measuring the differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and infrared and Raman spectra for the geometrically-constrained ultradrawn samples in the course of heating up to the melting temperature. The infrared and Raman spectral patterns characteristic of the hexagonal phase have been confirmed. In particular, the bands characteristic of the disordered short trans segments (shorter than five CH2 units) and the bands of the kink or double gauche linkages have been detected definitely. The degree of orientation of the averaged chain axis, as detected from the temperature dependence of the X-ray fiber diagram, was reserved well enough even in the hexagonal phase, while the orientational degree of the methylene units, as detected from the polarized infrared spectral measurement, was found to be lowered appreciably. This finding, combined with the observation of the trans and gauche bands, has confirmed experimentally and definitely the existence of the conformationally disordered chains in the hexagonal phase.

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The formation of three crystalline forms of poly(vinylidene fluoride) was studied in detail by using an apparatus for heat treatments under high pressure up to 5000 atm. Form II consisting of TGTG-type molecular chains was the most stable under atmospheric pressure, and form I, composed of planar zigzag-type chains, was formed under special conditions, such as tension, high pressure, etc. Form III may be an intermediate modification between I and II. Based upon these experimental facts, as well as the potential energy calculations of the intra-and intermolecular interactions in the crystal lattices due to the van der Waals and electrostatic forces, the relation between the conditions of formation of the three forms and their structures was examined. The planar zigzag-type conformation (in forms I and III) is considered to be less stable than the TGTG type (form II) because of the steric hindrances and electrostatic dipole interactions. In spite of the difference in the intramolecular potential energy between these two molecular conformations, the stabilities of the three crystalline forms are not so very different because of the more favorable intermolecular interaction in form I.