Molecular confirmation and crystal structure of the β form of poly(ethylene oxybenzoate)

The crystal structure of the β form of poly(ethylene oxybenzoate) was analyzed by x‐ray diffraction. Four nearly extended molecular chains pass through a unit cell with parameters a = 8.19 Å, b = 11.07 Å, c (fiber axis) = 19.05 Å, β = 114.8°, and the space group P21/n‐C . The structural difference between the α and β forms is mainly due to the internal rotation angles for the virtual bond magnified image and the CH2CH2 bond. They are essentially in trans confirmation in the β form, while the α form contains cis magnified image and gauche (CH2CH2) conformations.