The series Advances in Polymer Science presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in polymer and biopolymer science. It covers all areas of research in polymer and biopolymer science including chemistry, physical chemistry, physics, material science. The thematic volumes are addressed to scientists, whether at universities or in industry, who wish to keep abreast of the important advances in the covered topics. Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors. Single contributions can be specially commissioned. Readership: Polymer scientists, or scientists in related fields interested in polymer and biopolymer science, at universities or in industry, graduate students.

Presenting a unique perspective on state-of-the-art physical gels, this interdisciplinary guide provides a complete, critical analysis of the field and highlights recent developments. It shows the interconnections between the key aspects of gels, from molecules and structure through to rheological and functional properties, with each chapter focusing on a different class of gel. There is also a final chapter covering innovative systems and applications, providing the information needed to understand current and future practical applications of gels in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, cosmetic, chemical and food industries. Many research teams are involved in the field of gels, including theoreticians, experimentalists and chemical engineers, but this interdisciplinary book collates and rationalises the many different points of view to provide a clear understanding of these complex systems for researchers and graduate students.

Nano Design for Smart Gels addresses the formation and application of technological gels and how nanostructural prospects are fundamental to gelling. Topics focus on the classification of gels based on small molecules and polymer gellers, biogels, stimulation conditions, topological, thermodynamic and kinetic aspects and characterization techniques. The book outlines structure and characterization concepts in order to provide pragmatic tools for the design and tailoring of new functional gel architectures. It provides an important source for readers and researchers who are currently or may soon be in research with gels, presenting an overview of fundamental topics. - Highlights the building-blocks that make up the main functional groups that result in gelator compounds - Provides an accessible source to the most common responses of gels, classified in their functional groups - Outlines major characterization techniques, showing how they can be combined

Provides deep insight into the concepts and recent developments in the area of supramolecular chemistry in water Written by experts in their respective field, this comprehensive reference covers various aspects of supramolecular chemistry in water?from fundamental aspects to applications. It provides readers with a basic introduction to the current understanding of the properties of water and how they influence molecular recognition, and examines the different receptor types available in water and the types of substrates that can be bound. It also looks at areas to where they can be applied, such as materials, optical sensing, medicinal imaging, and catalysis. Supramolecular Chemistry in Water offers five major sections that address important topics like water properties, molecular recognition, association and aggregation phenomena, optical detection and imaging, and supramolecular catalysis. It covers chemistry and physical chemistry of water; water-mediated molecular recognition; peptide and protein receptors; nucleotide receptors; carbohydrate receptors; and ion receptors. The book also teaches readers all about coordination compounds; self-assembled polymers and gels; foldamers; vesicles and micelles; and surface-modified nanoparticles. In addition, it provides in-depth information on indicators and optical probes, as well as probes for medical imaging. -Covers, in a timely manner, an emerging area in chemistry that is growing more important every day -Addresses topics such as molecular recognition, aggregation, catalysis, and more -Offers comprehensive coverage of everything from fundamental aspects of supramolecular chemistry in water to its applications -Edited by one of the leading international scientists in the field Supramolecular Chemistry in Water is a one-stop-resource for all polymer chemists, catalytic chemists, biochemists, water chemists, and physical chemists involved in this growing area of research.

Supramolecular Gels Discover a current and authoritative overview of the cutting-edge in supramolecular gels from a leading voice in the field A promising new class of materials shows potential and is receiving increasing attention as an intelligent material for multifunctional systems. In a work that is sure to be of great interest to a wide variety of researchers, chemists, and engineers, Supramolecular Gels: Materials and Emerging Applications delivers an application-oriented and focused book exploring the most recent applications of supramolecular gels. This interdisciplinary book presents the underlying fundamentals of supramolecular gels before discussing their assembly mechanisms and structures. It also introduces different material systems, including composite supramolecular gels, organogels, hydrogels, self-healing, and graphene-based supramolecular gels. The book discusses current and emerging applications of these materials in devices like sensors and actuators, biomedical tools, and environmental applications. The distinguished author also offers valuable insights with respect to the design and character of brand-new versatile soft materials. Readers will also benefit from the inclusion of: A thorough introduction to the fundamentals of supramolecular gels, including their formation, classification, self-assembly, and mechanisms An exploration of supramolecular chirality and regulation in gel structures, as well as self-assembly and environmental applications of composite supramolecular gels Practical discussions of fluorescent organogels and hydrogels and their applications in analyte sensing An examination of self-healing and graphene-based supramolecular gels, and supramolecular gels for sensors and actuators Perfect for materials scientists, organic chemists, biochemists, catalytic chemists, and environmental chemists, Supramolecular Gels: Materials and Emerging Applications will also earn a place in the libraries of sensor developers and other professionals seeking a one-stop reference for this rapidly developing category of intelligent materials.

