Molecular Design and Role of the Dynamic Hydrogen Bonds and Hydrophobic Interactions in Temperature-Switchable
Yurij Stetsyshyn1, Halyna Ohar2, Andrzej Budkowski3
1Department of Organic Chemistry, Lviv Polytechnic National University, 3/4 St. George's Sq., 79013 Lviv, Ukraine.
Abstract:
Temperature-induced transitions in polymer systems, often governed by a phenomenon called critical solution temperatures (CSTs), lie on the basis of various advanced technologies such as tissues detachment, smart windows, enhanced DNA biosensors, etc. Despite this application-oriented progress, the molecular mechanisms of the temperature-induced transition based on CSTs remain often underexplored or weakly explained. In this review, we focus on the different molecular mechanisms driving CST-based transitions, systematizing information on homofunctional polymer systems. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for manipulating temperature-sensitive properties, which offers significant potential for future innovations in smart materials.
Related Concept Videos
Polymer Classification: Crystallinity
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...
Polymer Classification: Stereospecificity
Polymer Classification: Architecture
Membrane Fluidity
Polymers
Molecular Weight of Step-Growth 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...


