The incessantly interest in aqueous polymer dispersions (APD) since more than 90 years can be related to the almost unlimited possibilities to tailor APD to specific needs.
These proceedings from an international symposium on "Polymer Colloids: Preparation & Properties of Aqueous Polymer Dispersions" held at the Swabian Conference Center (Kloster Irsee, Germany) witness this statement.
The 33 contributions cover important aspects of APD such as control of particle size and stabilization, different polymerization technologies, applications as binders, paints, or as supports for proteins and hence, span the whole range from academic to practical.

Leading Nordic-Baltic scientists and their colleagues from other countries present recent research on a broad range of topics in surface and colloid science: adhesion, adsorption processes, characterization of solid/liquid and solid/polymer interfaces, chemical and particle depositions, colloid stability, emulsification and encapsulation, interfacial reactions, new surfactants, polymer-surfactant interactions, self-assembly processes, and functionalized surfaces for bio- and chemosensors. The papers were presented at the 1st Nordic-Baltic Meeting on Surface and Colloid Science, which was held in Vilnius, Lithuania on August 21-25, 1999, as a continuation of the traditional Scandinavian Symposium on Surface Chemistry.

The two volumes "New Developments in Polymer Analytics" deal with recent progress in the characterization of polymers, mostly in solution but also at s- faces. Despite the fact that almost all of the described techniques are getting on in years, the contributions are expected to meet the readers interest because either the methods are newly applied to polymers or the instrumentation has achieved a major breakthrough leading to an enhanced utilizaton by polymer scientists. The first volume concentrates on separation techniques. H. Pasch summarizes the recent successes of multi-dimensional chromatography in the characteri- tion of copolymers. Both, chain length distribution and the compositional h- erogeneity of copolymers are accessible. Capillary electrophoresis is widely and successfully utilized for the characterization of biopolymers, particular of DNA. It is only recently that the technique has been applied to the characterization of water soluble synthetic macromolecules. This contributrion of Grosche and Engelhardt focuses on the analysis of polyelectrolytes by capillary electopho- sis. The last contribution of the first volume by Coelfen and Antonietti sum- rizes the achievements and pitfalls of field flow fractionation techniques. The major drawbacks in the instrumentation have been overcome in recent years and the"triple F techniques" are currently advancing to a powerful competitor to size exclusion chromatography.

This volume includes 58 contributions to the 11th International Conference on Surface and Colloid Science, a highly successful conference sponsored by the International Association of Colloid and Interface Scientists and held in Iguassu Falls, Brazil, in September 2003. Topics covered are the following: Biocolloids and Biological Applications, Charged Particles and Interfaces, Colloid Stability, Colloidal Dispersions, Environmental Colloidal Science, Interfaces and Adsorption, Nanostructures and Nanotechnology, Self-Assembly and Structured Fluids, Surfactants and Polymers, Technology and Applications, Colloids and Surfaces in Oil Production. Surface and colloid science has acquired great momentum during the past twenty years and this volume is a good display of new results and new directions in this important area.

The broad field of conformational motion disorder in crystals is described with particular attention to the separation from the well known mesophases of liquid crystals and plastic crystals. Structure, thermodynamics and motion of a larger number of small and large molecules are discussed. Of special interest are the borderlines between smectic and high viscosity liquid crystals and condis crystals and between plastic crystals and condis crystals as complicated by pseudorotation, jumping between symmetry-related states and hindered rotation. This paper illustrates the wide distribution of conformational disorder in nature. Condis crystals and glasses ("Con"formational "Dis"order) can be found in small and large molecule systems made of organic, inorganic and biological compounds. The condis state was newly discovered only four years ago. In this article over 100 examples are discussed as example of the condis state. In many cases the condis state was suggested for the first time. Motion in the Condensed State, Condis Crystals and their Relation to Plastic Crystals, Condis Crystals of Flexible Macromolecules, Condis Crystals and their Relation to Liquid Crystals, Condis Crystals of Stiff Macromolecules.

How did life begin on the Earth? The units of life are cells, which can be defined as bounded systems of molecules that capture energy and nutrients from the environment -- systems that expand, reproduce, and evolve over time, often into more complex systems. This book is the proceedings of a unique meeting, sponsored by NATO and held in Maratea, Italy, that brought together for the first time an international group of investigators who share an interest in how molecules self-assemble into supramolecular structures, and how those structures may have contributed to the origin of life. The book is written at a moderately technical level, appropriate for use by researchers and by students in upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in biochemistry and molecular biology. The overall interest of its subject matter provides an excellent introduction for students who wish to understand how the foundational knowledge of chemistry and physics can be applied to one of the most fundamental questions now facing the scientific community. The editors are pioneers in defining what we mean by the living state, particularly the manner in which simple molecular systems can assume complex associations and functions, including the ability to reproduce. Each chapter of the book presents an up-to-date report of highly significant research. Two of the authors received medals from the National Academy of Science USA in 1994, and other research reported in the book has been featured in internationally recognized journals such Scientific American, Time, and Discover.

