Light scattering is a very powerful method for characterizing the structure of polymers and nanoparticles in solution. As part of the Springer Laboratory series, this book provides a simple-to-read and illustrative textbook probing the seemingly very complicated topic of light scattering from polymers and nanoparticles in dilute solution, and goes further to cover some of the latest technical developments in experimental light scattering.

Classical light scattering from dilute polymer solutions is one of the few absolute, rigorously founded methods for the determination of molar mass and molecular size of macromolecular substances, and for the quantitative characterization of solute-solvent interaction. Light scattering is thus one of the most fundamental methods of the physical chemistry of polymers, and the present book provides an introduction to this technique. elements of practice and application of light scattering. Although there are a number of advanced monographs and reviews currently available on light scattering from polymer solutions, the appearance of this book marks the first introductory text of its kind. Polymer chemists wishing to make a start in light scattering will find this book an indispensable aid in their work.

This volume is a complementary, follow-up volume to the author's Dynamic Light Scattering published in 1993. Light scattering is a powerful and widely-used technique for studying macromolecular systems both in the pure state and in solution. It is applied variously on high-molecular-weight polymers, colloids and proteins as well as organized assemblies such as vesicular and micellar systems. Some major applications of the technique are to the study of phase transitions and critical phenomena. This book traces recent developments in light scattering and provides an extensive review of its applications which are of fundamental importance.

This 2-volume set includes extensive discussions of scattering techniques (light, neutron and X-ray) and related fluctuation and grating techniques that are at the forefront of this field. Most of the scattering techniques are Fourier space techniques. Recent advances have seen the development of powerful direct imaging methods such as atomic force microscopy and scanning probe microscopy. In addition, techniques that can be used to manipulate soft matter on the nanometer scale are also in rapid development. These include the scanning probe microscopy technique mentioned above as well as optical and magnetic tweezers.

This book is mainly concerned with building a narrow but secure ladder which polymer chemists or engineers can climb from the primary level to an advanced level without great difficulty (but by no means easily, either). This book describes some fundamentally important topics, carefully chosen, covering subjects from thermodynamics to molecular weight and its distribution effects. For help in self-education the book adopts a "Questions and Answers" format. The mathematical derivation of each equation is shown in detail. For further reading, some original references are also given. Numerous physical properties of polymer solutions are known to be significantly different from those of low molecular weight solutions. The most probable explanation of this obvious discrepancy is the large molar volume ratio of solute to solvent together with the large number of consecutive segments that constitute each single molecule of the polymer chains present as solute. Thorough understanding of the physical chemistry of polymer solutions requires some prior mathematical background in its students. In the original literature, detailed mathematical derivations of the equations are universally omitted for the sake of space-saving and simplicity. In textbooks of polymer science only extremely rough schemes of the theories and then the final equations are shown. As a consequence, the student cannot learn, unaided, the details of the theory in which he or she is interested from the existing textbooks; however, without a full understanding of the theory, one cannot analyze actual experimental data to obtain more basic and realistic physical quantities. In particular, if one intends to apply the theories in industry, accurate understanding and ability to modify the theory are essential.

Polymer Solutions: An Introduction to Physical Properties offers a fresh, inclusive approach to teaching the fundamentals of physical polymer science. Students, instructors, and professionals in polymer chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, engineering, materials, and textiles will find Iwao Teraoka’s text at once accessible and highly detailed in its treatment of the properties of polymers in the solution phase. Teraoka’s purpose in writing Polymer Solutions is twofold: to familiarize the advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate student with basic concepts, theories, models, and experimental techniques for polymer solutions; and to provide a reference for researchers working in the area of polymer solutions as well as those in charge of chromatographic characterization of polymers. The author’s incorporation of recent advances in the instrumentation of size-exclusion chromatography, the method by which polymers are analyzed, renders the text particularly topical. Subjects discussed include: Real, ideal, Gaussian, semirigid, and branched polymer chains Polymer solutions and thermodynamics Static light scattering of a polymer solution Dynamic light scattering and diffusion of polymers Dynamics of dilute and semidilute polymer solutions Study questions at the end of each chapter not only provide students with the opportunity to test their understanding, but also introduce topics relevant to polymer solutions not included in the main text. With over 250 geometrical model diagrams, Polymer Solutions is a necessary reference for students and for scientists pursuing a broader understanding of polymers.