Polymer adsorption and

We think, therefore, that the conformation, chain and segment mobilities in the attached macromolecules can play a significant role in the shielding behavior of the polymeric stationary phase as well as in the processes of its formation of complexes with solutes. Obviously, the chromatographic studies relevant to composite supports suffer from a lack of information on the structure of the attached polymer. Nevertheless, we will attempt to point out some relevant data from independent studies on polymer adsorption and/or graft polymerization. 

Highly branched polymers, polymer adsorption and the mesophases of block copolymers may seem weakly connected subjects. However, in this review we bring out some important common features related to the tethering experienced by the polymer chains in all of these structures. Tethered polymer chains, in our parlance, are chains attached to a point, a line, a surface or an interface by their ends. In this view, one may think of the arms of a star polymer as chains tethered to a point [1], or of polymerized macromonomers as chains tethered to a line [2-4]. Adsorption or grafting of end-functionalized polymers to a surface exemplifies a tethered surface layer [5] (a polymer brush ), whereas block copolymers straddling phase boundaries give rise to chains tethered to an interface [6],... 

If only electrostatic effects are responsible for polymer adsorption and flocculation, our results can be explained according to the same scheme as that used by Furusawa et Al.(20) to interprete the destabilization of negatively charged latex by a cationic polymer. In a first step, the adsorption of the polymer leads to the neutralization of the particles which are no more stabilized by electrostatic repulsions and there is flocculation (we have not studied this step since in our experiments polymer was always in large excess with respect to Al(0H)3). In a second step the adsorption inverses the charge and (we have indeed measured by... 

At the symposium on which this book is based, the various authors presented papers on the general topic of polymer adsorption and particle stabilization/destabilization. In this volume both aqueous and nonaqueous systems are included, comprising work on both natural and synthetic polymers. Together the chapters constitute a comprehensive update of research in progress on these topics and provide broad coverage of both experimental and theoretical aspects. 

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