Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2026

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
Published on: June 20, 2019
Statistics of copolymer sequences obtained by polymeranalogous reactions of homopolymer globules
S I Kuchanov1, T V Zharnikov, A R Khokhlov
1Physics Department, Moscow State University, 119992, Moscow, Russia.
Abstract:
For the first time the macrokinetics of polymeranalogous reaction in a homopolymer globule is considered theoretically. Using mathematical apparatus of the theory of markovian stochastic processes we examined the statistical characteristics of the chemical structure of the emerging copolymers. It is shown that when the reaction is kinetically-controlled the sequence distribution of monomeric units in copolymer chains follows Bernoullian statistics. In the opposite regime, when the reaction is diffusion-controlled it is proved that the resulting primary structure is described by the Levy flight distribution. Such copolymers with nonmarkovian character of the alteration of units in macromolecules can not be synthesized in the bulk or in concentrated solutions by means of standard synthetic polymerization procedures.
Related Concept Videos
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Homopolymers
Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
The extent of the...
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Determination of Molar Masses of Polymers I
Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution

