The idea for this book came from discussions among participants in a symposium on biotechnical applications at the "Pacifichem 89" meeting in Honolulu. It was the majority opinion of this group that a volume dedicated to biotechnical and biomedical applications of PEG chemistry would enhance research and development in this area. Though the book was conceived at the Honolulu meeting, it is not a proceedings of this symposium. Several groups who did not participate in this meeting are repre sented in the book, and the book incorporates much work done after the meeting. The book does not include contributions in all related areas to which PEG chemistry has been applied. Several invited researchers declined to parti.: ipate, and there is not enough space in this single volume to properly cover all submissions. Chapter I-an overview of the topic-discusses in brief applications not given detailed coverage in specifically devoted chapters. The following topics are covered: introduction to and fundamental properties of PEG and derivatives in Chapters 1-3; separations using aqueous polymer two-phase partitioning in Chapters 4-6; PEG-proteins as catalysts in biotechnical applications in Chapters 7 and 8; biomedical applications of PEG-proteins in Chapters 9-13; PEG modified surfaces for a variety of biomedical and biotechnical applications in Chapters 14-20; and synthesis of new PEG derivatives in Chapters 21 and 22."

Miao Guo's PhD thesis provides scientific insights into the environmental issues related to biocomposites based on starch-polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) blends. The author contributes significantly to the methodological issues underlying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) modelling approach. As well as presenting complete LCA inventories using primary data from a variety of sources, Guo develops a new modelling approach incorporating the process-oriented biogeochemistry model Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) into site-specific LCA studies to simulate carbon and nitrogen dynamics in the wheat agro-ecosystem. This thesis addresses important LCA data quality issues by using comprehensive sensitivity and uncertainty analyses and has resulted in a large number of publications in internationally renowned journals.

'An excellent textbook for an advanced undergraduate or introductory graduate course on polymer chemistry. ...The book is easy to read and understand. The emphasis on commercially important materials makes it a definite choice for a textbook.' -Microchemical Journal 'This exellent, well-written book, suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate level classes in polymer syntheses, would also be useful as a general resource book....thoroughly referenced, and contain[s] excellent problem sets.' -Choice This outstanding text combines comprehensive discussions of reaction mechanisms of polymer chemistry with detailed descriptions of practical industrial applications. Intended for graduate students and professionals, this text examines topics at the forefront of today's research-including high performance materials, polymeric reagents and catalysts, and ultraviolet light curing of polymeric coatings. Each chapter contains helpful review questions reinforcing key points. The book also features useful appendixes describing two highly applicable computer programs.

The present volume is the third volume of a projected four-volume series. This volume contains the following chapters: ."The Synthesis and Reactions of Pyrrole, Pyrazole, Triazole, Indole, Indazole, and Benzotriazole Nucleosides and Nucleotides," "The Synthesis, Reactions, and Properties of the 2'(3')-O-Aminoacyl and Peptidyl Nucleosides and Nucleotides," "Syntheses and Reactions of Bicyclic Heterocyclic Nucleosides and Nucleotides," "The Synthesis and Chemistry of Imidazole and Benzimidazole Nucleosides and Nucleotides," and "The Chemistry of C-Nucleosides." Each chapter is comprehensive in nature and should provide a ready reference source for not only the novice but also the experienced investiga tor or researcher. The chapters have been prepared by authors with considerable experience in each particular area of research, and this has resulted in a lucid presentation of each well-defined area. These volumes (1-3) were designed with medicinal chemists, medicinal organic chemists, organic chemists, carbohydrate chemists, physical chemists, and biological chemists in mind. However, because of the tremendous recent interest in this research area owing to the biological and chemotherapeutic evaluation ofnucleosides and nucleotides as anticancer, antiviral, and antiparasitic agents, these volumes should also be valuable additions to the libraries of virologists, biochemical phar macologists, oncologists, and pharmacologists. We would like to thank the authors for their enthusiasm and help in making these volumes available to the scientific community."

