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

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution01:10

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution

4.4K
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.
4.4K
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
Polymers: Defining Molecular Weight01:01

Polymers: Defining Molecular Weight

3.6K
Unlike small molecules with definite molecular weights, polymers are a mixture of individual polymer chains of varying lengths, each with a unique molecular weight.  So, the molecular weight of a polymer is expressed as an average value based on the average size of the polymer chains. The two most common forms of averages used for polymers are the number average molecular weight and weight average molecular weight.
The number average molecular weight (Mn) is the summation of the number...
3.6K
Entropy and Solvation02:05

Entropy and Solvation

8.0K
The process of surrounding a solute with solvent is called solvation. It involves evenly distributing the solute within the solvent. The rule of thumb for determining a solvent for a given compound is that like dissolves like. A good solvent has molecular characteristics similar to those of the compound to be dissolved. For example, polar solutions dissolve polar solutes, and apolar solvents dissolve apolar solutes. A polar solvent is a solvent that has a high dielectric constant (ϵ...
8.0K
Aqueous Solutions and Heats of Hydration02:42

Aqueous Solutions and Heats of Hydration

17.0K
Water and other polar molecules are attracted to ions. The electrostatic attraction between an ion and a molecule with a dipole is called an ion-dipole attraction. These attractions play an important role in the dissolution of ionic compounds in water.
When ionic compounds dissolve in water, the ions in the solid separate and disperse uniformly throughout the solution because water molecules surround and solvate the ions, reducing the strong electrostatic forces between them. This process...
17.0K
Polymers02:34

Polymers

39.8K
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...
39.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Memory effects in contact line friction.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Thermoresponsivity and cononsolvency of a minimal polymer model in mixed solvents.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Pressure-induced pKa variations influence conformations of pH-sensitive polymers.

The Journal of chemical physics·2026
Same author

Beyond Electrostatic Screening: Effect of Ion Pairing on Acid-Base Equilibria in Complex Electrolyte Solutions.

The journal of physical chemistry letters·2026
Same author

Unraveling the Molecular Pathways for Structure "Making" and "Breaking" by Ions in Water.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2025
Same author

Matching correlations matters: Modeling friction in a hydrophobic folding transition.

The Journal of chemical physics·2025
Same journal

Correction: Jiang et al. Methods for Obtaining One Single Larmor Frequency, Either <i>v</i><sub>1</sub> or <i>v</i><sub>2</sub>, in the Coherent Spin Dynamics of Colloidal Quantum Dots. <i>Nanomaterials</i> 2023, <i>13</i>, 2006.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Correction: Ekman et al. Synthesis, Characterization, and Adsorption Properties of Nitrogen-Doped Nanoporous Biochar: Efficient Removal of Reactive Orange 16 Dye and Colorful Effluents. <i>Nanomaterials</i> 2023, <i>13</i>, 2045.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub>-Based Materials and Coatings for De-Icing and Defogging of Wind Turbine Blades: Materials Basis, Structural Design, Engineering Integration, and Future Opportunities.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Influence of the Ripeness Stages of the Precursors on the Optical Characteristics of Carbon Dots Obtained from Valencia Orange Peels (<i>Citrus sinensis</i> L. Osbeck) by Hydrothermal Synthesis.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Insights into ALD Growth of Al-Based Dielectric Stack on 4H-SiC.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same journal

Metal-<i>N</i>-Heterocyclic Carbene Porous Organic Polymers as Efficient Bifunctional Water-Splitting Electrocatalysts.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles
08:44

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Published on: March 2, 2020

11.3K

Characterizing Polymer Hydration Shell Compressibilities with the Small-System Method.

Madhusmita Tripathy1, Swaminath Bharadwaj1, Shadrack Jabes B1

  • 1Eduard-Zintl-Institut für Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 30, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The small-system method (SSM) quantifies polymer hydration shell compressibility. It reveals a crossover in compressibility and water structure linked to hydrophobic interactions, offering insights into macromolecular behavior.

Keywords:
finite size correctionhydration shell thermodynamicssmall system methodthermodynamics of small systems

More Related Videos

Controlled Synthesis and Fluorescence Tracking of Highly Uniform PolyN-isopropylacrylamide Microgels
11:34

Controlled Synthesis and Fluorescence Tracking of Highly Uniform PolyN-isopropylacrylamide Microgels

Published on: September 8, 2016

10.7K
Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
16:24

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Published on: August 2, 2012

19.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles
08:44

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles

Published on: March 2, 2020

11.3K
Controlled Synthesis and Fluorescence Tracking of Highly Uniform PolyN-isopropylacrylamide Microgels
11:34

Controlled Synthesis and Fluorescence Tracking of Highly Uniform PolyN-isopropylacrylamide Microgels

Published on: September 8, 2016

10.7K
Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
16:24

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water

Published on: August 2, 2012

19.1K

Area of Science:

  • Thermodynamics
  • Polymer Science
  • Computational Chemistry

Background:

  • Finite-sized open systems exhibit thermodynamic properties that scale with inverse system size.
  • This scaling allows extrapolation of properties to the thermodynamic limit using simulations of smaller systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To extend the small-system method (SSM) for characterizing the hydration shell compressibility of hydrophobic polymers in water.
  • To investigate the relationship between polymer-water repulsion and hydration shell properties.

Main Methods:

  • Application of the small-system method (SSM) to finite-sized polymer systems in aqueous solution.
  • Systematic variation of polymer-water repulsion strength in computer simulations.

Main Results:

  • The excess inverse thermodynamic correction factor (Δ1/Γs∞) and hydration shell compressibility (Δχs) transition from negative to positive.
  • This crossover correlates with decreased water hydrogen bonding and local tetrahedral order.
  • The identified crossover lengthscale (0.7 nm effective polymer bead diameter) aligns with prior studies on hydrophobic solute hydration.

Conclusions:

  • The SSM successfully characterizes polymer hydration shell compressibility and its dependence on hydrophobic interactions.
  • The findings provide a lengthscale for understanding hydrophobic interactions and macromolecular conformational equilibria in water.
  • The SSM framework is adaptable for studying polymer solvation shells in mixed solvent systems.