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

Polymers

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,...

Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules

Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules

Noncovalent attractions are associations within and between molecules that influence the shape and structural stability of complexes. These interactions differ from covalent bonding in that they do not involve sharing of electrons.
Four types of noncovalent interactions are hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.
Hydrogen bonding results from the electrostatic attraction of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strong-electronegative atom like oxygen,...

Polymer Classification: Architecture

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...

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

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...

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the generated carbocation,...

Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules

Noncovalent Attractions in Biomolecules

Noncovalent attractions are associations within and between molecules that influence the shape and structural stability of complexes. These interactions differ from covalent bonding in that they do not involve sharing of electrons.
Four types of noncovalent interactions are hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic interactions.
Hydrogen bonding results from the electrostatic attraction of a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strong-electronegative atom like oxygen,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

MiRNAs: main players of cancer drug resistance target ABC transporters.

Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology·2025

Same author

Boosting cation mobility in sol-gel derived organic-inorganic hybrid solid electrolytes through physical conditioning.

The Journal of chemical physics·2025

Same author

A molecular dynamics simulation study of thermal conductivity of plumbene.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2024

Same author

Heat affected zone liquation cracking evaluation on FeMnAl alloys.

Science and technology of advanced materials·2024

Same author

Exploring the therapeutic potential of quercetin in cancer treatment: Targeting long non-coding RNAs.

Pathology, research and practice·2024

Same author

Potential anticancer properties and mechanisms of thymoquinone in colorectal cancer.

Cancer cell international·2023

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Solid-state Graft Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications

Solid-state Graft Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications

Published on: August 12, 2013

Thermal Conductance in Cross-linked Polymers: Effects of Non-Bonding Interactions.

Vahid Rashidi¹, Eleanor J Coyle¹, Katherine Sebeck¹

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, ‡Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and §Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B

|April 1, 2017

Summary

Short cross-linkers boost polymer thermal conductivity by enhancing nonbonding interactions between polymer chains, not through covalent bonds. This clarifies inconsistent findings in polymer cross-linking research.

More Related Videos

Microwave-assisted Functionalization of Poly(ethylene glycol) and On-resin Peptides for Use in Chain Polymerizations and Hydrogel Formation

Microwave-assisted Functionalization of Poly(ethylene glycol) and On-resin Peptides for Use in Chain Polymerizations and Hydrogel Formation

Published on: October 29, 2013

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers

Published on: October 25, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Solid-state Graft Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications

Solid-state Graft Copolymer Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications

Published on: August 12, 2013

Microwave-assisted Functionalization of Poly(ethylene glycol) and On-resin Peptides for Use in Chain Polymerizations and Hydrogel Formation

Microwave-assisted Functionalization of Poly(ethylene glycol) and On-resin Peptides for Use in Chain Polymerizations and Hydrogel Formation

Published on: October 29, 2013

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers

Published on: October 25, 2017

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Polymer Chemistry
Thermal Physics

Background:

Interchain interactions are critical for heat transfer in polymers.
Cross-linking aims to improve polymer thermal conductivity, but results are inconsistent.
Understanding the roles of covalent and nonbonding interactions is key.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate heat transfer mechanisms in cross-linked polymers.
Clarify discrepancies in previous thermal conductivity studies.
Determine the primary mechanisms for thermal conductivity enhancement.

Main Methods:

Examined relative contributions of bonding (covalent) and nonbonding (van der Waals, electrostatic) interactions.
Analyzed the effect of cross-linker length on interchain distance.
Modeled energy transfer from THz acoustic waves with and without nonbonding interactions.

Main Results:

Short cross-linkers enhance thermal conductivity by increasing interchain proximity.
Enhanced nonbonding interactions, dependent on interchain distance, are the primary drivers of improved heat transfer.
Thermal conductivity increases significantly when nonbonding interactions are considered.

Conclusions:

Cross-linker length is crucial for enhancing polymer thermal conductivity.
Nonbonding interactions play a more significant role than covalent pathways in cross-linked polymers.
Findings explain varied thermal conductivity trends observed in different cross-linking studies.