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

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...

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers

Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers

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...

Comparing Intermolecular Forces: Melting Point, Boiling Point, and Miscibility

Comparing Intermolecular Forces: Melting Point, Boiling Point, and Miscibility

Intermolecular forces are attractive forces that exist between molecules. They dictate several bulk properties, such as melting points, boiling points, and solubilities (miscibilities) of substances. Molar mass, molecular shape, and polarity affect the strength of different intermolecular forces, which influence the magnitude of physical properties across a family of molecules.
Temporary attractive forces like dispersion are present in all molecules, whether they are polar or nonpolar. They...

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity

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...

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution

Polymers: Molecular Weight Distribution

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.

The Fluid Mosaic Model

The Fluid Mosaic Model

The fluid mosaic model was first proposed as a visual representation of research observations. The model comprises the composition and dynamics of membranes and serves as a foundation for future membrane-related studies. The model depicts the structure of the plasma membrane with a variety of components, which include phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. These integral molecules are loosely bound, defining the cell’s border and providing fluidity for optimal function.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Bilateral disease in the classic subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma: clinical significance and development of an artificial intelligence-based multimodal prediction model.

Frontiers in endocrinology·2026

Same author

Switching metastable dynamics in many-body open quantum systems.

National science review·2026

Same author

Deep Learning-Based Multimodal Fusion of Ultrasound, Cytology, and Clinical Features to Distinguish Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma from Adenoma: A Multicenter Study.

Academic radiology·2026

Same author

Programmable Deformation of DNA Nanostructures: Mastering Size and Topology for Tailored Mechanics.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2026

Same author

Multiscale Insights into the Ionic-Strength Dependence of α-Synuclein Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation.

Macromolecular rapid communications·2026

Same author

Intranasal Conformal Patch for Sustained Levodopa Delivery and Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging in Parkinson's Disease.

ACS nano·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

Published on: September 26, 2016

Modeling Stretching-Induced Immiscibility in Nonmonodisperse Polymer Systems.

Qun-Li Lei¹, Jia-Wei Feng¹, Hong-Ming Ding^1,2

¹National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.

ACS Macro Letters

|May 21, 2022

Summary

Unequal stretching of polymer chains can cause phase separation in polymer blends. This phenomenon, driven by conformational asymmetry, offers new insights into flow-induced demixing and heterogeneous material structures.

More Related Videos

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

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

Published on: September 8, 2016

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Published on: December 24, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level

Published on: September 26, 2016

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

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

Published on: September 8, 2016

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Preparation and Friction Force Microscopy Measurements of Immiscible, Opposing Polymer Brushes

Published on: December 24, 2014

Area of Science:

Polymer Science
Materials Science
Statistical Mechanics

Background:

Polymer chain behavior under stretching is a well-studied area.
The effect of unequal stretching tensions on polymer chain interactions and miscibility remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how tension disparity in stretched polymer chains influences the miscibility of athermal polymer systems.
To explore the role of polymer chain length and boundary conditions (mobile vs. non-mobile endpoints) in phase separation.

Main Methods:

Combined statistical theory with molecular simulations.
Utilized a minimal model to analyze polymer chain behavior under varying tension states.

Main Results:

Demonstrated that unequal stretching tensions can induce macroscopic or microscopic phase separation based on endpoint mobility.
Identified conformational asymmetry between unequally stretched chains as the primary entropic driver for immiscibility.
Showcased that non-uniform stretching can lead to heterogeneous structures in polymer materials.

Conclusions:

Proposed a novel mechanism for flow-induced demixing in polymer blends.
Highlighted that intrinsic non-monodispersity in elastic materials can naturally lead to phase separation during stretching.