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Related Concept Videos

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:04

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

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 acceptor.
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

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 generated carbocation,...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:20

Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

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,...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

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...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:09

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The radical chain-growth polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination of polymerization. The polymerization initiates when a free radical generated from the radical initiator adds to the unsaturated bond in the monomer. The unpaired electron of the free radical and one π electron in the unsaturated bond creates a σ bond between the free radical and the monomer. As a result, the other π electron in the unsaturated bond converts this species into the...
Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:17

Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

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 catalyst, high molecular...

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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Tuning the Contractility and Deformation Modes of Active Actin-Based Assemblies In Vitro: From Two-Dimensional Active Networks to Liquid Crystal Drops
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Anomalous dewetting dynamics in active entangled polymer films: flexible chains.

Mithun Chowdhury1

  • 1Lab of Soft Interfaces (LoSI), Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, Maharashtra, India. mithunc@iitb.ac.in.

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|July 7, 2026
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Summary

Active polymer melts exhibit unique dewetting behavior driven by preparation-induced stress. This study reveals how molecular activity enhances elasticity and alters stress relaxation, leading to distinct dewetting signatures in polymer films.

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

Published on: September 26, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Physics
  • Materials Science
  • Soft Matter Physics

Background:

  • Spin-coated polymer films store nonequilibrium stress due to kinetically trapped chain conformations.
  • This stored stress acts as a driving force for dewetting, supplementing capillary forces.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop an analytical framework connecting preparation-induced stress, viscoelastic hydrodynamics, and active polymer melt properties.
  • To investigate the role of molecular activity in enhancing elasticity and influencing dewetting dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Developed an analytical framework integrating nonequilibrium stress, continuum viscoelastic thin-film hydrodynamics, and activity-enhanced elasticity.
  • Analyzed the effects of activity-generated grip forces at entanglement junctions on elastic plateau enhancement and relaxation timescales.
  • Examined dewetting hole growth kinetics and identified four unambiguous signatures of molecular activity.

Main Results:

  • Molecular recoiling stress decays biexponentially via fast grip-force relaxation (τg) and slow segmental relaxation (τeff).
  • Dewetting hole growth follows R^n = KpΦact(t), with an exponent n ≈ 1 in the early stage.
  • Identified four activity signatures: biexponential nucleation velocity decay, reversed morphological fingerprint, double-maximum rim-width trace, and a shift in slip length.

Conclusions:

  • Molecular activity significantly enhances the elastic properties of entangled polymer melts, impacting dewetting.
  • The study provides a comprehensive framework for understanding active polymer film dewetting, with experimentally verifiable signatures.
  • Findings offer insights into controlling polymer film morphology and dewetting processes through molecular activity.