Conformational analysis of dipeptide‐derived polyisocyanides

The conformational properties of polymers derived from isocyanodipeptides have been investigated with a combination of model calculations, X‐ray diffraction, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Depending on the configuration of the side chains, defined arrays of hydrogen bonds along the polymeric backbone are formed. This leads to a well‐defined conformation as, for example, expressed in the formation of lyotropic liquid‐crystalline phases and increased helical stability. Upon the disruption of the hydrogen bonds by a strong acid, a less well‐defined macromolecular conformation is observed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1725–1736, 2003     

A characterization of subgroups of the orthogonal group

LetG be a subgroup of the general linear group GL_n(K), where charK 2. Put Kⁿ =V. AssumeG is generated by the setS of all elements inG for which dimV( – 1) = 1, and suppose ²=1_V for each inS. If {V(–1)¦S} contains a simplex, if – 1_V G, and if inG is a product of dim v(–1) elements inS wheneverV(–1) is not contained in the kernel of–1, thenG is a subgroup of an orthogonal group.This research was supported in part by NSERC Canada grant A7251.To Helmut Mäurer on his 60th birthday