NiSi
Nickel silicide
oOligomeric
PEO
Poly(ethylene oxide)
PI
Poly(isoprene)
PS
Poly(styrene)
SA
Self-assembly
SIM
2 PLE Spinodal-decomposition-induced macro and mesophase separation
plus extraction by rinsing
SNIPS
Self-assembly and nonsolvent-induced phase separation
ssDSSC
Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell
TEM
Transmission electron microscope
1 Introduction
A polymer is a macromolecule composed of many repeated small molecules [1].
Since H. Staudinger received the Nobel Prize 60 years ago for his pioneering work
on such macromolecules, polymers have transformed human life and become one
of the most important material classes in modern society due to the plethora of
applications that have been realized. The importance of polymers and research
conducted on them cannot be overemphasized. However, due to its successful
history, it has been argued that polymer science today is a maturing scientific
field and thus may no longer be exciting enough for the smartest young scientific
minds to devote their efforts to [2, 3]. On first sight, it may look like polymers
are going to follow the same fate as, for example, metals. Indeed, today over 90% of
the polymer market is still dominated by commodity polymers like polyethylene
and polypropylene, and despite other projections in the 1980s and 1990s not much
has changed about that for decades. So, has the field of polymer science really
left its best days behind? We think there are good reasons to believe it has not.
In contrast to metals, polymer materials are molecular materials with the whole
diversity of chemical structures at their foundation. In the case of commodity
polymers, often only a single monomer constitutes the polymer chain. In contrast,
the whole diversity of life is based on information encoded into the primary
monomer sequence of biological macromolecules. Polymer synthesis therefore
continues to constitute a vast territory for innovative research. Furthermore, our
understanding of macromolecule-directed biological processes, one might argue, is
still in its infancy. For example, the latest science initiative of the US administration
on mapping the human brain is based on the fact that a molecular understanding
of thought processes in the brain is almost entirely missing, and much of it is based
on macromolecules. Most importantly, as biology has demonstrated beautifully,
macromolecular materials cannot only provide a plethora of desired functions but,
in contrast to the vast majority of polymers used today, they can also be designed
for a sustainable economy, an attribute that undoubtedly will become of increasing
importance in the future.
Design and Applications of Multiscale Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Materials. . .
261
Nickel silicide
oOligomeric
PEO
Poly(ethylene oxide)
PI
Poly(isoprene)
PS
Poly(styrene)
SA
Self-assembly
SIM
2 PLE Spinodal-decomposition-induced macro and mesophase separation
plus extraction by rinsing
SNIPS
Self-assembly and nonsolvent-induced phase separation
ssDSSC
Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell
TEM
Transmission electron microscope
1 Introduction
A polymer is a macromolecule composed of many repeated small molecules [1].
Since H. Staudinger received the Nobel Prize 60 years ago for his pioneering work
on such macromolecules, polymers have transformed human life and become one
of the most important material classes in modern society due to the plethora of
applications that have been realized. The importance of polymers and research
conducted on them cannot be overemphasized. However, due to its successful
history, it has been argued that polymer science today is a maturing scientific
field and thus may no longer be exciting enough for the smartest young scientific
minds to devote their efforts to [2, 3]. On first sight, it may look like polymers
are going to follow the same fate as, for example, metals. Indeed, today over 90% of
the polymer market is still dominated by commodity polymers like polyethylene
and polypropylene, and despite other projections in the 1980s and 1990s not much
has changed about that for decades. So, has the field of polymer science really
left its best days behind? We think there are good reasons to believe it has not.
In contrast to metals, polymer materials are molecular materials with the whole
diversity of chemical structures at their foundation. In the case of commodity
polymers, often only a single monomer constitutes the polymer chain. In contrast,
the whole diversity of life is based on information encoded into the primary
monomer sequence of biological macromolecules. Polymer synthesis therefore
continues to constitute a vast territory for innovative research. Furthermore, our
understanding of macromolecule-directed biological processes, one might argue, is
still in its infancy. For example, the latest science initiative of the US administration
on mapping the human brain is based on the fact that a molecular understanding
of thought processes in the brain is almost entirely missing, and much of it is based
on macromolecules. Most importantly, as biology has demonstrated beautifully,
macromolecular materials cannot only provide a plethora of desired functions but,
in contrast to the vast majority of polymers used today, they can also be designed
for a sustainable economy, an attribute that undoubtedly will become of increasing
importance in the future.
Design and Applications of Multiscale Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Materials. . .
261