In her research, Inga Lilge focuses on a systematic study of poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) brushes prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). In addition to the analysis of the time dependence of the polymer brush growth, the conformation of the polymer brushes is varied by grafting or cross-linking density. The results have practical implications for the study of cellular interactions on PAAm brushes since cell-substrate interactions are known to influence various cell characteristics, such as migration and adhesion.

A comprehensive theoretical ebook in the field of soft matter and biological science. This Ebook contains most recent advances in theory and simulations of artificial knee joint.

The present ebook covers the mathematical modeling and numerical simulations of polyelectrolyte brush bilayers under shear motion. The similar conditions could be found in mammalian knee joints. The new findings which is described in the last chapter shows that polymer brush bilayers are useful in lubrication exclusively in the presence of hydrodynamic interactions between monomers. This reveals the significance of interstitial water in knee joint.

This is the third edition of the book which contains ten chapters and it covers my research about polymer brush bilayers under shear. The chapter ten is devoted to polymer brush bilayers under non-equilibrium shear inversion which is very important in studying mammalian synovial joint behavior. In this chapter, it is revealed that the hydrodynamic interactions produce mechanical instabilities in the system while adding electrostatic interactions removes those mechanical instabilities.

Very thin film materials have emerged as a highly interesting and useful quasi 2D-state functionality. They have given rise to numerous applications ranging from protective and smart coatings to electronics, sensors and display technology as well as serving biological, analytical and medical purposes. The tailoring of polymer film properties and functions has become a major research field. As opposed to the traditional treatise on polymer and resin-based coatings, this one-stop reference is the first to give readers a comprehensive view of the latest macromolecular and supramolecular film-based nanotechnology. Bringing together all the important facets and state-of-the-art research, the two well-structured volumes cover film assembly and depostion, functionality and patterning, and analysis and characterization. The result is an in-depth understanding of the phenomena, ordering, scale effects, fabrication, and analysis of polymer ultrathin films. This book will be a valuable addition for Materials Scientists, Polymer Chemists, Surface Scientists, Bioengineers, Coatings Specialists, Chemical Engineers, and Scientists working in this important research field and industry.

Written by a highly prestigious and knowledgeable team of top scientists in the field, this book provides an overview of the current status of controlled/living polymerization, combining the synthetic, mechanistic and application-oriented aspects. From the contents: * Anionic Vinyl Polymerization * Carbocationic Polymerization * Radical Polymerization * Coordinative Polymerization of Olefins * Ring-Opening Polymerization of Heterocycles * Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization * Macromolecular Architectures * Complex Functional Macromolecules * Synthesis of Block and Graft Copolymers * Bulk and Solution Structures of Block Copolymers * Industrial Applications While some of the material is based on chapters taken from the four-volume work "Macromolecular Engineering", it is completely updated and rewritten to reflect the focus of this monograph. Must-have knowledge for polymer and organic chemists, plastics technologists, materials scientists and chemical engineers.

Man lubricates mostly with oil. Nature lubricates exclusively with water. Pure water is a poor lubricant, but the addition of proteins, especially glycoproteins, can modify surfaces to make them far more lubricating at slow speeds. Understanding how nature does this, and the physical structures involved, is not only important for the understanding of diseases such as osteoarthritis, but also essential for the successful application of articulating implants, such as hips and knees, as well as the development of medical devices such as catheters and contact lenses. A host of important applications of water-based lubrication are already in place in the personal care and food industries, and further industrial applications of water-based lubrication could have a significant positive impact on the environment.This book is the first of its kind. It brings together the latest research in biological and biomimetic, water-based lubrication and is authored by the world's experts in the field.