This work is part of the Macromolecular Symposia. It is clearly structured into five parts, focusing on polymer synthesis and modification, biopolymers, physical chemistry and properties of polymers, polymer engineering, and applications as well as polymer processing and composites.

Macromolecules are essential for life and constitute the basics for molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics and food chemistry. They are also the constituents of polymers that find applications as plastics, fibers, elastomers, coatings, and adhesives in the electrical and optical industries, as well as in many other fields.

Macromolecular engineering includes the design and preparation of well-defined macromolecules, together with their precise characterization at various stages of synthesis and processing so a to optimize their macroscopic properties for specific functions and applications.

This is a state-of-the-art description of the synthetic tools used to precisely control various aspects of macromolecular structure, as well as modern characterization techniques at molecular and macroscopic level for various properties of well-defined (co)polymers in solution, bulk and at surfaces.
Volume 1 covers synthetic techniques, while Volume 2 deals with the elements of macromolecular structural control, such as chain microstructure, chain topology and special systems. The third volume discusses investigation techniques and characterization, while the final volume looks at emerging applications.