Computer experiments on crystalline nylons: structural analysis of nylons with large aliphatic segments

A theoretical study based on force-field calculations has been performed to investigate the structural preferences of crystalline even nylons n with large and very large aliphatic segments. Atomistic energy calculations and Monte Carlo simulations were carried out considering the conventional and forms of nylons 10, 12, 18, 24, and 32. Results indicated that the form is the most favored for nylons 10, 12, 18, and 24. However, the structure was unstable for nylon 32, a polymer in which the density of hydrogen bonds is almost negligible. In this case, the arrangement is energetically more favored than the one.