Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:17

Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Ziegler–Natta polymerization is another form of addition or chain‐growth polymerization used for synthesizing linear polymers over branched polymers. The catalyst used for polymerization is the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, named after Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta, who developed it in 1953. This catalyst is an organometallic complex of titanium tetrachloride and triethyl aluminum, with the active form of the catalyst being an alkyl titanium compound. Using the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, high molecular...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:10

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Chain-growth or addition polymerization is successive addition reactions of monomers with a polymer chain. In radical chain-growth polymerization, the reaction proceeds via a free-radical intermediate. The free radical is formed from radical initiators, which spontaneously generate free radicals by homolytic fission. Organic peroxides (such as dibenzoyl peroxide, as shown in Figure 1) or azo compounds are popular radical initiators. A low concentration ratio of radical initiator to monomer is...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:09

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The radical chain-growth polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination of polymerization. The polymerization initiates when a free radical generated from the radical initiator adds to the unsaturated bond in the monomer. The unpaired electron of the free radical and one π electron in the unsaturated bond creates a σ bond between the free radical and the monomer. As a result, the other π electron in the unsaturated bond converts this species into the...
Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers01:08

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers

Step growth polymerization involves bi or multifunctional monomers. Bifunctional monomers react to form linear step growth polymers, whereas multifunctional monomers react to form non-linear or branched 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...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

The skeletal structure of polymers synthesized via radical polymerization is always branched. For example, the polymerization of ethylene by radical polymerization results in a low-density grade of polyethylene with a heavily branched skeletal structure. Here, the radical site abstracts hydrogen from the growing chain, and the radical site shifts from the end (a primary carbon center) to anywhere within the growing chain (a secondary carbon center). Consequently, the part of the chain from the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Concurrently coupling particle and continuum simulations to study block copolymer membrane fabrication.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Influence of Treatment Parameters on Beech Wood (<i>Fagus sylvatica</i>) Modified with Polyethylene Glycol and Various Carboxylic Acids.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Positive effects of brief body exercises on mood: An interventional EMA study.

Neuroscience applied·2026
Same author

Characterization of antibodies against the replication protein (Rep) encoded by bovine meat and milk factors (BMMFs).

Applied microbiology and biotechnology·2026
Same author

Linking Electrostatic-Induced Chain Stiffening to Heat Flow in Amorphous Polymers.

ACS macro letters·2026
Same author

Ising Density Functional Theory for Inhomogeneous Weak Polyelectrolytes.

The journal of physical chemistry. B·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
06:55

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

Published on: September 26, 2016

Spinodal decomposition of polymer solutions: a parallelized molecular dynamics simulation.

Leonid Yelash1, Peter Virnau, Wolfgang Paul

  • 1Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany.

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|October 15, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations reveal that polymer solutions exhibit slower phase separation than predicted. This kinetic behavior is attributed to the dynamic asymmetry between the components, influencing structure formation.

More Related Videos

New Features in Visual Dynamics 3.0
05:00

New Features in Visual Dynamics 3.0

Published on: August 9, 2024

Anionic Polymerization of an Amphiphilic Copolymer for Preparation of Block Copolymer Micelles Stabilized by &#960;-&#960; Stacking Interactions
10:53

Anionic Polymerization of an Amphiphilic Copolymer for Preparation of Block Copolymer Micelles Stabilized by π-π Stacking Interactions

Published on: October 10, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
06:55

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

Published on: September 26, 2016

New Features in Visual Dynamics 3.0
05:00

New Features in Visual Dynamics 3.0

Published on: August 9, 2024

Anionic Polymerization of an Amphiphilic Copolymer for Preparation of Block Copolymer Micelles Stabilized by &#960;-&#960; Stacking Interactions
10:53

Anionic Polymerization of an Amphiphilic Copolymer for Preparation of Block Copolymer Micelles Stabilized by π-π Stacking Interactions

Published on: October 10, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Computational chemistry
  • Materials science
  • Chemical engineering

Background:

  • Phase separation kinetics involve large length and time scales.
  • Polymer coils and structure formation occur at mesoscopic and larger scales.
  • Previous work established equilibrium phase behavior for hexadecane in supercritical carbon dioxide using Monte Carlo methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To perform large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of phase separation kinetics.
  • To investigate the phase separation process in hexadecane/supercritical carbon dioxide mixtures.
  • To analyze the relationship between order parameters and domain growth during segregation.

Main Methods:

  • Application of a coarse-grained model for hexadecane in supercritical carbon dioxide.
  • Utilizing parallelized simulations on a multiprocessor supercomputer.
  • Conducting large-scale molecular dynamics simulations with N=435136 particles.

Main Results:

  • Phase separation was observed up to the final equilibrium state in large systems.
  • Density and concentration order parameters were found to be strongly coupled during segregation.
  • The system displayed slower domain growth than predicted by conventional laws for binary fluid mixtures.

Conclusions:

  • The observed slower phase separation kinetics are likely due to dynamic asymmetry.
  • The study provides insights into the complex dynamics of polymer solutions undergoing phase transitions.
  • Findings deviate from standard growth laws, highlighting the need for models accounting for constituent dynamics.