After epoxy resins and polyimides, cyanate esters arguably form the most well-developed group of high-temperature, thermosetting polymers. They possess a number of desirable performance characteristics which make them of increasing technological importance, where their somewhat higher costs are acceptable. The principal end uses for cyanate esters are as matrix resins for printed wiring board laminates and structural composites. For the electronics markets, the low dielectric loss characteristics, dimen sional stability at molten solder temperatures and excellent adhesion to conductor metals at temperatures up to 250 DegreesC, are desirable. In their use in aerospace composites, unmodified cyanate esters offer twice the frac ture toughness of multifunctional epoxies, while achieving a service tem perature intermediate between epoxy and bis-maleimide capabilities. Applications in radome construction and aircraft with reduced radar signatures utilize the unusually low capacitance properties of cyanate esters and associated low dissipation factors. While a number of commercial cyanate ester monomers and prepoly mers are now available, to date there has been no comprehensive review of the chemistry and recent technological applications of this versatile family of resins. The aims of the present text are to present these in a com pact, readable form. The work is primarily aimed at materials scientists and polymer technologists involved in research and development in the chemical, electronics, aerospace and adhesives industries. It is hoped that advanced undergraduates and postgraduates in polymer chemistry and technology, and materials science/technology will find it a useful introduc tion and source of reference in the course of their studies.

This book reviews recent advances in polymer swelling resulting from the use of novel microporous composite films. It offers a new approach to understanding sorption processes in polymer-liquid systems based on the molecular structures of the sorbed molecules and the repeat unit of the sorbent polymer. It is shown how the adsorption parameters obtained in these studies relate meaningfully with the Flory-Huggins interaction parameters. This implies that these adsorption parameters have relevance not only for swelling and drying of polymers, but also for other phenomena in which molecular sorption plays an important role, such as in chromatography and in membrane permeation.

Ring-Opening Polymerization of Bicyclic and Spiro Compounds The Development of Well-defined Catalysts for Ring-Opening Olefin Metathesis CaptodativeOlefins in Polymer Chemistry Synthesis and Properties of Fluorinated Diols Synthesis and Properties of Fluorinated Telechelic Monodis- persedCompounds Synthesis and Metal Complexation of Poly(ethyleneimine) and Derivatives Oxidation of Hydrocarbon Polymers

Adsorption at solid/liquid interfaces Ulbig P, Seippel J: Development of a group contribution method for liquid-phase adsorption onto activated carbons ..................... Laszlb K: Adsorption from aqueous phenol and 2,3,4-trichlorophenol solutions on nanoporous carbon prepared from poly(ethy1ene terephthalate) . . Mizukami M, Kurihara K: Alcohol cluster formation on silica surfaces in cyclohexane . . Tombacz E, Szekeres M: Effects of impurity and solid-phase dissolution on surface charge titration of aluminium oxide ............................... Horanyi G, Job P: Radiotracer study of the specific adsorption of anions on oxides Kovaeevit D, cop A, Bradetic A, Interfacial equilibria at a goethite aqueous interface in the presence Kallay N, Pohlmeier A, of amino acids ......................................... Narres H-D, Lewandowski H: Ruffmann B, Zimehl R: Liquid sorption and stability of polystyrene latices ........... Zimehl R, Hannig M: Adsorption onto tooth enamel the - biological interface and its modification ........................................... Lengyel Z, Foldinyi R: Adsorption of chloroacetanilide herbicides on Hungarian soils ..... Paszli I, Laszlo K: Stagnation phenomenon of solid/fluid interfaces ................ Mielke M, Zimehl R: Measures to determine the hydrophobicity of colloidal polymers . Farkas A, Dekany I: Interlamellar adsorption of organic pollutants on hydrophobic . . vermiculite ............................................ Dabrowski A, Biilow M, Adsorption against pollution: current state and perspectives ....... Podkocielny P: Textor T, Bahners T, Schollmeyer E: Organically modified ceramics for coating textile materials ........ Nanostructured materials Esumi K, Torigoe K: Preparation and characterization of noble metal nanoparticles using ........................... dendrimers as protective colloids Mogyorbsi K, Nemeth J, Dekany I, Preparation, characterization, and photocatalytic properties Fendler JH: of layered-silicate-supported TiOz and ZnO nanoparticles ........