Polymer Dynamics

Dear Colleagues,

There is a long-standing interest and drive to unravel the dynamical properties of long polymer chains. The driving force is, on the one hand, of fundamental importance for synthetic polymers in technical applications combined with novel and advanced microscale devices. On the other hand, biopolymers, such as DNA, proteins, or chainlike assemblies of proteins, e.g., actin filaments, are fundamental for living organisms.  By combined experimental and theoretical efforts, major progress in elucidating the dynamical properties of polymers in melts and solution has been achieved over the last few decades. However, new synthetic polymeric materials, such as branched and hyper-branched polymers and mixtures of various kinds of polymer architectures, yield new material properties determined by the complex dynamical interplay of the underlaying individual components. Even more, the properties of polymers in presence of an active environment has recently come into focus, where non-thermal and correlated fluctuations determine their dynamical behaviors.

This Special Issue of Polymers is indented to cover a wide range of aspects of the dynamics of polymers from experiments, simulations, and theory. Various types of polymers are of interest: flexible and semiflexible linear chains, branched, ring, and polymer networks or gels. Their dynamical aspects in melts, solutions, and in mixtures of various architectures may be addressed.  Moreover, studies on the dynamics of polymers under nonequilibrium conditions, e.g., under flow, confinement, or exposed to external stimuli, fields, or an active environment are welcome. Preferably, contributions focusing on fundamental aspects, highlighting the current state-of-the-art—specifically—possible applications. Both original contributions and brief reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Roland Winkler
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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