Odd-even effect in the elastic modulii of α,ω-alkanedicarboxylic acids.

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