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.
To save on fuel and reduce aircraft emissions, engineers are looking to build lighter, stronger airplanes out of advanced composites. These engineered materials are made from high-performance fibers that are embedded in polymer ...
Nanophysics
Apr 16, 2024
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61
A nanosized polymer, developed by a research team from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, can selectively deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to blood vessels that feed tumors and metastases and has emerged as an effective treatment ...
Bio & Medicine
Apr 8, 2024
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72
The shearing of fluids—meaning the sliding of fluid layers over each other under shear forces—is an important concept in nature and in rheology, the science that studies the flow behavior of matter, including liquids ...
General Physics
Apr 4, 2024
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74
High-power lasers are often used to modify polymer surfaces to make high-tech biomedical products, electronics and data storage components.
Nanomaterials
Mar 26, 2024
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20
There are many ways to store data—digitally, on a hard disk, or using analog storage technology, for example as a hologram. In most cases, it is technically quite complicated to create a hologram: High-precision laser technology ...
Optics & Photonics
Mar 18, 2024
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17
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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14
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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8
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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20
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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