Themed collection Tailoring dispersity and shape of molecular weight contributions
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Tuning dispersity of linear polymers and polymeric brushes grown from nanoparticles by atom transfer radical polymerization
Molecular weight distribution imposes considerable influence on the properties of polymers, making it an important parameter, impacting morphology and structural behavior of polymeric materials.
Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 6071-6082
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1PY01178B
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Tailoring polymer dispersity by mixing ATRP initiators
Herein we present a simple batch method to control polymer dispersity using a mixture of two ATRP initiators with different reactivities.
Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 5583-5588
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1PY01044A
Versatile strategies to tailor the glass transition temperatures of bottlebrush polymers
The glass transition temperature (Tg) of bottlebrush polymers can be controlled via side-chain length, blend composition and brush topology. Elucidating interactions between these parameters and their design rules enables accurate targeting of Tg at arbitrary molecular weights.
Polym. Chem., 2022,13, 4901-4907
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2PY00819J
Influence of the molecular weight and size distribution of PSS on mixed ionic-electronic transport in PEDOT:PSS
Controlling the dispersity of PSS allows to control the performance of PEDOT:PSS in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs).
Polym. Chem., 2022,13, 2764-2775
https://doi.org/10.1039/D2PY00271J
Tuning the molecular weight distributions of vinylketone-based polymers using RAFT photopolymerization and UV photodegradation
The choice and mixture of chain transfer agent in reversible addition/fragmentation chain transfer polymerization has been used to modulate the dispersity and architecture of vinyl ketone polymers and their copolymers.
Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 6761-6770
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1PY01129D
Molecular weight and dispersity affect chain conformation and pH-response in weak polyelectrolyte brushes
The pH-dependence of the conformation of annealed polyelectrolyte brushes can be tuned by varying the molecular weight distribution, as characterized via weight-average molecular weight and dispersity.
Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 6737-6744
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1PY01056E
Achieving molecular weight distribution shape control and broad dispersities using RAFT polymerizations
Metered additions of chain transfer agents are used to control molecular weight distribution (MWD) features in reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerizations, giving polymers with tailored MWD shapes and dispersities as high as 6.2.
Polym. Chem., 2021,12, 4910-4915
https://doi.org/10.1039/D1PY00399B
About this collection
This special issue, Guest Edited by Athina Anastasaki (ETH Zürich) and Brett Fors (Cornell University) covers new synthetic or engineering methods to tailor polymer dispersity or the shape of molecular weight distributions. This includes discrete or nearly monodispersed materials and the properties thereof. The effects of varying either the dispersity or the shape of molecular weight distributions illustrated in properties or applications are also included.