Polymer Chemistry

Abstract

Among the many areas of chemistry, polymer science is a comparatively new field. The empirical use of polymeric materials made from natural substances has been documented for centuries; however, only the pioneering work of the late Hermann Staudinger (1926), a Nobel laureate, in the 1920s provided the basis for a systematic understanding of this class of materials. In the decades since then, polymer science has developed to become both technically demanding and industrially extremely important. In particular, polymer science is characterized by its interdisciplinary nature: 55 Most technologically relevant macromolecules1 are based on a carbon backbone and thus belong in the realm of organic chemistry. 55 Approximately half of all polymers produced today are synthesized using organo-metallic catalysts. 55 A description of the behavior of both solid polymers and their solutions is now based on well-established physical and physicochemical theories. 55 Because macromolecules are often used in the area of classical materials, processing and molding of polymers is an essential step in the production of finished products. Thus, engineering science is also important. In medical technologies, polymers are used in highly specialized applications, such as artificial heart valves, eye lenses, or as materials for medical devices.