Biopolymers

Biopolymers deals with the methods of physical characterization and the principles underlying them, with emphasis on quantitative aspects of sequence, conformation, and structure in both laboratory-synthesized and native biopolymers. The book reviews structural units of biopolymers and describes characterization of biopolymers, the available techniques, the evaluation of underlying principles, and experimental applications. Some of these methods include Raman spectroscopy, theoretical conformation analysis, electron microscopy, and morphology of laboratory-synthesized polymers. The text explains the factors controlling conformation of polypeptides, the steric maps of dipeptides, potential energy maps, and the calculation of tertiary polypeptide structure. The investigator can use X-ray diffraction to determine the structure of polymers and macromolecules, such as diffraction by a crystal, by poorly crystalline polymer systems, or by a helical chain. The book notes that materials that can be crystallized from strong solvents reveal morphology similar to that of commercial polymers, which are different from that of polypeptides or proteins in native tissue. The text explains the basis of infrared and Raman spectroscopy in probing molecular structure and conformation of biological macromolecules. The investigator can also employ nuclear magnetic resonance and dielectric relaxation for conformation in physical organic chemistry, outside of biological macromolecule applications. The book can prove helpful for researchers in ultra-trace analysis, polymer research, and analytical chemistry.