Polymer morphology, macroscopic

More recently, Iiu et al. reported that a variety of non-chiral amphiphilic diacetylenes, non-chiral barbituric acids or amphiphilic aryl-benzimidazoles self-assemble into chiral clusters at the air/water interface or on aqueous solutions containing Ag+ ions, as demonstrated by CD measurements [108-111]. The chiral macroscopic conformational morphology of the polymers generated from copper salts of non-chiral monomers was imaged after their transfer onto solid support [ 112,113]. 

At present, there are at least two approaches to the investigation of the cellular structure of foamed polymers. In the first one, which may formally be called a graphical approach, attempts are made to draw conclusions on the macroscopic properties of foamed polymers from morphological parameters such as the geometry and stereometry of cells of various sizes, shapes and types. The second approach, which may be referred to as physicochemical, attempts to explain and predict polymer morphology from the data on the chemical composition of the polymer matrix and the mechanisms of foaming... 

In order to understand the macroscopic properties of polymers, it is desirable to characterize the polymers from the standpoint of structure and morphology. For example, conductivity of macroscopic polymer material depends not only on its molecular nature but also on its state of aggregation. Accordingly, to control the aggregation so as to improve the properties, detailed knowledge on the polymerization processes, which happen in a solution usually, would be indispensable. 

Schematic depiction of the structural evolution of polymer electrolyte membranes. The primary chemical structure of the Nafion-type ionomer on the left with hydrophobic backbone, side chains, and acid head groups evolves into polymeric aggregates with complex interfacial structure (middle). Randomly interconnected phases of these aggregates and water-filled voids between them form the heterogeneous membrane morphology at the macroscopic scale (right).

Crosslinking of polymers is usually applied to stabilize the macroscopic morphology or shape of a material. In most cases, it results in insoluble polymeric materials, e.g., for polymeric coatings. In the chemoenzymatic strategies towards polymer networks, the enzymatic step is exclusively applied to synthesize the... 

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