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Related Concept Videos

Polymer Classification: Architecture01:14

Polymer Classification: Architecture

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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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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.
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Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters01:20

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The introduction of polyesters has brought major development to the textile industry. The wrinkle-free behavior of polyester blends has eliminated the need for starching and ironing clothes.
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Polymers02:34

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...
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Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

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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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Related Experiment Video

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Stretching Micropatterned Cells on a PDMS Membrane
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Shape of a Stretched Polymer.

Alberto S Sassi1, Salvatore Assenza1, Paolo De Los Rios1

  • 1Laboratoire de Biophysique Statistique, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.

Physical Review Letters
|August 5, 2017
PubMed
Summary

We discovered universal laws governing polymer shape and orientation under tension. These properties, crucial for molecular interactions, are determined by force and can be predicted from force-extension curves.

Area of Science:

  • Polymer physics
  • Soft matter physics
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Polymer shape influences molecular interactions.
  • Understanding polymer behavior under tension is vital for biological and experimental contexts.
  • Previous models did not fully capture shape and orientation under tension.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the shape and orientational properties of polymer chains under tension in a good solvent.
  • To uncover universal laws governing polymer behavior under these conditions.
  • To establish a link between polymer properties and force-extension data.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical analysis of polymer chains under tensile force.
  • Consideration of varying polymer rigidities.

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  • Inclusion of excluded-volume effects.

    • Main Results:

    • Discovery of hitherto unobserved universal laws for polymer shape and orientation.
    • Demonstration that shape and orientation are solely determined by the force contribution to free energy.
    • Identification of a simple method to retrieve shape and orientation from force-extension curves.

    Conclusions:

    • Universal laws govern polymer shape and orientation under tension.
    • Force is the key determinant of these polymer properties.
    • Force-extension curves offer a practical route to understanding polymer conformation.