The far infra-red spectrum of poly(vinyl chloride)

The far infra-red spectrum of a poly(vinyl chloride) sample prepared by the urea clathrate (UC) route has been measured at various temperatures in the range 60 to 320 K. The results, taken in conjunction with those for two less highly ordered polymers, indicate that a revision of the assignments of earlier workers, based on normal coordinate calculations and on the measured spectra of secondary alkyl chlorides such as 2-chlorobutane, is required. The band at 65 cm^?1 is attributed to a lattice mode and is not indicative of weak hydrogen bonds of the type CH…ClC. However, it is suggested that the band at 185 cm^?1, which is particularly clear and sharp with the UC polymer, probably originates from an interaction of this type, occurring specifically at tight chain folds.