Odd-even effect in the elastic modulii of alpha,omega-Alkanedicarboxylic acids

Nanoindentation studies on alpha,omega-alkanedicarboxylic acids reveal that the elastic modulus, E, shows an odd-even alternation in exactly the same manner as the melting temperature, T-m. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the strained molecular conformations in the odd diacids are the reasons for these alternations in T-m. The same packing features that lower T-m in the odd acids lead to easy accommodation of the deformation during nanoindentation and hence their low E.