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...
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...
Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)01:16

Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization or ROMP involves strained cycloalkenes as starting materials. The mechanism of ROMP proceeds by reacting cycloalkene with Grubbs catalyst to give metallacyclobutane intermediate which undergoes a ring-opening reaction to form new carbene. The new carbene reacts with another molecule of cycloalkene. Repetition of these steps leads to the formation of an unsaturated open-chain polymer product. All these steps are reversible, however, relieving the ring...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Plateau moduli of Kremer-Grest models for commodity polymer melts.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Configurational entropy of randomly double-folding ring polymers.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Configurational entropy of random trees.

Physical review. E·2026
Same author

Investigating retention time and fluid dynamics of the vehicles in non-invasive topical ocular drug delivery systems.

European journal of pharmaceutical sciences : official journal of the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences·2025
Same author

SAStutorials.org - online tutorials on small-angle scattering data analysis.

Journal of applied crystallography·2025
Same author

Amoeba Monte Carlo algorithms for random trees with controlled branching activity: Efficient trial move generation and universal dynamics.

Physical review. E·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Preparation of DNA-crosslinked Polyacrylamide Hydrogels
09:06

Preparation of DNA-crosslinked Polyacrylamide Hydrogels

Published on: August 27, 2014

Microphase separation in cross-linked polymer blends. Efficient replica RPA post-processing of simulation data for

A V Klopper1, Carsten Svaneborg, Ralf Everaers

  • 1Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzer Strasse 38, D-01187 Dresden, Germany. avk@pks.mpg.de

The European Physical Journal. E, Soft Matter
|January 14, 2009
PubMed
Summary

We developed a new method to analyze polymer blends using simulations and replica theory. This approach accurately predicts material behavior and scattering data for complex polymer networks.

More Related Videos

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
11:42

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers

Published on: June 20, 2019

Fabricating Degradable Thermoresponsive Hydrogels on Multiple Length Scales via Reactive Extrusion, Microfluidics, Self-assembly, and Electrospinning
12:07

Fabricating Degradable Thermoresponsive Hydrogels on Multiple Length Scales via Reactive Extrusion, Microfluidics, Self-assembly, and Electrospinning

Published on: April 16, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Preparation of DNA-crosslinked Polyacrylamide Hydrogels
09:06

Preparation of DNA-crosslinked Polyacrylamide Hydrogels

Published on: August 27, 2014

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
11:42

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers

Published on: June 20, 2019

Fabricating Degradable Thermoresponsive Hydrogels on Multiple Length Scales via Reactive Extrusion, Microfluidics, Self-assembly, and Electrospinning
12:07

Fabricating Degradable Thermoresponsive Hydrogels on Multiple Length Scales via Reactive Extrusion, Microfluidics, Self-assembly, and Electrospinning

Published on: April 16, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Science
  • Materials Science
  • Statistical Physics

Background:

  • Randomly cross-linked polymer blends exhibit complex phase behavior.
  • Understanding heterogeneity in polymer networks is crucial for material design.
  • Existing methods often require detailed microscopic information or make unphysical assumptions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a theoretical framework for analyzing randomly cross-linked polymer blends.
  • To enable accurate prediction of scattering data from polymer network simulations.
  • To investigate microphase separation and intrinsic length scales in heterogeneous polymer systems.

Main Methods:

  • Combination of replica theory and large-scale molecular dynamics simulations.
  • Derivation of the random phase approximation analogue for quenched disorder.
  • Efficient calculation of correlation functions.
  • Post-processing of simulation data for homopolymer networks.

Main Results:

  • Successfully described neutron scattering measurements in heterogeneous polymer systems.
  • Obtained structure function data illustrating microphase separation.
  • Captured system-specific information related to intrinsic length scales.
  • Avoided reliance on microscopic detail and unphysical assumptions.

Conclusions:

  • The developed replica theory and simulation approach accurately models randomly cross-linked polymer blends.
  • This method provides a powerful tool for understanding and predicting the behavior of complex polymer materials.
  • The findings offer insights into the relationship between network structure and macroscopic properties.