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

Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:17

Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

3.8K
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...
3.8K
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
Polymer Classification: Architecture01:14

Polymer Classification: Architecture

3.6K
Polymers are classified as linear or branched on the basis of their chain architecture. The polymer chains in linear polymers have a long chain-like structure with minimal to no branching at all. Even if a polymer features large substituent groups on the monomer, which appear as branches to the skeleton, it is not considered a branched polymer. A branched polymer contains secondary polymer chains that arise from the main polymer chain. The branching occurs when the polymer growth shifts from...
3.6K
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:04

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

2.4K
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...
2.4K
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

2.4K
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...
2.4K
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

4.2K
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...
4.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Cross-Conjugated Donor-Acceptor Polymers for High-Performance Organic Electrochemical Transistors.

Polymer science & technology (Washington, D.C.)·2026
Same author

Automated and High-Throughput Phase Separation Control for Supramolecular Polymer Blends Enabled by Machine Learning.

JACS Au·2026
Same author

Synthesis, processing and applications of poly(benzodifurandione).

Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)·2026
Same author

A Robotic High-Throughput Grid-Search Platform for Mapping Phase Behavior in Triblock Copolymer-Homopolymer Blends.

ACS nano·2026
Same author

Learning molecular determinants of selective small-molecule partitioning across biomolecular condensates.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Tacticity-Regulated Electrochemical Properties of Poly(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy Methacrylate).

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly
09:34

Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly

Published on: February 6, 2020

7.8K

Synthesis and Persistence Length Study of Defect-Free and Non-Aggregated Conjugated Ladder Polymers.

James Shao-Jiun Yang1, Vijaya Sundar Jeyaraj1, Guorong Ma2

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States.

JACS Au
|December 26, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Conjugated ladder polymers (CLPs) are surprisingly flexible, not rigid rods, according to new research. This finding, based on neutron scattering and simulations, impacts optoelectronic applications.

Keywords:
conjugated ladder polymersmachine learningneutron scatteringpersistence lengthpolymer conformationpolymer synthesissemiflexibility

More Related Videos

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
06:55

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

Published on: September 26, 2016

8.3K
Monitoring the Effects of Illumination on the Structure of Conjugated Polymer Gels Using Neutron Scattering
06:16

Monitoring the Effects of Illumination on the Structure of Conjugated Polymer Gels Using Neutron Scattering

Published on: December 21, 2017

6.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 7, 2026

Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly
09:34

Synthesis of Information-bearing Peptoids and their Sequence-directed Dynamic Covalent Self-assembly

Published on: February 6, 2020

7.8K
Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
06:55

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

Published on: September 26, 2016

8.3K
Monitoring the Effects of Illumination on the Structure of Conjugated Polymer Gels Using Neutron Scattering
06:16

Monitoring the Effects of Illumination on the Structure of Conjugated Polymer Gels Using Neutron Scattering

Published on: December 21, 2017

6.0K

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Optoelectronics

Background:

  • Understanding conjugated ladder polymers (CLPs) is crucial for high-performance optoelectronics.
  • Elucidating CLP solution conformation is challenging due to synthesis, solubility, aggregation, and theoretical limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To address challenges in understanding CLP solution properties.
  • To synthesize and characterize model CLPs (LP1 and LP2) for detailed analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis of two model conjugated ladder polymers (LP1 and LP2).
  • Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements.
  • Machine learning-based molecular dynamics simulations.

Main Results:

  • LP1 and LP2 showed non-aggregated character and high dispersibility due to bulky side chains.
  • SANS revealed low persistence lengths (3-5 nm), indicating semiflexibility.
  • Simulations identified out-of-plane deformations driven by side-chain steric congestion as the cause of semiflexibility.

Conclusions:

  • Conjugated ladder polymers exhibit ribbon-like semiflexible chains, contrary to rigid-rod assumptions.
  • The findings are influenced by side-chain structure and steric effects.
  • This work provides a comprehensive experimental and computational understanding of CLP solution conformation.