  Linear polymers with dendrons of first and second generations based on
L-aspargic acid are studied by the methods of flow birefringence and electric
birefringence. Optical, dipole, dynamic, and conformational properties of the
macromolecules, as well as contributions to their optical anisotropy due to
macroform and microform effects, are investigated. The polymers are found to
possess permanent electric dipole moments and undergo reorientation in external
electric and hydrodynamic fields according to large-scale rotation mechanism. A
significant growth in equilibrium rigidity, optical anisotropy, and dipole
moment of monomer units is observed when rigid benzamide fragments are
introduced into the dendrimers. The backbone conformation of second-generation
dendrimers containing such fragments is shown to be well described by
generalized wormlike chain model.
