Scattering Studies of Polyrotaxane and Slide-ring Materials

The molecular structure and dynamics of polyrotaxane and slide-ring materials have been studied by light, X-ray, and neutron scattering techniques. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) with contrast variation techniques enable us to analyze the structure of polyrotaxane in solutions, including the conformation of axial polymers, the alignment of cyclic molecules on polymer chains, and cross-correlation between polymers and cyclic molecules. Small-angle scattering experiments on deformed slide-ring gels have shown that the mobility of the slidable cross-links suppress the inhomogeneity of the network structure under deformation. Also, dynamic light scattering and neutron spin echo measurements have been carried out to observe a wide range of molecular dynamics from segmental dynamics to cooperative motion of polymers and cyclic molecules.