The two special volumes of Advances in Polymer Science entitled Polymers for Photonics Applications provide authoritative and critical reviews of up-to-date research and advances in various fields of photonic polymers as well as their promising applications. Eight articles contributed by internationally recognized scientists are concerned with polymers for second- and third-order nonlinear optics, quadratic parametric interactions in polymer waveguides, electroluminescent polymers for light sources, photoreflective polymers for holographic information storage, and highly efficient two-photon absorbing organics and polymers, including their applications. This review should provide individuals working in the field of photonic polymers with invaluable scientific knowledge on the state of the art while giving directions for future research to those deeply interested.

1 D.E. Bergbreiter, A.M. Kippenberger: Hyperbranched Surface Graft Polymerizations.- 2 R.R. Bhat, M.R. Tomlinson, T. Wu, J. Genzer: Surface-Grafted Polymer Gradients: Formation, Characterization and Applications.- 3 W.J. Brittain, S.G. Boyes, A.M. Granville, M. Baum, B.K. Mirous, B. Akgun, B. Zhao, C. Blickle, M.D. Foster: Surface Rearrangement of Diblock Copolymer Brushes - Stimuli Responsive Films.- 4 A. Naji, C. Seidel, R.R. Netz: Theoretical Approaches to Neutral and Charged Polymer Brushes.-

Synthesis of Polypeptides by Ring-Opening Polymerization of -Amino Acid N-Carboxyanhydrides, by Jianjun Cheng and Timothy J. Deming.- Peptide Synthesis and Self-Assembly, by S. Maude, L. R. Tai, R. P. W. Davies, B. Liu, S. A. Harris, P. J. Kocienski and A. Aggeli.- Elastomeric Polypeptides, by Mark B. van Eldijk, Christopher L. McGann, Kristi L. Kiick andJan C. M. van Hest.- Self-Assembled Polypeptide and Polypeptide Hybrid Vesicles: From Synthesis to Application, by Uh-Joo Choe, Victor Z. Sun, James-Kevin Y. Tan and Daniel T. Kamei.- Peptide-Based and Polypeptide-Based Hydrogels for Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering, by Aysegul Altunbas and Darrin J. Pochan.-"

Volume C forms one volume of a Handbook about Polymer Nanocomposites. Volume C deals with Polymer nano-composites of cellulose nano-particles. The preparation, architecture, characterisation, properties and application of polymer nanocomposites are discussed within some 27 chapters. Each chapter has been authored by experts in the respective field.

The volumes of this classic series, now referred to simply as "Zechmeister" after its founder, L. Zechmeister, have appeared under the Springer Imprint ever since the series inauguration in 1938. The volumes contain contributions on various topics related to the origin, distribution, chemistry, synthesis, biochemistry, function or use of various classes of naturally occurring substances ranging from small molecules to biopolymers. Each contribution is written by a recognized authority in his field and provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the topic in question. Addressed to biologists, technologists, and chemists alike, the series can be used by the expert as a source of information and literature citations and by the non-expert as a means of orientation in a rapidly developing discipline.

This book deals with the chemistry of polymeric metal chelates. The main results and the production and chemical structure of polymers with chelate units as well as the specificity of metal complex binding of different structure are presented here. This book also reveals the transformations which components undergo in the course of chelation. Special attention is paid not only to synthetic but also to natural (including living) systems. The usage of polymeric metal chelates and their development are examined. The related research was performed for chelates with chain structure. This book is useful to researchers being active in synthesis and design of macromolecular metal chelates

