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.
Expanding our scientific understanding often comes down to getting as close a look as possible at what is happening. Now researchers from Japan have observed the nanoscale behavior of azo-polymer films while triggering them ...
Nanomaterials
Mar 11, 2024
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89
Fiber, as the wearable material with the longest application in the history of humankind, is currently an ideal substrate for wearable devices due to its excellent breathability, flexibility, and ability to adapt perfectly ...
Optics & Photonics
Mar 1, 2024
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136
Since the onset of COVID-19, we've become accustomed to seeing antiviral films attached to elevator buttons and public transportation handles. However, conventional antiviral films are made by mixing antiviral metal particles ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 31, 2024
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75
Engineers and material scientists have been trying to develop increasingly advanced devices, to meet the growing needs of the electronics industry. These devices include electrostatic capacitors, devices that can store electrical ...
In a review published on 1 January 2024, in the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering, researchers discuss hydrogels in photonics, highlighting their potential to revolutionize the field. The article emphasizes how hydrogels ...
Optics & Photonics
Jan 9, 2024
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124
A study published in the International Journal of Nanotechnology has looked at the controlled synthesis and coating of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), specifically using oleic acid (OA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). These ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 9, 2024
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77
Amino acids, such as tyrosine and tryptophan, are the fundamental building blocks that make up proteins. These biomolecules have different chemical groups on each end and side chain, and so, have the natural ability to form ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 9, 2024
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71
Rice University materials scientists developed a fast, low-cost, scalable method to make covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a class of crystalline polymers whose tunable molecular structure, large surface area and porosity ...
Nanomaterials
Dec 18, 2023
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144
Self-folding polymers containing gadolinium forming nanosized complexes could be the key to enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and next-generation drug delivery, as demonstrated by scientists at Tokyo Tech. Thanks to their ...
Bio & Medicine
Dec 4, 2023
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96
From houses to hearing aids, three-dimensional (3D) printing is revolutionizing how we create complex structures at scale. Zooming down to the micro and nano levels, a process known as two-photon polymerization lithography ...
Nanophysics
Nov 30, 2023
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137
