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Macromol.
Symp., Vol. 256, 2007, pp. 1-194
Functional and Biological Gels and Networks: Theory and
Experiment
18th
International Polymer Networks Group Meeting
Sheffield,
UK, 3-7 September 2006
Editors:
Edited by J. Stanford
WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, 2007
>
Content
doi:10.1002/masy.200790240
Preface
Polymer
Networks 2006, the 18th
International Polymer Networks Group Meeting was held
in Sheffield, UK from 3-7 September 2006. The conference
was organized by the Sheffield Polymer Centre, University
of Sheffield under the co-Chairmanship of John Stanford
(University of Manchester), Tony Ryan (University of Sheffield)
and Simon Ross-Murphy (Kings College, London). The conference
was kindly sponsored by the Polymer Division of the International
Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
The
main theme of the conference ''Functional and Biological
Gels and Networks: Theory and Experiment'' high-lighted
a stimulating exchange of the latest research by members
of the macromolecular and biological science communities,
on topics that cross the boundaries between synthetic,
bio- and physical gels and net-works. The scientific program
was multi-disciplinary in its content with individual
themes on functional and biological gels that ranged from
the chemistry, processing, structure and properties of
synthetic elastomers, to the molecular and supra-molecular
characterisation of gels and net-works, to theory and
modelling of gelation and network formation, to nanostructured
gels and network nanocomposites as high-performance engineering
materials, to bio-and physical gels and networks with
applications in the biomedical field, in drug release,
cosmetics and in the food industry.
There was one plenary lecture followed by 10 invited lectures
and 39 contributed oral contributions, and 57 posters,
all covering diverse experimental and theoretical topics
within the various themes defined for the conference.
This
special volume of Macromolecular Symposia contains
contributions selected from the papers presented at the
conference and is divided into five parts that reflect
the themes of the conference programme:
-
Statistical Studies on Networks
- Processing-Structure-Properties ofNetworks
- Scattering from Gels and Networks
- Nanostructured Gels and Networks
- Physical and Biological Gels
The
first paper is from the conference plenary lecture by
Walther Burchard, a founder member and former Chairman
of the Polymer Networks Group. Walther Burchard
is a distinguished polymer scientist, and is most renowned
for his pioneering work on light scattering of polymers
and branching theory of polymer networks, and has also
worked extensively on natural and biological polymers.
Such a broad and impressive background in synthetic and
natural polymers presented in the plenary lecture reflected
exactly the main theme of Polymer Networks 2006,
and makes an ideal introduction to this volume.
Part
1 of this volume comprises papers from all four of
the invited speakers who made presentations in the special
session Statistical Studies on Networks that was
organised at the conference in honour of Bob Stepto and
to celebrate his outstanding contributions to polymer
science and to the Polymer Networks Group. Bob Stepto
who retired recently from the University of Manchester,
was a founder member, former Chairman and Secretary of
the PNG, and has also been the President of the Polymer
Division of IUPAC. Bob Stepto has established a world-renowned
reputation in polymer gelation and chain statistics. His
research has involved both experimental and theoretical
aspects, with strong emphases on the formation, structure
and properties of polymer net-works, and on polymerisation
statistics that include significant advances in the under-standing
of intramolecular reaction in linear and non-linear polymerisations
and, in the latter case, its interpretation in terms of
theories of gelation. He has made major contributions
to the understanding of the sol-gel transition, or gel
point, and its relation to macroscopic effects such as
viscosity and modulus that are of immense importance in
the processing of all polymer network-forming systems,
and in the determination of final physical properties.
Bob Stepto has collaborated with many of the world's leading
polymer scientists, four of whom, Karel Dusek, Bruce Eichinger,
Jim Mark and Ian Ward agreed enthusiastically to make
presentations at Polymer Networks 2006, and to submit
full papers in this special volume.
POLYMER
NETWORKS 2006 CONFERENCE
Sheffield University, 3-7 September 2006
Statistical Studies on Network:
Special Session in honour of Professor Bob Stepto
From left: Walter Burchard, Jim MArk, Bruce Eichinger, Karel
Dusek, Joan Stepto, Bob Stepto, John Stanford, and Ian Ward
In
Part 2, Processing-Structure-Proper-ties of Networks,
the important link between the development of polymer
network materials with suitable properties and their widespread
industrial application is clearly demonstrated, using
as examples, toughened epoxy resins and polyurethane foams.
The two papers presented here elegantly describe the fundamental
molecular processes involved in the transformation from
reactive liquid state to solid polymer material, and the
relationships between structure and properties. The transformation
processes, studied using real-time analytical techniques,
define the correlations between the chemistry, molecular
and morphological structure and properties, with particular
reference to polymerisation kinetics, gelation and net-work
formation, and to competitive phase separation and vitrification
processes.
Parts
3 and 4 comprise papers on Scattering from Gels
and Networks and on Nanostructured Gels and Networks.
Whilst scattering methods have become the techniques of
choice for the study of structure and dynamics in a broad
range of materials, only recently have they found widespread
application in gels and networks. The papers herein convey
the broad range of excellent work now being undertaken
in laboratories around the world and highlight new techniques,
such as photon correlation spectroscopy with x-rays, and
the interpretation of scattering experiments through their
comparison with rheology, osmotic pressure measurements
and theory. Scattering is also implicit in the characterization
of nanostructured gels and networks, and is used most
effectively as part of a wide range of characterisation
tools to uncover the mode of action of a synthetic muscle
as well as to characterise hyperbranched networks and
nanocomposite gels.
The
final part, Part 5, Physical and Biological
Gels, as the title implies, discusses a range of macromolecular
systems, how these networks are formed and, (perhaps pertinently,
as in the paper on ephemeral gels broken down again) their
structure and applications. The systems range from the
archetypal gelatin gels through to more exotic systems
such as those formed from collagen and hyaluronic acid.
It also includes valuable work on scaffolds for cell growth
applications. Overall the papers reflect the state of
the art in this important and growing area of research
on polymer networks.
In
many ways, Polymer Networks 2006 was a great success
signalling, on the one hand, the end of an era in the
history of the PNG whilst, at the same time, acknowledging
the exciting contributions of current and developing younger
research scientists. The contributions to the development
of polymer science in general, and to polymer networks
in particular, over the past 50 years, by Walther Burchard,
Karel Dusek, Bruce Eichinger, Jim Mark, Bob Stepto and
Ian Ward, and other contemporaries who have also retired,
cannot be under-estimated. Moreover, Polymer Networks
2006 demonstrated unequivocally that the aims and
objectives of the Polymer Networks Group, to foster
research into all aspects of polymer networks, continue
with confidence for the future.
J.
Stanford,
T. Ryan,
S. Ross-Murphy
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