Block copolymers future applications

While Nature uses primarily small amphiphilic building blocks, chemists have access to a more vast array of amphiphiles ranging from the natural analogues through to block copolymer super amphiphiles and more recently the biohybrids and giant amphiphiles . The application of this range of amphiphiles in the construction of nanosized assemblies, some with unique properties, is clearly going to be at the forefront of the future developments in the nanosciences. 

More recent examples include end-functionalized multiarmed poly (vinyl ether) (44), MVE/styrene block copolymers (45), and star-shaped polymers (46—48). With this remarkable control over polymer architecture, the growth of future commercial applications seems entirely likely. 

The properties of block copolymers, on the other hand, cannot be calculated without additional information concerning the block sizes, and whether or not the different blocks aggregate into domains. The results of calculations using the methods developed in this book can be inserted as input parameters into models for the thermoelastic and transport properties of multiphase polymeric systems such as blends and block copolymers of immiscible polymers, semicrystalline polymers, and polymers containing various types of fillers. A review of the morphologies and properties of multiphase materials, and of some composite models which we have found to be useful in such applications, will be postponed to Chapter 19 and Chapter 20, where the most likely future directions for research on such materials will also be pointed out. 

In recent years simultaneous progress in the understanding and engineering of block copolymer microstructures and the development of new templating strategies that make use of sol-gel and controlled crystalHzation processes have led to a quick advancement in the controlled preparation of nanoparticles and mesoporous structures. It has become possible to prepare nanoparticles of various shapes (sphere, fiber, sheet) and composition (metal, semiconductor, ceramic) with narrow size distribution. In addition mesoporous materials with different pore shapes (sphere, cyHndrical, slit) and narrow pore size distributions can be obtained. Future developments will focus on applications of these structures in the fields of catalysis and separation techniques. For this purpose either the cast materials themselves are already functional (e.g., Ti02) or the materials are further functionalized by surface modification. 

The highest global consumption of any plastic coupled with the many distinct types of commercially available polyethylenes are testament to the rich history of major innovations in products, processes and breadth of applications of polyethylene. This chapter will give a historical perspective of these innovations in polyethylene including a breadth of product applications of polyethylene and the impact of metallocene polyethylenes commercialized in last 15 years. A very recent innovation of olefin block copolymers by The Dow Chemical Company will be described and some remarks will be made on future product innovations and trends. 

Chapter 2 by Monge et al. details the synthesis and polymerization of phosphorus-containing (meth)acrylamide monomers. Compared to their (meth)aciylate homologues, this class of monomer is more hydrolytically stable and thus more interesting for a large variety of applications. Nevertheless, these monomers are less studied and most of the results mainly report their photopolymerization in order to develop stable self-etching dental primers. Future research on phosphorus-based (meth)acrylamide monomers is also discussed in this chapter and specifically the synthesis of block copolymers by controlled radical polymerization is investigated. 

S. Lecommandoux, M. Lazzari, G. Liu, An Introduction to Block Copolymer Applications State-of-the-Art and Future Developments. Block Copolymers in Nanoscience, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA, 2008, pp. 1-7. 

M. Boffito, P. Sirianni, A.M. Di Rienzo, V. Chiono, Thermosensitive block copolymer hydrogels based on poly(s-caprolactone) and polyethylene glycol for biomedical applications state of the art and future perspectives, J. Biomed. Mater. Res. A 103 (2015) 1276—1290, http //dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.35253. 

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