Soft materials such as highly-branched, responsive or dynamic polymers have great potential for advanced applications. The basis for this potential is the versatility, tunability and high functionality of the polymer systems and of their well-defined nanoscale structures. Understanding these materials and how to adjust their scaling parameters on a molecular level is crucial for controlled design to meet application requirements.
In this webinar, I compare techniques for characterizing the properties and interactions of highly-functionalized polymers, highly-branched polymers, biohybrids and similar complex systems. These techniques include field-flow fractionation coupled to multiple types of detectors, and complementary methods such as AFM, cryo-TEM and MD simulations. I also discuss the relation between conformation and interactions, which is highly relevant for biological applications.
