POLYSOLVAT 16 at JCNS, Workshop 2026

Block polymers (BCPs) are attractive for developing novel materials due to their tunable properties and self-assembly via block chemistry, composition, and molecular weight. However, to harness the unique properties of BCPs in applications, their self-assembly and ordering on long length scales must be controlled. Unfortunately, practical methods for processing BCPs into materials with...

Pressure is a key variable in the phase behavior of thermoresponsive polymers [1]. In the prototype system poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) in aqueous solution, the cloud point temperature, Tcp, depends on pressure, and the coexistence line in the temperature-pressure frame is described by an ellipse with a maximum at ca. 60 MPa and 35 °C. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) has shown...

Ionic microgels are highly responsive materials whose structure, interactions, and self-assembly can be tuned by external stimuli. Among these stimuli, electric fields provide a powerful route for directing particle organization and creating non-equilibrium structures. However, understanding how individual microgels respond to external fields in concentrated suspensions remains a significant...