Polymer nanotechnologies

Nalwa H. Encyclopedia of Nano science and Nanotechnology, Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites. Vol. 8. American Scientific Publishers 2004. p 823-824. 

Morgan, S.E., Havelka, K.O., and Lochhead, R.Y. (2007) Cosmetic Nanotechnology. Polymers and Colloids in Cosmetics, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC. 

Building blocks for nanotechnology (Polymer-Nanoparticle Composites Part 1 (Nanotechnology). 2010). 

Polymer-Nanoparticle Composites Part 1 (Nanotechnology)., 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2011, from What-When-how In depth information polymer-nanoparticle-composites-part-l-nanotechnology/>. 

In the large field of nanotechnology, polymer-based nanocomposites have become a prominent area of current research and development for biomedical applications.In principle, nanocomposites are an extreme case of composite materials in which interface interactions between the two phases, the matrix and the reinforcement, are maximized. In the literature, the term nanocomposite is used for polymers with sub-micrometre dispersions. In polymer-based nanocomposites, nanometre sized particles of inorganic or organic materials are homogeneously dispersed as separate particles in a polymer matrix. Researchers have tried a variety of processing techniques to obtain dense polymer nanocomposite films. The incorporation of nanostructures into polymers can generally be done in different ways as indicated below ... 

Morgan ES, Havelka OK, Lochhead YR (2007) Cosmetic nanotechnology polymers and colloids in cosmetics. In ACS symposium series 961. A.C. Society, Washington DC... 

These terms may prove helpful in searching a MeSH library catalog Biocompatible materials. Biomechanics, Bioethics, Biomedical and dental materials. Biomedical engineering. Biotechnology-instrumentation, Implants/artificial, Image processing. Computer-assisted methods. Medical informatics. Nanotechnology, Polymers. 

Szleifer, I. and Yerushalmi-Rozen, R. (2005) Polymers and carbon nanotubes— dimensionality, interactions and nanotechnology. Polymer, 46,7803. 

Branched macromolecules fall into three main classes star-branched polymers, characterized by multiple chains linked at one central point (Roovers, 1985), comb-branched polymers, having one linear backbone and side chains randomly distributed along it (Rempp et al., 1988), and dendritic polymers, with a multilevel branched architecture (Tomalia and Frechet, 2001). The cascade-branched structure of dendritic polymers is typically derived from polyfunctional monomers under more or less strictly controlled polymerization conditions. This class of macromolecules has a unique combination of features and, as a result, a broad spectrum of applications is being developed for these materials in areas including microencapsulation, drag delivery, nanotechnology, polymer processing additives, and catalysis. 

Ayres, N., 2010. Polymer brushes applications in biomaterials and nanotechnology. Polym. Chem. 1, 769-777. http //dx.doi.org/10.1039/B9PY00246D. 

In the world of materials, carbon fibers is emerging as the ultimate team players - a material that works miracles in reinforcing other materials and lifting them to new levels of performance. With the advent and application of nanotechnology, polymer composites are showing promising advent of the next generation materials system for structural applications. 

Hyperbranched and dendronized polymers such as 40, 41, and 42 have also been synthesized using the transition metal coupling strategies in recent years.32 These polymers are fundamentally different from those traditional linear polymers. They possess dendritic arms within die polymer or along the polymer backbone. It is believed that they possess interesting properties and have potential applications in many fields such as nanotechnology and catalysis ... 

The synthesis of thin films of organic conducting polymers on a nanometer scale is one of the challenges of nanotechnology. Electrochemical poly-... 

Given the actual scenario, one can state that the emerging field of nanotechnology represents new effort to exploit new materials as well as new technologies in the development of efficient and low-cost solar cells. In fact, the technological capabilities to manipulate matter under controlled conditions in order to assemble complex supramolecular structures within the range of 100 nm could lead to innovative devices (nano-devices) based on unconventional photovoltaic materials, namely, conducting polymers, fuUerenes, biopolymers (photosensitive proteins), and related composites. 

In this chapter we describe the basic principles involved in the controlled production and modification of two-dimensional protein crystals. These are synthesized in nature as the outermost cell surface layer (S-layer) of prokaryotic organisms and have been successfully applied as basic building blocks in a biomolecular construction kit. Most importantly, the constituent subunits of the S-layer lattices have the capability to recrystallize into iso-porous closed monolayers in suspension, at liquid-surface interfaces, on lipid films, on liposomes, and on solid supports (e.g., silicon wafers, metals, and polymers). The self-assembled monomolecular lattices have been utilized for the immobilization of functional biomolecules in an ordered fashion and for their controlled confinement in defined areas of nanometer dimension. Thus, S-layers fulfill key requirements for the development of new supramolecular materials and enable the design of a broad spectrum of nanoscale devices, as required in molecular nanotechnology, nanobiotechnology, and biomimetics [1-3]. 

Most important for many applications of S-layer lattices in molecular nanotechnology, biotechnology, and biomimetics was the observation that S-layer proteins are capable of reassembling into large coherent monolayers on solid supports (e.g., silicon wafers, polymers, metals) at the air/water interface and on Langmuir lipid films (Fig. 6) (see Sections V and VIII). 

Since diamondoids possess the capability for derivatization, they can be used to achieve suitable molecular geometries needed for MBBs of nanotechnology. Functionalization by different groups can produce appropriate reactants for desired reactions, microelectronics, and optics, by employing polymers, films, and crystal engineering. 

The formation of nanopattemed functional surfaces is a recent topic in nanotechnology. As is widely known, diblock copolymers, which consist of two different types of polymer chains cormected by a chemical bond, have a wide variety of microphase separation structures, such as spheres, cylinders, and lamellae, on the nanoscale, and are expected to be new functional materials with nanostructures. Further modification of the nanostructures is also useful for obtaining new functional materials. In addition, utilization of nanopartides of an organic dye is also a topic of interest in nanotechnology. 

The unique power of synthesis is the ability to create new molecules and materials with valuable properties. This capacity can be used to interact with the natural world, as in the treatment of disease or the production of food, but it can also produce compounds and materials beyond the capacity of living systems. Our present world uses vast amounts of synthetic polymers, mainly derived from petroleum by synthesis. The development of nanotechnology, which envisions the application of properties at the molecular level to catalysis, energy transfer, and information management has focused attention on multimolecular arrays and systems capable of self-assembly. We can expect that in the future synthesis will bring into existence new substances with unique properties that will have impacts as profound as those resulting from syntheses of therapeutics and polymeric materials. 

Several review articles focusing on the contribution of polymeric materials to nanomedicine have been published. This volume of Polymers in Nanomedicine in the series Advances in Polymer Science will be one of the pioneering review books dedicated to the study of polymer science for medical nanotechnology. 

Whether there is currently a nanotechnology is a question of definition. If one asks whether there are (or are soon likely to be) commercial electronic fluidic, photonic, or mechanical devices with critical lateral dimensions less than 20 nm, the answer is no, although there may be in 10 to 20 years. There is, however, a range of important technologies—especially involving colloids, emulsions, polymers, ceramic and semiconductor particles, and metallic alloys—that currently exist. But there is no question that the field of nanoscience already exists. 

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