This volume contains a series of papers originally presented at the Symposium on Polymer Gels organized and sponsored by the Research Group on Polymer Gels,The Society of Polymer Science of Japan and co-sponsored by the Science and Technology Agency (ST A) and MIT!, Japan. The Symposium took place at Tsukuba Science City on 18th and 19th September, 1989. Recognized experts in their fields were invited to speak and there was a strong attendance from government, academic and industrial research centers. The purpose of the Symposium was to review the state of the art and to present and discuss recent progress in the understanding of the behavioral properties of polymer gels and their application to biomedical, environmental and robotic fields. Most of the papers and related discussions concentrated on the swelling behavior of hydrogels and chemomechanical systems, both artificial and naturally occurring, in which external stimuli of a physical or chemical nature control energy transformation or signal transduction. The recent great interest in chemomechanical systems based on polymer gels has stimulated considerable effort towards the development of new sensors and actuators, controllable membrane separation processes, and delivery systems in which the functions of sensing, processing and actuation are all built into the polymeric network device. Artificial chemomechanical systems, through the use of environmentally sensitive polymer gels, are emerging as interesting materials for mimicking basic processes previously only confined to the biological world, and commercially viable applications are also foreseen in the not-too-distant future.

Silicon Based Polymers presents highlights in advanced research and technological innovations using macromolecular organosilicon compounds and systems, as presented in the 2007 ISPO congress. Silicon-containing materials and polymers are used all over the world and in a variety of industries, domestic products and high technology applications. Among them, silicones are certainly the most well–known, however there are still new properties discovered and preparative processes developed all the time, therefore adding to their potential. Less known, but in preparation for the future, are other silicon containing-polymers which are now close to maturity and in fact some are already available like polysilsesquioxanes and polysilanes. All these silicon based materials can adopt very different structures like chains, dendrimers, hyperbranched and networks, physical and chemical gels. The result is a vast array of materials with applications in various areas such as optics, electronics, ionic electrolytes, liquid crystals, biomaterials, ceramics and concrete, paints and coatings ... all needed to face the environmental, energetical and technological issues of today. Some industrial aspects of the applications of these materials will also be presented.

Self-Healing Composite Materials: From Designs to Applications provides a unique resource on self-healing composites for materials scientists and engineers in academia, as well as researchers involved in the aerospace, automotive, wind-generation, construction, consumer goods and marine industries. There is a huge demand for self-healing composites that respond to their environment like living matter. Unlike other composites, self-healing composites are combined with carbon materials and resins to form a recoverable composite material. This book covers the manufacturing, design and characterization of self-healing composites, including their morphological, structural, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. The title begins with mathematical background and then considers innovative approaches to physical modeling, analysis and design techniques, providing a robust knowledge of modern self-healing composites with commercial applications. - Covers composite fabrication from polymer, nano oxides, epoxy and plastics - Gives detailed examples on how self-healing composites may be used - Provides readers with a robust knowledge of self-healing composites - Presents a unified approach to these human-friendly, commercially valuable materials

The only book to give a complete picture of current hydrogel research, covering all the major applications as well as the fundamental principles behind them.

"Molecular Gels: Materials with Self-Assembled Fibrillar Networks" is a comprehensive treatise on gelators, especially low molecular-mass gelators and the properties of their gels. The structures and modes of formation of the self-assembled fibrillar networks (SAFINs) that immobilize the liquid components of the gels are discussed experimentally and theoretically. The spectroscopic, rheological, and structural features of the different classes of low molecular-mass gelators are also presented. Many examples of the application of the principal analytical techniques for investigation of molecular gels (including SANS, SAXS, WAXS, UV-vis absorption, fluorescence and CD spectroscopies, scanning electron, transmission electron and optical microscopies, and molecular modeling) are presented didactically and in-depth, as are several of the theories of the stages of aggregation of individual low molecular-mass gelator molecules leading to SAFINs. Several actual and potential applications of molecular gels in disparate fields (from silicate replication of nanostructures to art conservation) are described. Special emphasis is placed on perspectives for future developments. This book is an invaluable resource for researchers and practitioners either already researching self-assembly and soft matter or new to the area. Those who will find the book useful include chemists, engineers, spectroscopists, physicists, biologists, theoreticians, and materials scientists.