Materials discovery further development

In the mid-1950s a number of new thermoplastics with some very valuable properties beeame available. High-density polyethylenes produced by the Phillips process and the Ziegler process were marketed and these were shortly followed by the discovery and rapid exploitation of polypropylene. These polyolefins soon became large tonnage thermoplastics. Somewhat more specialised materials were the acetal resins, first introduced by Du Pont, and the polycarbonates, developed simultaneously but independently in the United States and Germany. Further developments in high-impact polystyrenes led to the development of ABS polymers. 

In order to achieve improved nanofabrication performance, novel functional block copolymer systems are strongly desired. Many researchers have recognized this, and novel functional systems such as metal-containing block copolymer systems have significantly simplified and improved nanofabrication processes. The combination of top-down microscale patterns with the bottom-up nanopatterns are attractive for integrating functional nanostructures into multipurpose on-chip devices. However, in order to use these materials in real-time applications, further development is still needed. More ground-shaking discoveries are needed and are also fully expected. 

Lithium is a fascinating example of an element, that was originally considered a chemical laboratory curiosity, but finally found to be an ultratrace element which in all probability is essential to humans. Moreover, it became a potent and safe drug, with specific effects mainly in the treatment of manic-depressive illness, and also a valuable versatile industrial material with a well-established broad spectrum of applications and possibilities for further developments. The importance of lithium will increase, for example by the discovery of lithium-dependent enzymes, proteins or hormones, the resolution of its biochemical mechanism in affective disorders, and progress in the battery sector, in the nuclear technology, or with the aluminum electrolysis (Schafer 1995, 2000). 

The discovery of a highly active family of catalysts based on iron, a metal that had no previous track record in this field, has highlighted the possibilities of further new catalyst discoveries. The search for new catalysts be restricted to metals that have a history of giving polymerization-active centers was no longer needed. The LTMs especially are likely to provide fertile ground for future development, and the greater functional group tolerance of the LTMs also offers the attractive prospect of polar co-monomer incorporation. A relatively small amount of functionality can dramatically transform the adhesion and wettability properties of polyolefins more heavily functionalized products offer the prospect of materials with totally new properties and performance parameters. It is clear that, for olefin polymerization catalysis, the process of catalyst discovery and development is far from over. 

Development of materials for medicine apphcations was first recorded in 1860, when doctor J. Lister developed aseptic techniques used in surgery. Previous attempts with use of biomaterials frequently ended up with infections spreading throughout the patients bodies, thus causing demise. Since then, further developments started to spread rapadly. Some discoveries were made almost by the way, e.g. during the Second World War lack of... 

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