Alexander Böker
Editorial: Polymers: An Interdisciplinary Open Access Journal
Polymers 2010, 2(1), 1-2; doi:10.3390/polym2010001 - published online 12 January 2010
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: During the last 60 years, the field of Macromolecular Science has broadened significantly and macromolecular or polymeric materials today constitute the most important class of materials. More than any other class of materials, polymers have revolutionized and enabled various technology platforms. The versatility in applications ranges from major structural components (the Airbus A380-800 or the Boeing 787 are built from 80% carbon fiber reinforced thermoset by volume) to high value added ingredients on the scale of grams as for use in lithography or drug delivery. Key to these systems is the direct control of the physical properties of the polymeric constituents, which in turn reflects fundamental advances in fields, including (i) polymerization methods, (ii) theory, simulation, and modeling, (iii) understanding of new physical phenomena, (iv) advances in characterization techniques, and (v) harnessing of self-assembly and biological strategies for producing complex multifunctional structures. Research activity in the field of Macromolecular Science continues to expand and attracts scientists from many other disciplines. [...]

Shu-Kun Lin
Editorial: Polymers – A New Open Access Scientific Journal on Polymer Science
Polymers 2009, 1(1), 1-2; doi:10.3390/polym1010001 - published online 28 December 2009
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: Polymers is a new interdisciplinary, Open Access scientific journal on polymer science, published by Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI). This journal welcomes manuscript submissions on polymer chemistry, macromolecular chemistry, polymer physics, polymer characterization and all related topics. Both synthetic polymers and natural polymers, including biopolymers, are considered. Manuscripts will be thoroughly peer-reviewed in a timely fashion, and papers will be published, if accepted, within 6 to 8 weeks after submission. [...]

Marguerite Rinaudo, Yves Rozand, Pierre Mathieu and Thierry Conrozier
Article: Role of Different Pre-Treatments on Composition and Rheology of Synovial Fluids
Polymers 2009, 1(1), 16-34; doi:10.3390/polym1010016 - published online 28 December 2009
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: Different pre-treatments applied to synovial fluids (SF) before their analyses are tested to characterize SF after storage under different conditions and to investigate their evolution along a viscosupplementation treatment. The main techniques proposed involve steric exclusion chromatography with triple detection (SEC) and viscometry; it is the first time that such a study is developed. SEC gives the molecular weight distribution and concentration of hyaluronan (HA) and proteins separately; the steady state viscosity is always non-Newtonian and not directly related to SF composition. Pre-treatment of SF (storage in cold, filtration, centrifugation) allows us to conclude that, in order to store SF, it is best to freeze it, even if in some cases, viscosity is modified but not the composition. All the data obtained (including protease pre-treatment) allow us to conclude that a small fraction of HA-protein complex forms a loose 3D-network and controls the rheology.

Rachel K. O’Reilly and Claire Hansell
Communication: Mild and Facile Synthesis of Multi-Functional RAFT Chain Transfer Agents
Polymers 2009, 1(1), 3-15; doi:10.3390/polym1010003 - published online 19 October 2009
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: In this paper we will describe the synthesis and characterization of a series of novel chain transfer agents for application in reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT). The facile and mild conditions used for the synthesis of these new chain transfer agents should allow for the application of these methods for the preparation of a wide range of multifunctional chain transfer agent species. Some initial polymerization data for these multifunctional chain transfer agents is also reported.