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Macromolecular Chemistry in Europe

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecular Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1726

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Physics, Prifysgol Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales SY23 3BZ, UK
Interests: photonics; soft matter; polymers; macromolecular semiconductors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of synthetic macromolecules is a cornerstone of modern materials science and engineering, particularly in the field of polymers and plastics. Sharing many properties and characteristics with the large molecular arrays occurring in nature and in living organisms, these materials are seen in a vast and diverse range of functional applications, spanning from optical materials and optoelectronics to tissue engineering and durable thermoplastics.

It is my pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript to this Special Issue of Molecules, ‘Macromolecular Chemistry in Europe’. We are particularly interested in original research and timely reviews showcasing important concepts and innovative approaches related to the synthetic chemistry and materials science of macromolecular materials.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Macromolecular Synthesis: Including controlled polymerizations and catalysis, post-polymerization modification, new polymer architectures, polymerization mechanisms and kinetics;
  • Thermodynamics and phase behavior: Including dynamic phenomena, ordering-disordering (e.g., self-assembly, gelation, crystallization, phase separation and wetting), nanoassembly;
  • Properties and structure: Including mechanical and rheological properties, viscoelastic media, interfacial/surface characteristics, thin-films, electronic transport properties;
  • Characterization of macromolecular materials: Including novel spectroscopies, crystallography and scattering, microscopy, and rheology;
  • Simulation and theory: Including Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics (MD), and multi-scale/granular modeling;
  • Polymeric materials: Including sustainable polymers, polymer networks, “smart” responsive polymers, electro-, magneto- and opto-active polymers, semiconducting and conducting polymers, micro- and nano-structured polymers, polymer composites, rubbers and elastomers, bio-mimetics and synthetic analogues.

Dr. Chris E. Finlayson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • macromolecules
  • synthesis and polymerisation
  • polymer architectures
  • properties and structure
  • functional materials

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 5976 KiB  
Article
Structure–Glass Transition Relationships in Non-Isocyanate Polyhydroxyurethanes
by Konstantinos N. Raftopoulos, Izabela Łukaszewska, Sebastian Lalik, Paulina Zając, Artur Bukowczan, Edyta Hebda, Monika Marzec and Krzysztof Pielichowski
Molecules 2024, 29(17), 4057; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29174057 - 27 Aug 2024
Viewed by 615
Abstract
The molecular dynamics, with an emphasis on the calorimetric and dynamic glass transitions, of non-isocyanate polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs) produced by the equimolar polyaddition of polyether-based dicyclic carbonates (P-CCs) and various short diamines was studied. The diamine component consisted of a short aliphatic diamine (1,4-diaminobutane, [...] Read more.
The molecular dynamics, with an emphasis on the calorimetric and dynamic glass transitions, of non-isocyanate polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs) produced by the equimolar polyaddition of polyether-based dicyclic carbonates (P-CCs) and various short diamines was studied. The diamine component consisted of a short aliphatic diamine (1,4-diaminobutane, DAB) and a more complex ‘characteristic’ diamine. The study was conducted to investigate (i) the chemical structure of the characteristic amine, (ii) its molar ratio, and (iii) the structure and molar mass of the P-CC. Infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and broadband dielectric spectroscopy were employed. The P-CC, constituting the bulk of the systems, was the most crucial component for the glass transition. The characteristic amine influenced the glass transition as a result of its bulky structure, but also presumably as a result of the introduction of free volume and the formation of hydrogen bonds. The dynamic glass transition (α relaxation) trace in the Arrhenius plots showed a subtle change at a certain temperature that merits further study in the future. The charge mobility was fully coupled with the molecular mobility, as evidenced by dc conductivity being directly proportional to the characteristic frequency of α relaxation. The fluctuation in carbonyl units (β relaxation) was mildly affected by changes in their immediate environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Macromolecular Chemistry in Europe)
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Review

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31 pages, 8234 KiB  
Review
Entanglements of Macromolecules and Their Influence on Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Polymers
by Andrzej Pawlak and Justyna Krajenta
Molecules 2024, 29(14), 3410; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29143410 - 20 Jul 2024
Viewed by 792
Abstract
Flexible macromolecules easily become entangled with neighboring macromolecules. The resulting network determines many polymer properties, including rheological and mechanical properties. Therefore, a number of experimental and modeling studies were performed to describe the relationship between the degree of entanglement of macromolecules and polymer [...] Read more.
Flexible macromolecules easily become entangled with neighboring macromolecules. The resulting network determines many polymer properties, including rheological and mechanical properties. Therefore, a number of experimental and modeling studies were performed to describe the relationship between the degree of entanglement of macromolecules and polymer properties. The introduction presents general information about the entanglements of macromolecule chains, collected on the basis of studies of equilibrium entangled polymers. It is also shown how the density of entanglements can be reduced. The second chapter presents experiments and models leading to the description of the movement of a single macromolecule. The next part of the text discusses how the rheological properties change after partial disentangling of the polymer. The results on the influence of the degree of chain entanglement on mechanical properties are presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Macromolecular Chemistry in Europe)
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