Characterization and Properties
Polymer physics is a core
component of condensed matter physics and solid-state
physical chemistry and is unique in its focus on
controlling the structure and dynamics of molecules on
different length and time scales under easily accessible
conditions. The initial formative work in macromolecular
science moved polymeric materials from a mere scientific
curiosity to a central technological platform in our
everyday lives. The foundation for this transition was laid
when it became evident that to reap the practical benefits
of polymers, a deep understanding of
structure-dynamics-property relationships was needed. As
chemists refined their techniques to precisely and
elegantly create new well defined molecules, the relatively
mature science of structural analysis set out to determine
the crystal structures, morphologies and crystallinity of
organized synthetic as well as natural polymeric materials
and to correlate these factors with physical properties. In
this way, polymer science has been trying to answer the
scientifically inspiring question posed by Richard
Feynman: What
could the properties of materials be if we could arrange
the atoms precisely the way we want
them?
To unleash the industrial impact of polymers, physicists
and engineers illuminated the dynamics of macromolecules,
which facilitated the optimization of their properties and
processing. This combined mastery of synthesis, structure,
and dynamics on the atomic scale has enabled polymers to
become both a valuable addition to and a viable alternative
for materials such as metals and ceramics in numerous
products.
As a result of the desirable physical properties of
polymers such as of elasticity, adhesion and strength, the
field of polymer science has lifted the living standard of
people world-wide, but new opportunities have arisen in
bio-medicine, communications, renewable energies and the
environment which rely on a new set of physical,
electronic, and optical properties. In these new and
emerging fields, the atomic length scale is not the only
critical length scale to achieve superior and precise
properties. The question for the future of polymer science
is, “How do structures and dynamics on a hierarchy of
length and time scales affect material properties relevant
to these new opportunities?”.
To answer this question, we must learn how to tailor
dynamics and structure on even greater length and time
scales than have been currently achieved not only in the
bulk, but also in lower dimensional spaces like surfaces
and interfaces. To move forward in resolving hierarchal
structure-dynamic-property relationships requires both
multidisciplinary efforts involving synthetic chemists,
physicists, and engineers to construct functionalized
structures with different length scales, dimensions and
dynamics as well as the tools needed to evaluate the
structures and dynamics and their effect on physical,
electrical, as well as optical properties.