Thermomechanical Properties of Solid "Liquid Crystalline" Films from Hot-Pressed Synthetic Polypeptides of Various Macromolecular Architectures

This study revisits the material properties of solid "liquid crystalline" films made from synthetic helical polypeptides and explores their structure-property relationships. Poly(gamma-benzyl-l-glutamate) (PBLG) with various molecular weights and architectures (linear, comb-, and brush-like) were transformed into films through mechanical hot pressing. The resulting materials are composed of helical PBLGs arranged in a near-hexagonal lattice, similar to those formed by casting from a concentrated solution in 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC). Despite exhibiting lower apparent crystallinity, these films showed superior mechanical strength, potentially due to the promotion of more interrupted helices and their entanglements under high temperature and pressure. A pronounced chain length effect on the tensile modulus and mechanical strength was observed, aligning with the "interrupted helices" model proposed by us and others. Macromolecules with a polynorbornene (PN) backbone and PBLG side chains mirrored the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of linear PBLGs. Our findings suggest that the folding structures of polypeptide chains and the discontinuity of the folding in longer chains are more influential in determining the macroscopic mechanical properties of the resultant materials than crystallinity, packing ordering, or macromolecular architecture, emphasizing the critical role of cohesive chain network formation in achieving enhanced mechanical strength. This research also presents a versatile approach to fabricating solid-state polypeptide materials, circumventing solubility challenges associated with traditional solution-based processing methods.