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Related Concept Videos

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
Polymer Classification: Architecture01:14

Polymer Classification: Architecture

Polymers are classified as linear or branched on the basis of their chain architecture. The polymer chains in linear polymers have a long chain-like structure with minimal to no branching at all. Even if a polymer features large substituent groups on the monomer, which appear as branches to the skeleton, it is not considered a branched polymer. A branched polymer contains secondary polymer chains that arise from the main polymer chain. The branching occurs when the polymer growth shifts from...
Polymers02:34

Polymers

The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
Polymers02:34

Polymers

The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
Polymers02:34

Polymers

The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
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...

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Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging
07:41

Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging

Published on: July 19, 2016

Revealing the interface in polymer nanocomposites.

Mauro Zammarano1, Paul H Maupin, Li-Piin Sung

  • 1Department of Chemistry, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA. mzam@nist.gov

ACS Nano
|March 18, 2011
PubMed
Summary

We developed a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique to monitor nanofibrillated cellulose dispersion in polymer nanocomposites. This method offers high-throughput analysis of nanoscale interfaces and material homogeneity across macroscale areas.

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Last Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Advanced Compositional Analysis of Nanoparticle-polymer Composites Using Direct Fluorescence Imaging
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Manufacturing of Three-dimensionally Microstructured Nanocomposites through Microfluidic Infiltration
14:24

Manufacturing of Three-dimensionally Microstructured Nanocomposites through Microfluidic Infiltration

Published on: March 12, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Science
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Characterizing polymer nanocomposite morphology across multiple length scales presents a significant challenge.
  • Understanding interface and dispersion is crucial for tailoring material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a high-throughput Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique for monitoring interface and dispersion in polymer nanocomposites.
  • To evaluate the effect of processing on nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) dispersion within a polyethylene (PE) matrix.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized fluorescently labeled NFC (with 5-(4,6-dichlorotriazinyl)-aminofluorescein) dispersed in Coumarin 30-doped PE.
  • Employed FRET, fluorescence spectroscopy, and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) for analysis.
  • Developed FRET algorithms to generate color-coded images for real-space visualization of energy transfer efficiency.

Main Results:

  • FRET effectively monitored NFC dispersion and interface formation in the PE matrix.
  • Standard deviation of energy transfer correlated with composite homogeneity.
  • Color-coded FRET images revealed nanoscale interface formation within representative macroscale sample areas.

Conclusions:

  • The FRET technique provides a powerful new tool for investigating structure-property-processing relationships in polymer nanocomposites.
  • This method simultaneously offers macroscale spatial information and nanoscale feature analysis.
  • The technique enables high-throughput, quantitative assessment of composite morphology.