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

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

3.6K
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...
3.6K
Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers01:24

Characteristics and Nomenclature of Copolymers

2.6K
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...
2.6K
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

2.4K
The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the...
2.4K
Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:17

Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

3.4K
Ziegler–Natta polymerization is another form of addition or chain‐growth polymerization used for synthesizing linear polymers over branched polymers. The catalyst used for polymerization is the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, named after Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta, who developed it in 1953. This catalyst is an organometallic complex of titanium tetrachloride and triethyl aluminum, with the active form of the catalyst being an alkyl titanium compound. Using the Ziegler–Natta...
3.4K
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:20

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

2.1K
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,...
2.1K
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:04

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

2.1K
The mechanism for anionic chain-growth polymerization involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. In the initiation step, a nucleophilic anion, such as butyl lithium, initiates the polymerization process by attacking the π bond of the vinylic monomer. As a result, a carbanion, stabilized by the electron‐withdrawing group, is generated. The resulting carbanion acts as a Michael donor in the propagation step and attacks the second vinylic monomer, which acts as a Michael...
2.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A polymer that reinforces luminal barrier function and attenuates inflammation in murine colitis.

Research square·2026
Same author

Addition and Correction to "Thermo-Transitioning Core-Shell Microgels Combine Cohesive Reinforcement and Noncohesive Reconfigurability to Enable 3D Bioprinting and Stabilize Tissues During Incubation<i>"</i>.

ACS biomaterials science & engineering·2026
Same author

Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain-Transfer Aqueous Emulsion Polymerization Observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Thermo-Transitioning Core-Shell Microgels Combine Cohesive Reinforcement and Noncohesive Reconfigurability to Enable 3D Bioprinting and Stabilize Tissues During Incubation.

ACS biomaterials science & engineering·2026
Same author

Surface-Functionalized, Two-Dimensional Polymer Electrochromic Layers as Ultrafast, Multi-State Infrared Optical Gates.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Photocatalytic surface grafting of hydrophobic shells onto hydrogels.

Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)·2026
Same journal

Topology-Preserving Elastic Deformation Augmentation Enables Robust Defect Detection in Data-Scarce Industrial Imagery.

ACS macro letters·2026
Same journal

Flexible Porous Organic Polymers with α,β-Enone-Linkage via AlCl<sub>3</sub>-Catalyzed Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons Polymerization for Pd Recovery.

ACS macro letters·2026
Same journal

Light-Controlled Topology Switching Enables Continuous Modulation of Thermally Induced Phase Behavior in Polymer Solutions.

ACS macro letters·2026
Same journal

Correction to "Light-Induced Transformation from Covalent to Supramolecular Polymer Networks".

ACS macro letters·2026
Same journal

Mechanically Gated Generation of a 3<i>H</i>-Anthra[2,1-<i>b</i>]pyran Photoswitch Enabling Multicolor Switching.

ACS macro letters·2026
Same journal

CRISPR-Based Programmable RNA-Responsive Protein Materials.

ACS macro letters·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
09:22

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives

Published on: February 7, 2017

7.9K

Gradient Copolymer Synthesis through Self-Assembly.

Georg M Scheutz1, Jared I Bowman1, Swagata Mondal1

  • 1George and Josephine Butler Polymer Research Laboratory, Center for Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32711, United States.

ACS Macro Letters
|March 23, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) creates gradient copolymers by controlling monomer incorporation. This method uses self-assembly to achieve selective monomer addition, yielding unique polymer sequences.

More Related Videos

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

7.9K
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

12.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
09:22

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives

Published on: February 7, 2017

7.9K
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

7.9K
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

12.3K

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

  • Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is a common technique for creating polymer nanoparticles with defined morphologies.
  • Synthesizing gradient copolymers with precise control over monomer sequence remains a significant challenge in polymer chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the utility of PISA as a method for directing the synthesis of gradient copolymers.
  • To leverage hydrophobicity-induced reaction selectivity and compartmentalization effects within PISA to control monomer incorporation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing a poly(ethylene glycol) macrochain transfer agent for polymerization.
  • Employing diacetone acrylamide (DAAm) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) monomers with similar reactivity in water.
  • Modulating monomer selectivity in situ by controlling the hydrophobic environment during self-assembly.
  • Adjusting the feed ratio of DAAm to further enhance selectivity.
  • Applying a mild hydrolysis protocol to isolate the synthesized gradient copolymers.

Main Results:

  • Achieved selective incorporation of DAAm over DMA during PISA, despite their similar intrinsic reactivity.
  • Demonstrated that increasing DAAm feed ratio enhances selectivity due to a more hydrophobic polymerization locus.
  • Successfully generated DAAm-DMA gradient sequences autonomously.
  • Isolated compositionally unique gradient copolymers via hydrolysis.

Conclusions:

  • PISA can be effectively employed as a synthetic strategy for gradient copolymer synthesis.
  • Hydrophobicity-induced reaction selectivity within PISA enables autonomous control over monomer sequencing.
  • This approach provides access to novel gradient copolymer structures previously difficult to obtain.