Self- and Forced Assembly of Polymer Systems: Experiment, Theory and Simulation

Dear Colleagues,

The assembly of polymers is the phenomena of the organization of polymer chains into two- or three-dimensional structures. Usually, one separates self-assembly/self-ordering and forced assembly. In the first case, such structures arise spontaneously due to the change in the external conditions (temperature, ionic strength, pH) through the molecular "recognition" due to non-covalent interactions (electrostatic, hydrophobic) or the formation of hydrogen bonds. As part of the self-assembly, one can also consider the formation of aggregates in block copolymers or the formation of liquid crystals due to the increase in the polymer concentration in the solution. Self-assembly is also observed in living tissues, where it manifests itself in the formation of structures such as double layers and vesicular (bubbly) structures consisting of one or many lipid bimolecular membranes. Self-assembly is used in the construction of functional ("smart") materials, the structure and properties of which depend on changes in external conditions. The forced assembly occurs under the influence of external factors. An example of this is crystallization under the influence of mechanical impacts. Despite the huge number of works devoted to this subject, both experimental and theoretical, this area still attracts much attention from researchers due to the wide variety of existing and newly discovered structures. The scope and potential of possible applications of this phenomenon in technology and medicine are growing more and more.

Prof. Dr. Anatoly Darinskii
Guest Editor

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