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

Published on: September 26, 2016

Model systems for single molecule polymer dynamics.

Folarin Latinwo1, Charles M Schroeder

  • 1Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, UrbanaIL, 61801, USA.

Soft Matter
|September 8, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Single stranded DNA (ssDNA) offers a new model for flexible polymer dynamics, differing from rigid double stranded DNA (dsDNA). This research explores polymer behavior and introduces monomer aspect ratio for understanding chain dynamics.

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Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
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Single-Molecule Diffusion and Assembly on Polymer-Crowded Lipid Membranes

Published on: July 19, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Physics
  • Single Molecule Biophysics
  • Biomolecular Dynamics

Background:

  • Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is a semiflexible polymer, exhibiting unique dynamics distinct from flexible chains.
  • Existing models often treat polymers as ideal or lack detailed molecular parameters for real-world behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) as a novel model system for studying flexible polymer dynamics at the single-molecule level.
  • To analyze 'real' polymer behavior, including thermal and tension blobs, hydrodynamic drag, and force-extension relationships.
  • To investigate the role of monomer aspect ratio in governing polymer chain conformation and dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis of polymer models, considering ideal and real chain behaviors.
  • Derivation of dynamical scaling relations based on molecular-level parameters.
  • Examination of how asymmetric Kuhn segments influence monomer-monomer interactions and global chain dynamics.

Main Results:

  • Monomer aspect ratio is identified as a critical parameter for describing polymer chain conformation and dynamics.
  • Asymmetric Kuhn segments were shown to suppress monomer-monomer interactions, impacting overall chain dynamics.
  • ssDNA demonstrates suitability as a model for flexible polymer dynamics studies.

Conclusions:

  • Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) provides a valuable new model system for single-molecule studies of flexible polymers.
  • Understanding 'real' polymer dynamics requires considering molecular individualism and non-linear phenomena.
  • Future research using ssDNA is expected to yield significant insights into the complex behavior of flexible polymer chains.