This Springer Laboratory volume introduces the reader to advanced techniques for the separation and fractionation of polyolefins. It includes detailed information on experimental protocols and procedures, addressing the experimental background of different polyolefin fractionation techniques in great detail. The book summarizes important applications in all major fractionation methods with emphasis on multidimensional analytical approaches. It comprises the most powerful modern techniques, such as high temperature size exclusion chromatography (HT-SEC) for molar mass analysis, temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF) and crystallization analysis fractionation (CRYSTAF) for the analysis of chemical composition and branching, high temperature two-dimensional liquid chromatography (HT-2D-LC), solvent and temperature gradient interaction chromatography (SGIC and TGIC) and crystallization elution fractionation (CEF). Beginners as well as experienced chromatographers will benefit from this concise introduction to a great variety in instrumentation, separation procedures and applications. With detailed descriptions of experimental approaches for the analysis of complex polyolefins, the readers are offered a toolbox to solve simple as well as sophisticated separation tasks. The book starts with an introduction into the molecular complexity of polyolefins - the most widely used synthetic polymers with rapidly growing production capacities. It systematically discusses crystallization based fractionation techniques including TREF, CRYSTAF and CEF and column chromatographic techniques for molar mass, chemical composition and microstructure, as well as the combination of different fractionations in multidimensional experimental setups. This book also includes basic information on the application of high-temperature field-flow fractionation.

Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic, and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles, and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist.

Kalia and Fu's novel monograph covers cryogenic treatment, properties and applications of cryo-treated polymer materials. Written by numerous international experts, the twelve chapters in this book offer the reader a comprehensive picture of the latest findings and developments, as well as an outlook on the field. Cryogenic technology has seen remarkable progress in the past few years and especially cryogenic properties of polymers are attracting attention through new breakthroughs in space, superconducting, magnetic and electronic techniques. This book is a valuable resource for researchers, educators, engineers and graduate students in the field and at technical institutions.

Controlled radical polymerization techniques for molecular imprinting, by Mark E. Byrne From bulk polymers to nanoparticles, by Lei Ye Post-imprinting and in-cavity functionalization, by Toshifumi Takeuchi Characterization of MIPs (affinity, selectivity, site heterogeneity...), by Richard Ansell Theoretical aspects and computer modelling, by Ian Nicholls MIPs in aqueous environments, by Bin Lu MIPs for binding macromolecules, by Kenneth J. Shea Solid phase extraction, by Ecevit Yilmaz Sensors, by Sergey A. Piletsky MIPs for catalysis and synthesis, by Marina Resmini Wastewater treatment, by Bo Mattiasson MIPs as tools for bioassays, biotransformation and drug delivery, by Meiping Zhao

This book details current developments in all natural polymers, with a focus on animal and microbial polysaccharides. The book examines, compares, and contrasts the efficiency of plant and algae based natural polymers in inducing immune reactions. Additionally, the book details the safety and toxicity profiles with respective regulations.

The second edition of this textbook is identical with its fourth German edi tion and it thus has the same goals: precise definition of basic phenomena, a broad survey of the whole field, integrated representation of chemistry, physics, and technology, and a balanced treatment of facts and comprehen sion. The book thus intends to bridge the gap between the often oversimpli fied introductory textbooks and the highly specialized texts and monographs that cover only parts of macromolecular science. The text intends to survey the whole field of macromolecular science. Its organization results from the following considerations. The chemical structure of macromolecular compounds should be inde pendent of the method of synthesis, at least in the ideal case. Part I is thus concerned with the chemical and physical structure of polymers. Properties depend on structure. Solution properties are thus discussed in Part II, solid state properties in Part III. There are other reasons for dis cussing properties before synthesis: For example, it is difficult to understand equilibrium polymerization without knowledge of solution thermodynamics, the gel effect without knowledge of the glass transition temperature, etc. Part IV treats the principles of macromolecular syntheses and reactions.

This book presents recent research on natural fibers extracted from pineapple leaves. Covering several extraction processes, properties of pineapple leaf fibers and comparisons with other natural fibers, and their applications, it provides up-to-date information on the subject of natural fibers from prominent researchers in academia and industry as well as government/private research laboratories across the world. The book is a comprehensive reference resource for university and college faculties, professionals, postdoctoral research fellows, undergraduate/graduate students, researchers and scientists working in the areas of non-forest product utilization, natural fibers, and biomass materials.

This series presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in polymer and biopolymer science including chemistry, physical chemistry, physics and materials science. It is addressed to all scientists at universities and in industry who wish to keep abreast of advances in the topics covered.

