Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Personality traits and disorders in people with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD): A systematic review.

Journal of psychiatric research·2026

Same author

Effects of dietary free fatty acid content and degree of fat saturation on tibia bone properties of laying hens.

Poultry science·2024

Same author

Differential effects of 3,5-T2 and T3 on the gill regeneration and metamorphosis of the <i>Ambystoma mexicanum</i> (axolotl).

Frontiers in endocrinology·2023

Same author

Bioconjugation of COL1 protein on liquid-like solid surfaces to study tumor invasion dynamics.

Biointerphases·2023

Same author

The importance of thyroid hormone signaling during early development: Lessons from the zebrafish model.

General and comparative endocrinology·2023

Same author

Chronic atrazine exposure increases the expression of genes associated with GABAergic and glutamatergic systems in the brain of male albino rat.

Frontiers in toxicology·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions

Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions

Published on: April 19, 2018

Mechanical properties derived from phase separation in co-polymer hydrogels.

R M Nixon¹, J B Ten Hove², A Orozco³

¹Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials

|December 1, 2015

Summary

Researchers developed stretchy, durable hydrogels using a novel approach. This innovation enhances biomaterial properties, offering improved elasticity and stability for biomedical applications.

Keywords:

Elasticity Failure strain Hydrogel Phase separation Polymer

More Related Videos

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

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

Published on: April 16, 2018

Force-Clamp Rheometry for Characterizing Protein-based Hydrogels

Force-Clamp Rheometry for Characterizing Protein-based Hydrogels

Published on: August 21, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions

Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions

Published on: April 19, 2018

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

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

Published on: April 16, 2018

Force-Clamp Rheometry for Characterizing Protein-based Hydrogels

Force-Clamp Rheometry for Characterizing Protein-based Hydrogels

Published on: August 21, 2018

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Polymer Chemistry
Biomedical Engineering

Background:

Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials with tunable properties like softness, wettability, and permeability.
Current limitations exist in achieving high elasticity and durability simultaneously in synthetic hydrogels.
Developing robust hydrogels is crucial for advanced biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To engineer highly elastic and durable hydrogels.
To overcome the limitations of existing hydrogel synthesis for mechanical robustness.
To create elastomer-like hydrogels for biomedical technologies.

Main Methods:

Synthesizing hydrogels with a high polymer-to-crosslink ratio for extensibility.
Incorporating an aggregating copolymer phase to enhance stability against swelling.
Investigating the mechanical properties, including strain, recovery, and cyclic durability.

Main Results:

The developed hydrogels exhibit high extensibility, failing at 1000% strain.
Gels demonstrate rapid recovery from large strains within minutes.
The hydrogels maintain elasticity through repeated large amplitude strain cycles and show reduced swelling.
Enhanced mechanical performance is attributed to a kinetically arrested structure.

Conclusions:

A novel strategy for creating stretchy, durable hydrogels has been established.
The combination of high polymer-to-crosslink ratio and aggregating copolymers yields superior mechanical properties.
These findings offer a new pathway for designing advanced hydrogels for biomedical applications.