Polymers, as physical systems, are condensed matter assemblies composed of long, repeating-chain macromolecules whose collective behavior is governed by chain connectivity, conformational entropy, and intermolecular interactions. Their physical properties—such as viscoelasticity, glass transition, crystallinity, and diffusion—emerge from the statistics of polymer chains (e.g., Gaussian coils, entanglements) and their organization in bulk, solutions, or networks. In polymer physics, these systems are modeled using concepts like scaling laws, Flory–Huggins theory, and reptation dynamics to describe phase behavior, mechanical response, and transport phenomena across length scales ranging from molecular to macroscopic.
Plant-derived materials such as cellulose often exhibit thermally insulating properties. A new material made from nanoscale cellulose fibers shows the reverse, high thermal conductivity. This makes it useful in areas previously ...
Nanophysics
Nov 4, 2022
0
123
Single-use plastics have saved many lives by improving sanitation in health care. However, the sheer quantity of plastic waste—which can take from tens to hundreds of years to decompose—is a global pollution scourge. ...
Nanomaterials
Oct 25, 2022
0
54
Small structures made out of carbons are a useful and versatile tool that can be used across industries, including in water and wastewater treatment, gas and oil, and energy storage. In order to create these nanostructures, ...
Nanomaterials
Oct 24, 2022
0
5
The substitution of petrochemical materials with those obtained from renewable raw materials is an important step towards increasing sustainability. Materials derived from plant cellulose are promising candidates for this ...
Bio & Medicine
Oct 19, 2022
0
28
Projection micro stereolithography (PμSL) has emerged as a powerful three-dimensional (3D) printing technique for manufacturing polymer structures with micron-scale high resolution at high printing speed, which enables the ...
Nanophysics
Oct 14, 2022
0
59
Dr. Sabina Quader, senior research scientist of the Innovation Center of NanoMedicine, together with Dr. Joachim van-Guyse, assistant professor at Leiden University, has published a review article titled "Bioresponsive Polymers ...
Bio & Medicine
Sep 12, 2022
0
30
A team from Queen Mary University of London, Imperial College London (U.K.), Northwestern University in Evanston (U.S.) and Bielefeld University (D) have produced a new breed of polymer nanomembranes with aligned supramolecular ...
Nanomaterials
Aug 31, 2022
0
146
A vaccination as tumor therapy—with a vaccine individually created from a patient's tissue sample that "attaches" the body's own immune system to cancer cells. The basis for this long-term vision has now been achieved by ...
Bio & Medicine
Jul 27, 2022
0
238
Precisely applied mechanical pressure can improve the electronic properties of a widely used polymer material. This requires that the material be mechanically processed to an accuracy of a few nanometers, a team from Martin ...
Nanomaterials
Jul 18, 2022
0
39
Rapid antigen tests can quickly and conveniently tell a person that they are positive for COVID-19. However, because antibody-based tests aren't very sensitive, they can fail to detect early infections with low viral loads. ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 13, 2022
0
259
