Hierarchy in Polymer Structures and Related Properties (or Phenomena)

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding of structure–property relationships in polymeric materials has been a central subject for several decades. Such relationships can be utilized for the development of functional and high-performance polymeric materials. Although analyses of microphase-separated structures in block copolymers, higher-order crystalline structures in crystalline polymers, or agglomeration structures of carbon black in elastomeric materials have been performed using many experimental techniques, such as small-angle X-ray (or neutron) scattering (SAXS or SANS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and so on, such structural information is not strongly correlated with material properties due to the size being too microscopic to control macroscopic properties. More appropriate size-scaled information is required for the purpose of property control. In this regard, the experimental techniques for higher-order structure analyses are also needed. Promising experimental techniques are ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS), anomalous SAXS, X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, depolarized light scattering, and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray (or neutron) scattering (GISAXS or GISANS), as well as the above-mentioned techniques. Recently, these techniques have become more common and have been utilized in many different fields of polymeric materials. The significance of understanding the hierarchy in polymer structures is now being commonly recognized in many different fields of polymeric materials. Therefore, this Special Issue of Polymers is proposed, entitled “Hierarchy in Polymer Structures and Related Properties (or Phenomena)”.

Prof. Dr. Shinichi Sakurai
Prof. Dr. Kohji Tashiro
Guest Editor

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