Molecular Characterization of Polymers: A Fundamental Guide

Molecular Characterization of Polymers presents a range of advanced and cutting-edge methods for the characterization of polymers at the molecular level, guiding the reader through theory, fundamentals, instrumentation, and applications, and supporting the end goal of efficient material selection and improved material performance.

Each chapter focuses on a specific technique or family of techniques, including the different areas of chromatography, field flow fractionation, long chain branching, static and dynamic light scattering, mass spectrometry, NMR, X-Ray and neutron scattering, polymer dilute solution viscometry, microscopy, and vibrational spectroscopy. In each case, in-depth coverage explains how to successfully implement and utilize the technique.

This practical resource is highly valuable to researchers and advanced students in polymer science, materials science, and engineering, and to those from other disciplines and industries who are unfamiliar with polymer characterization techniques.

• Introduces a range of advanced characterization methods, covering aspects such as molecular weight, polydispersity, branching, composition, and tacticity
• Enables the reader to understand and to compare the available technique, and implement the selected technique(s), with a view to improving properties of the polymeric material
• Establishes a strong link between basic principles, characterization techniques, and real-life applications

Dr. Muhammad Imran Malik is an Associate Professor at the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Pakistan. He received his doctorate in polymer chemistry at Karl-Franzens-Universitäte, Graz, Austria, in 2009, and subsequently worked as a post-doctoral research scientist, at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and at POSTECH, in South Korea, with his research focusing on analytical polymer science. In 2012, he joined the International Center of Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Malik’s main research interests are the synthesis of novel polymeric architectures and the development of comprehensive analytical methods for polymers, as well as polymer-stabilized nanoparticles and their applications, such as sensors, drug delivery, molecularly imprinted polymers, and organic solar cells.

Prof. Jimmy Mays is Emeritus Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA, after retiring from the University at the end of 2017. Prof. Mays received his B.S. degree in Polymer Science from the University of Southern Mississippi, in 1979, and completed his Ph.D. in Polymer Science at the University of Akron, in 1984 (with L. J. Fetters). After graduation, he worked for several years at Hercules Research Center, prior to joining the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 2002, he became an UT/ORNL Distinguished Scientist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Prof. Mays’ research has centered on polymer synthesis, polymer characterization, and polymer solution properties. He is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has won the ACS Polymer Chemistry Division’s Herman Mark Senior Scholar Award, the ACS PMSE Division’s Doolittle Award, and the ACS Southern Chemist Award.

Prof. Muhammad Raza Shah is Professor at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi, Pakistan. His research focuses on nanotechnology, materials science, supramolecular chemistry, nanomedicine, and advanced drug delivery systems, with particular emphasis on nanocarriers for targeted therapeutic applications. He has made significant contributions to the development of novel biomedical and pharmaceutical technologies and holds multiple national and international patents. Prof. Shah has authored and edited several scholarly books and contributed extensively to the scientific literature. He has supervised a large number of postgraduate researchers and maintains active international research collaborations. He is a Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences and the Islamic World Academy of Sciences and has received national recognition for his contributions to chemical sciences.