Solid–liquid equilibria of crystalline and semi-crystalline monodisperse polymers, taking into account the molecular architecture by application of the lattice cluster theory

2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (24) ◽  
pp. 3109-3119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Fischlschweiger ◽  
Sabine Enders
2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (36) ◽  
pp. 5936-5947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajkamal Balu ◽  
Jasmin Whittaker ◽  
Naba K. Dutta ◽  
Christopher M. Elvin ◽  
Namita R. Choudhury

In this review, we highlight and discuss the design, synthesis, unique molecular architecture, advanced responsive behaviour and functionality of hydrogels, solid–liquid interfaces, nanoparticles and nano-biohybrids derived from resilin-mimetic protein polymers.


MRS Bulletin ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 44-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Henning Winter

We are accustomed to thinking of matter as being in one of three states: solid, liquid, or gas. Nature, however, has provided us with a marvelous intermediate state, the gel. Industrial applications are just beginning to explore the advantageous gel properties as adhesive, superabsorber, damper, membrane, toner, catalyst support, etc. Gels are good adhesives since they combine the surface wetting property of liquids with the cohesive strength of solids. Strong adhesion and damping properties suggest gels as a binder in composite materials. For example, the car of the future may operate at a much reduced noise level due to a thin layer of gel in its body. Widespread technical applications have not yet materialized because, until recently, it was difficult to measure gel behavior. This has changed, and as a consequence, gels can now be manufactured with reproducible properties.What the many possible types of gelation processes have in common is that molecules connect into a three-dimensional network structure. Junctions between molecules form as chemical bonds (cross-links) or physical associations (such as crystalline or glassy domains, hydrogen bonds, etc.). The molecular architecture determines the gel properties in ways which have yet to be explored. Typical parameters are the monomer building block, molecular size, branching, chain stiffness, cross-link functionality, and solvent content.


Author(s):  
U. Aebi ◽  
P. Rew ◽  
T.-T. Sun

Various types of intermediate-sized (10-nm) filaments have been found and described in many different cell types during the past few years. Despite the differences in the chemical composition among the different types of filaments, they all yield common structural features: they are usually up to several microns long and have a diameter of 7 to 10 nm; there is evidence that they are made of several 2 to 3.5 nm wide protofilaments which are helically wound around each other; the secondary structure of the polypeptides constituting the filaments is rich in ∞-helix. However a detailed description of their structural organization is lacking to date.


Author(s):  
J.A. Panitz

The first few atomic layers of a solid can form a barrier between its interior and an often hostile environment. Although adsorption at the vacuum-solid interface has been studied in great detail, little is known about adsorption at the liquid-solid interface. Adsorption at a liquid-solid interface is of intrinsic interest, and is of technological importance because it provides a way to coat a surface with monolayer or multilayer structures. A pinhole free monolayer (with a reasonable dielectric constant) could lead to the development of nanoscale capacitors with unique characteristics and lithographic resists that surpass the resolution of their conventional counterparts. Chemically selective adsorption is of particular interest because it can be used to passivate a surface from external modification or change the wear and the lubrication properties of a surface to reflect new and useful properties. Immunochemical adsorption could be used to fabricate novel molecular electronic devices or to construct small, “smart”, unobtrusive sensors with the potential to detect a wide variety of preselected species at the molecular level. These might include a particular carcinogen in the environment, a specific type of explosive, a chemical agent, a virus, or even a tumor in the human body.


Author(s):  
Béatrice Satiat-Jeunemaitre ◽  
Chris Hawes

The comprehension of the molecular architecture of plant cell walls is one of the best examples in cell biology which illustrates how developments in microscopy have extended the frontiers of a topic. Indeed from the first electron microscope observation of cell walls it has become apparent that our understanding of wall structure has advanced hand in hand with improvements in the technology of specimen preparation for electron microscopy. Cell walls are sub-cellular compartments outside the peripheral plasma membrane, the construction of which depends on a complex cellular biosynthetic and secretory activity (1). They are composed of interwoven polymers, synthesised independently, which together perform a number of varied functions. Biochemical studies have provided us with much data on the varied molecular composition of plant cell walls. However, the detailed intermolecular relationships and the three dimensional arrangement of the polymers in situ remains a mystery. The difficulty in establishing a general molecular model for plant cell walls is also complicated by the vast diversity in wall composition among plant species.


Author(s):  
Nobutaka Hirokawa

In this symposium I will present our studies about the molecular architecture and function of the cytomatrix of the nerve cells. The nerve cell is a highly polarized cell composed of highly branched dendrites, cell body, and a single long axon along the direction of the impulse propagation. Each part of the neuron takes characteristic shapes for which the cytoskeleton provides the framework. The neuronal cytoskeletons play important roles on neuronal morphogenesis, organelle transport and the synaptic transmission. In the axon neurofilaments (NF) form dense arrays, while microtubules (MT) are arranged as small clusters among the NFs. On the other hand, MTs are distributed uniformly, whereas NFs tend to run solitarily or form small fascicles in the dendrites Quick freeze deep etch electron microscopy revealed various kinds of strands among MTs, NFs and membranous organelles (MO). These structures form major elements of the cytomatrix in the neuron. To investigate molecular nature and function of these filaments first we studied molecular structures of microtubule associated proteins (MAP1A, MAP1B, MAP2, MAP2C and tau), and microtubules reconstituted from MAPs and tubulin in vitro. These MAPs were all fibrous molecules with different length and formed arm like projections from the microtubule surface.


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