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

Hydrogen Bonds01:04

Hydrogen Bonds

11.5K
A hydrogen bond is formed when a weakly positive hydrogen atom already bonded to one electronegative atom (for example, the oxygen in the water molecule) is attracted to another electronegative atom from another polar molecule, such as water (H2O), hydrogen fluoride (HF), or ammonia (NH3). The huge electronegativity difference between the H atom (2.1) and the atom to which it is bonded (4.0 for an F atom, 3.5 for an O atom, or 3.0 for an N atom), combined with the very small size of an H atom...
11.5K
Hydrogen Bonds00:26

Hydrogen Bonds

128.3K
Hydrogen bonds are weak attractions between atoms that have formed other chemical bonds. One of these atoms is electronegative, like oxygen, and has a partial negative charge. The other is a hydrogen atom that has bonded with another electronegative atom and has a partial positive charge.
Hydrogen Bonds Control the World!
Because hydrogen has very weak electronegativity when it binds with a strongly electronegative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen, electrons in the bond are unequally shared....
128.3K
Polymers02:34

Polymers

39.2K
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...
39.2K
Polymers02:34

Polymers

22.8K
22.8K
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers01:24

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers

3.0K
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...
3.0K
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

2.2K
The skeletal structure of polymers synthesized via radical polymerization is always branched. For example, the polymerization of ethylene by radical polymerization results in a low-density grade of polyethylene with a heavily branched skeletal structure. Here, the radical site abstracts hydrogen from the growing chain, and the radical site shifts from the end (a primary carbon center) to anywhere within the growing chain (a secondary carbon center). Consequently, the part of the chain from the...
2.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Hybrid Polymer-Inorganic Salt Hydrate Materials: Applications for Heat Storage and Beyond.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026
Same author

Clickable Microgel Inks Enable Spatioselective, Multi-Stimuli Programmable Assembly of Materials.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026
Same author

Regiochemical Control of Shape Morphing in Diels-Alder Covalent Adaptable Networks.

ACS macro letters·2025
Same author

Influence of polymer architecture, ionization, and salt annealing on the stiffness of weak polyelectrolyte multilayers.

Soft matter·2025
Same author

Self-Diffusion of Star and Linear Polyelectrolytes in Salt-Free and Salt Solutions.

Macromolecules·2025
Same author

Stereochemical Shape Morphing in Diels-Alder Polymer Networks.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 9, 2025

Particles without a Box: Brush-first Synthesis of Photodegradable PEG Star Polymers under Ambient Conditions
06:56

Particles without a Box: Brush-first Synthesis of Photodegradable PEG Star Polymers under Ambient Conditions

Published on: October 10, 2013

40.0K

Hydrogen-Bonded Complexes of Star Polymers.

Aliaksei Aliakseyeu1, Elena E Dormidontova2, Svetlana A Sukhishvili1

  • 1Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA.

Macromolecular Rapid Communications
|April 17, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Star-shaped poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) forms more hydrogen-bonded complexes with poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) than linear PEO. This molecular architecture influences complex composition and stability due to localized bonding effects.

Keywords:
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopyhydrogen-bonded complexesisothermal titration calorimetrystar polymers

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Developing Synthetic Cells from Programmable Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures
08:02

Author Spotlight: Developing Synthetic Cells from Programmable Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures

Published on: May 31, 2024

1.1K
Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
09:26

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Published on: April 22, 2016

10.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 9, 2025

Particles without a Box: Brush-first Synthesis of Photodegradable PEG Star Polymers under Ambient Conditions
06:56

Particles without a Box: Brush-first Synthesis of Photodegradable PEG Star Polymers under Ambient Conditions

Published on: October 10, 2013

40.0K
Author Spotlight: Developing Synthetic Cells from Programmable Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures
08:02

Author Spotlight: Developing Synthetic Cells from Programmable Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures

Published on: May 31, 2024

1.1K
Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
09:26

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids

Published on: April 22, 2016

10.1K

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Science
  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Investigating polymer architecture effects on interpolymer complex formation is crucial for designing advanced materials.
  • Understanding hydrogen bonding interactions is key to controlling polymer self-assembly and macroscopic properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the formation of hydrogen-bonded complexes between linear poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and either linear poly(ethylene oxide) (lPEO) or 6-arm star PEO (sPEO).
  • To elucidate the role of molecular architecture (star vs. linear) in dictating the composition, stability, and hydrogen bonding characteristics of interpolymer complexes (IPCs).

Main Methods:

  • Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to quantify complex formation thermodynamics and binding constants.
  • Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to analyze the extent of self-association and intermolecular hydrogen bonding within the complexes.

Main Results:

  • IPCs formed with sPEO contained approximately 50% more PMAA than those formed with lPEO at pH 2.5.
  • sPEO/PMAA complexes exhibited a higher enthalpy of formation and a lower dissociation constant, indicating greater stability compared to lPEO/PMAA complexes.
  • FTIR analysis revealed a higher proportion of self-associated carboxylic acid groups in sPEO-containing complexes, suggesting restricted PMAA chain penetration due to localized sPEO hydrogen bonding.

Conclusions:

  • The star architecture of PEO significantly enhances interpolymer complex formation with PMAA compared to linear PEO, primarily due to increased localized hydrogen bond density.
  • The findings highlight the critical influence of polymer topology on supramolecular assembly and provide insights into controlling complex stoichiometry and stability.
  • Charge, water release, and hysteresis effects further contribute to the complex formation dynamics, offering avenues for tailored polymer complex design.