Polymers: An Interdisciplinary Open Access Journal

During the last 60 years, the field of Macromolecular Science has broadened significantly and macromolecular or polymeric materials today constitute the most important class of materials. More than any other class of materials, polymers have revolutionized and enabled various technology platforms. The versatility in applications ranges from major structural components (the Airbus A380-800 or the Boeing 787 are built from 80% carbon fiber reinforced thermoset by volume) to high value added ingredients on the scale of grams as for use in lithography or drug delivery. Key to these systems is the direct control of the physical properties of the polymeric constituents, which in turn reflects fundamental advances in fields, including (i) polymerization methods, (ii) theory, simulation, and modeling, (iii) understanding of new physical phenomena, (iv) advances in characterization techniques, and (v) harnessing of self-assembly and biological strategies for producing complex multifunctional structures. Research activity in the field of Macromolecular Science continues to expand and attracts scientists from many other disciplines. [...]