Scientists have developed photoresponsive supramolecular polymers that can undergo both intrachain folding and interchain aggregation. The material properties of polymers are determined by the ...

BORROWING FROM nature's strategy of using intramolecular interactions to fold and unfold proteins, chemists in the Netherlands have created the first examples of single chains of synthetic polymers ...

A wide variety of polymer materials — such as bulk phases, blends, block copolymer microphases, liquid crystals, gels, micellar assemblies, colloidal dispersions and layer-by-layer assemblies — are ...

Sometimes the simplest things hold the key to understanding complex effects. It turns out that a humble metal pull-chain-just like those used on ceiling fans-can be a pretty good model for complex ...

Normal alkanes C n H 2n+2 are extended linear chain molecules that form ordered lamellar structures and crystals. When the size of the chains reaches n > 120, such ultra-long alkanes manifest chain ...

AMHERST, Mass. – A team of University of Massachusetts polymer scientists has challenged a longstanding theory regarding how plastics harden, perhaps offering scientists finer control over the ...

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have rapidly emerged as one of the most promising frontiers in modern biology. These nano-sized messengers mediate communication between cells, tissues, and organs, ...

Polymers have become ubiquitous with the modern age to such a point that nearly any multi-component product will contain some polymer content. From cars to kitchen appliances and airplanes to windows, ...

In polymers, the competition between the folding and aggregation of chains, both at an individual level and between chains, can determine the mechanical, thermal, and conductive properties of such ...