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Related Concept Videos

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers01:08

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers

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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...
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Polymer Classification: Architecture01:14

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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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Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers01:24

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers

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Copolymers are the products obtained from the polymerization of multiple monomer species. So, in a polymer chain itself, there can be multiple repeating units that come from different monomers. The process of synthesizing a polymer from different monomer species is called copolymerization. When two monomers are involved, the polymer is known as a bipolymer. Polymers with three and four monomers are termed terpolymers and quaterpolymers, respectively. Figure 1 depicts the copolymerization of...
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Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

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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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Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

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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...
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Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution01:10

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution

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For any given polymer, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is higher than, if not equal to, the number average molecular weight (Mn). The only situation in which the weight average molecular weight and the number average molecular weight are equal is when a polymer consists only of chains with equal molecular weight. However, this never happens in a synthetic polymer, since it is difficult to control the polymerization process up to a molecular level with accuracy to a hundred percent.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes
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Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

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Morphological transformations in polymer brushes in binary mixtures: DPD study.

Jianli Cheng1, Aleksey Vishnyakov, Alexander V Neimark

  • 1Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , 98 Brett Road, Piscataway New Jersey 08854, United States.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|October 9, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Polymer brushes transform gradually from collapsed to expanded states in mixed solvents. Higher brush density and solvent contrast lead to more leveled transformations and earlier expansion.

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Area of Science:

  • Polymer Science
  • Soft Matter Physics
  • Computational Chemistry

Background:

  • Polymer brushes exhibit complex morphological behavior in mixed solvents.
  • Understanding these transformations is crucial for designing advanced materials.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the morphological transformations of polymer brushes in binary solvent mixtures.
  • To analyze the influence of polymer density and solvent miscibility on brush conformation.

Main Methods:

  • Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) simulations were employed.
  • A coarse-grained DPD model was developed for polyisoprene natural rubber in acetone-benzene mixtures.

Main Results:

  • The collapsed-to-expanded transition in polymer brushes is gradual, unlike the sharp transition in individual chains.
  • Brush density and polymer-polymer interactions influence the inhomogeneity and patterning of collapsed brushes.
  • Steric restrictions at high densities lead to brush expansion even in poor solvents.
  • Increased solvent contrast shifts the expansion to lower good solvent concentrations, particularly at higher brush densities.

Conclusions:

  • Polymer brush morphology in mixed solvents is a nuanced process dependent on density and solvent interactions.
  • DPD simulations provide valuable insights into these complex transformations.
  • Tailoring solvent miscibility offers a route to control polymer brush behavior.