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Related Concept Videos

Polymers02:34

Polymers

40.6K
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...
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Polymers02:34

Polymers

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No description available
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Polymer Classification: Architecture01:14

Polymer Classification: Architecture

3.8K
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...
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Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

3.8K
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...
3.8K
Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

3.2K
Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
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Polymers: Defining Molecular Weight01:01

Polymers: Defining Molecular Weight

3.8K
Unlike small molecules with definite molecular weights, polymers are a mixture of individual polymer chains of varying lengths, each with a unique molecular weight.  So, the molecular weight of a polymer is expressed as an average value based on the average size of the polymer chains. The two most common forms of averages used for polymers are the number average molecular weight and weight average molecular weight.
The number average molecular weight (Mn) is the summation of the number...
3.8K

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers
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Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers

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Gelation in semiflexible polymers.

Venkat Padmanabhan1, Sanat K Kumar

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA. venkat.pdm@gmail.com

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|May 10, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that cooling rate significantly impacts polymer gel formation. Faster cooling traps semiflexible polymer chains into a gel network, while slower cooling leads to phase separation.

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Computational Chemistry

Background:

  • Physical gels form complex networks from polymers in solution.
  • Understanding gelation mechanisms requires studying polymer chain interactions and dynamics.
  • Factors like temperature and cooling rate influence the final network structure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the formation of physical gels using semiflexible polymer chains via molecular dynamics simulations.
  • To analyze the influence of temperature and cooling rate on the gelation process and network formation.
  • To understand the role of molecular stiffness in controlling gel properties.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to model semiflexible polymer chains.

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  • Controlled molecular stiffness through a specific inter-bead potential.
  • Simulated systems at varying temperatures and cooling rates to observe phase behavior and network formation.

    • Main Results:

    • Lowering temperature induced phase separation into a nematic fluid and a gas phase.
    • Dynamic arrest at lower temperatures prevented complete vapor-liquid separation, leading to gel formation.
    • Faster cooling rates promoted the formation of a percolated gel network, whereas slower rates favored complete phase separation.

    Conclusions:

    • The formation of a physical gel from semiflexible polymers is critically dependent on both temperature and cooling rate.
    • Dynamic arrest plays a key role in trapping polymer chains into a gel structure.
    • Controlled cooling rates offer a method to tune the outcome between gelation and phase separation.