Impact Factor Ranking: Always number one in Polymer Science. More information as well as the electronic version of the whole content available at: www.springerlink.com

1 Y. Tsujii, K. Ohno, S. Yamamoto, A. Goto, T. Fukuda: Structure and Properties of High-Density Polymer Brushes Prepared by Surface-Initiated Living Radical Polymerization.- 2 D.J. Dyer: Photoinitiated Synthesis of Grafted Polymers.- 3 T. Matsuda: Photoiniferter-Driven Precision Surface Graft Microarchitectures for Biomedical Applications.- 4 R. Advincula: Polymer Brushes by Anionic and Cationic Surface Initiated Polymerization.- 5 M.R. Buchmeiser: Metathesis Polymerization From and To Surfaces.-

As the demands put on the polymer/metal interface, particularly by the microelectronics industry, become more and more severe, the necessity for understanding this interface, its properties and its limitations, becomes more and more essential. This requires a broad knowledge of, and a familiarity with, the latest findings in this rapidly advancing field. At the very least, such familiarity requires an exchange of infonnation, particularly among those intimately involved in this field. Communications among many of us in this area have made one fact quite obvious: the facilities provided by existing organizations, scientific and otherwise, do not offer the forum necessary to accomplish this exchange of infonnation. It was for this reason that Jean-Jacques Pireaux, Steven Kowalczyk and I organized the first Metallization of Polymers, a symposium sponsored by the American Chemical Society, which took place in Montreal, September 25-28, 1989; the Proceedings from that symposium were published as ACS Symposium Series 440, (1990). It is this same per ceived lack of a proper forum, and the encouragement of my colleagues, that prompted me to organize this meeting, so as to bring to the attention of the participants new instruments, materials, methods, advances, and, particularly, thoughts in the field of polymer metalliza tion. The meeting was designed as a workshop, with time being made available throughout for discussion and for the consideration of new findings."

The three sections of this volume deal with topics of broad interest. The first deals with cetyl alcohol and is a most comprehensive study of this essential ingredient in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, with an explanation of its functionality. The second is a most comprehensive, up-to-date review of acid/base interactions of a variety of materials, including small molecules, proteins and polyelectrolytes. The third section describes the combined radiochemical and electrochemical methods in the evaluation of the properties of solids in contact with solutions.

The art and science of macromolecular architecture is based on synthesis, analysis, processing, and evaluation of physical properties of polymers. The growing specificity of available synthetic methods and the increasing refinement of analytical and physical analysis are gradually providing a deeper insight into structure-property relationships of polymers, upon which many applications can be based. This book deals with recent methods for polymer synthesis. Those that lead to specific structures have been selected especially. Background, mechanism scope and limitations, and illustrative procedures are given for each method. With this layout the editor hopes that the book will provide a practical guideline, for the synthetic polymer chemist in industry or at a university graduate school, on how to apply the methods in the design of new polymer structures. The editor is grateful to the authors not only for their contributions containing interesting new developments in polymer synthesis, but also for the way they have fitted their text into the general framework of the book. The elegant chemistry described in the following chapters will, it is hoped, inspire more organic chemists to apply their skills to polymer synthesis, where the beauty of organic chemistry in terms of structural control and reactivity may be even more apparent than in the low molecular field.

Supramolecular chemistry has been defined by J.-M. Lehn as "a highly interdisciplinary field of science covering the chemical, physical, and biological features of chemical species of higher complexity, that are held together and organized by means of intermolecular (noncovalent) binding interactions" (Science, 1993). Recognition, reactivity, and transport represent three basic functional features, in essence dynami s, which may be translated into structural features. The purpose of the NATO workshop which took place september 1-5, 1993 at the Bischenberg (near Strasbourg) was to present computations which may contribute to the atomic level understanding of the structural and thermodynamical features involved in the processes of molecular recognition and supramolecular organization. of "supra-molecular modeling." Other The main focus was therefore, on the many facets applications of computers in chemistry, such as automation, simulation of processes, procedures for fitting kinetic or thermodynamic data, computer assisted synthetic strategies, use of data bases for structure elucidation or for bibliographic searches, have an obvious impact in supramolecular chemistry as well, but were not presented at the workshop.