Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity01:21

Polymer Classification: Crystallinity

3.7K
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...
3.7K
Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity01:26

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

3.1K
Polymerization generates chiral centers along the entire backbone of a polymer chain. Accordingly, the stereochemistry of the substituent group has a significant effect on polymer properties. Polymers formed from monosubstituted alkene monomers feature chiral carbons at every alternate position in the polymer backbone. Relative to the predominant orientation of substituents at the adjacent chiral carbons, the polymer can exist in three different configurations: isotactic, syndiotactic, and...
3.1K
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers01:24

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers

3.1K
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...
3.1K
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

4.2K
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.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
4.2K
Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers01:08

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers

2.7K
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...
2.7K
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:20

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

2.4K
The polymerization process that involves carbanion as an intermediate is called anionic polymerization. It is also a type of addition or chain-growth polymerization. Anionic polymerization gets initiated by a strong nucleophile such as an organolithium or a Grignard reagent. The most commonly used initiator for anionic polymerization is butyl lithium. Monomers involved in anionic polymerization must possess a vinyl group bonded to one or two electron-withdrawing groups. For instance,...
2.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Reliability of airway occlusion pressure (P0.1) in predicting extubation failure in critically ill patients.

Journal of intensive medicine·2026
Same author

The Weaning Index during Spontaneous Breathing Trials for Predicting Extubation Failure in Critically Ill Patients: A Bicentric Prospective Study.

Anaesthesia, critical care & pain medicine·2026
Same author

Capturing Structure and Morphology in Responsive Microgels: From Intrinsic Free Energy to Collective Behavior.

Macromolecules·2026
Same author

Numerical investigation of realistic core-shell microgels: Insights on two- and three-body effective interactions.

Journal of colloid and interface science·2025
Same author

Machine learning many-body potentials for charged colloids in primitive 1:1 electrolytes.

The Journal of chemical physics·2025
Same author

Ion selectivity in uncharged tapered nanoslits through heterogeneous water polarization.

The Journal of chemical physics·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
11:42

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers

Published on: June 20, 2019

8.2K

Solvent-induced morphological transitions in methacrylate-based block-copolymer aggregates.

Gerardo Campos-Villalobos1, Flor R Siperstein1, Arvin Charles1

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, University of Manchester, Sackville Street, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|April 3, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(butylmethacrylate) (PEO-b-PBMA) copolymers self-assemble into diverse nanostructures. Tuning the THF/water ratio controls these PEO-b-PBMA mesophases for advanced materials synthesis.

Keywords:
Binary solventsBlock-copolymersCoarse-grainingMolecular dynamicsMorphological transitionsSelf-assembly

More Related Videos

Using Polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization
09:02

Using Polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization

Published on: July 9, 2015

12.7K
Facile Synthesis of Worm-like Micelles by Visible Light Mediated Dispersion Polymerization Using Photoredox Catalyst
07:39

Facile Synthesis of Worm-like Micelles by Visible Light Mediated Dispersion Polymerization Using Photoredox Catalyst

Published on: June 8, 2016

9.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
11:42

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers

Published on: June 20, 2019

8.2K
Using Polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization
09:02

Using Polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid-coated Metal Nanoparticles as Monomers for Their Homo- and Co-polymerization

Published on: July 9, 2015

12.7K
Facile Synthesis of Worm-like Micelles by Visible Light Mediated Dispersion Polymerization Using Photoredox Catalyst
07:39

Facile Synthesis of Worm-like Micelles by Visible Light Mediated Dispersion Polymerization Using Photoredox Catalyst

Published on: June 8, 2016

9.9K

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Science
  • Materials Science
  • Computational Chemistry

Background:

  • Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(butylmethacrylate) (PEO-b-PBMA) copolymers show promise for creating hierarchical nanoporous materials.
  • Existing experimental data hint at bicontinuous phases and vesicles but lack a comprehensive understanding of PEO-b-PBMA self-assembly.
  • A detailed phase and aggregation behavior map for PEO-b-PBMA in solution is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the self-assembly behavior of PEO-b-PBMA copolymers in water and tetrahydrofuran (THF) mixtures.
  • To develop a morphological phase diagram for the PEO-b-PBMA/water/THF ternary system.
  • To understand how solvent composition influences the kinetics and equilibrium structures of PEO-b-PBMA self-assembly.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations.
  • Employing a recently developed coarse-grained model for PEO-b-PBMA copolymers.
  • Analyzing self-assembly in varying ratios of water and THF.

Main Results:

  • Identification of a broad spectrum of mesophases, including bicontinuous and lamellar phases at high concentrations.
  • Observation of finite-size aggregates like sheets, disks, and spherical/rod-like vesicles at low concentrations.
  • Demonstration that THF/water ratio significantly impacts self-assembly kinetics and equilibrium morphologies.

Conclusions:

  • PEO-b-PBMA copolymers exhibit rich self-assembly behavior leading to diverse mesophases.
  • The THF/water ratio is a critical parameter for controlling PEO-b-PBMA morphology.
  • These findings highlight the potential of PEO-b-PBMA for templated synthesis of nanostructured materials and provide guidance for property tuning.