Architecture of Polymers: Topological Structure–Properties Relationship

Abstract

The structure–properties relationship is used as a basis in the description of experimental methods for the characterization of the topological structure of polymers. The possibilities of evaluating the molecular weights, molecular-weight distribution (MWD), and branching from the data on rheological, relaxation, and other physical properties are examined. From this standpoint, crosslinked polymers and equilibrium physical networks, as well as topologically linked macromolecules (polyrotaxanes and polycatenanes), are analyzed. Methods for the calculating relaxation spectra (RSs) from the experimental data are discussed.