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Experimental Methods in Polymer Science
Journal of Controlled Release 82 (2002) 169 www.elsevier.com / locate / jconrel
Book review Experimental Methods in Polymer Science, edited by Toyoichi Tanaka, Academic Press, New York, NY, 2000, 604 pages. This handbook, edited by the late Toyoichi Tanaka, is designed to introduce polymer characterization techniques to researchers in polymer, materials, and biomaterials. The book is one volume in a set of handbooks that address theory, characterization, and computational methods in polymer science. The techniques covered in this handbook are described in chapters written by experts, who have developed and applied these techniques to understand polymer structure, morphology, mechanical properties, and interactions within polymeric systems. The first two chapters deal with determination of molecular and chain dimensions in polymers using light and neutrons scattering respectively. Most of the applications discussed are non-biological, but since these methods hold promise in the analysis of biomaterials, the concepts discussed are useful. The next chapter described fluorescence spectroscopy methods and their applications to polymers. Some of the applications discussed include conformation changes in racemic mixtures, phase transitions in gels, characterization of micelles, and liquid crystals. This chapter describes many useful experiments that are of immediate relevance to researchers in the area of biomaterials. The next chapter focuses on NMR methods and their applications in polymer science.
The chapter discusses solution NMR, solid state NMR, multi-dimensional NMR, and NMR imaging. Numerous examples of applications are presented, and this includes NMR methods applied to biopolymers such as synthetic polypeptides, fibrous proteins, and membrane proteins. Chapter 5 deals with mechanical spectroscopy of polymers and details methods to determine relaxational spectra of polymers. The final chapter is an introduction to the study of phase transitions in polymer hydrogels. Detailed methods of preparing hydrogels and characterization of phase transitions resulting from changes in both pH and ionic strength are examined. Overall, the book presents a fairly detailed overview of the above techniques. While not comprehensive, it serves as an introductory exposure to these methods. Some of the methods described in this handbook are quite relevant for biomaterials-based research (e.g., fluorescence, mechanical spectroscopy, NMR) and many of the techniques have not yet made sufficient impact in the field. Hence, exposing researchers in biomaterials and drug delivery to these techniques would be beneficial and this handbook serves that purpose well.
0168-3659 / 02 / $ – see front matter 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S0168-3659( 02 )00038-X
Balaji Narasimhan Department of Chemical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-2230, USA
Book review Experimental Methods in Polymer Science, edited by Toyoichi Tanaka, Academic Press, New York, NY, 2000, 604 pages. This handbook, edited by the late Toyoichi Tanaka, is designed to introduce polymer characterization techniques to researchers in polymer, materials, and biomaterials. The book is one volume in a set of handbooks that address theory, characterization, and computational methods in polymer science. The techniques covered in this handbook are described in chapters written by experts, who have developed and applied these techniques to understand polymer structure, morphology, mechanical properties, and interactions within polymeric systems. The first two chapters deal with determination of molecular and chain dimensions in polymers using light and neutrons scattering respectively. Most of the applications discussed are non-biological, but since these methods hold promise in the analysis of biomaterials, the concepts discussed are useful. The next chapter described fluorescence spectroscopy methods and their applications to polymers. Some of the applications discussed include conformation changes in racemic mixtures, phase transitions in gels, characterization of micelles, and liquid crystals. This chapter describes many useful experiments that are of immediate relevance to researchers in the area of biomaterials. The next chapter focuses on NMR methods and their applications in polymer science.
The chapter discusses solution NMR, solid state NMR, multi-dimensional NMR, and NMR imaging. Numerous examples of applications are presented, and this includes NMR methods applied to biopolymers such as synthetic polypeptides, fibrous proteins, and membrane proteins. Chapter 5 deals with mechanical spectroscopy of polymers and details methods to determine relaxational spectra of polymers. The final chapter is an introduction to the study of phase transitions in polymer hydrogels. Detailed methods of preparing hydrogels and characterization of phase transitions resulting from changes in both pH and ionic strength are examined. Overall, the book presents a fairly detailed overview of the above techniques. While not comprehensive, it serves as an introductory exposure to these methods. Some of the methods described in this handbook are quite relevant for biomaterials-based research (e.g., fluorescence, mechanical spectroscopy, NMR) and many of the techniques have not yet made sufficient impact in the field. Hence, exposing researchers in biomaterials and drug delivery to these techniques would be beneficial and this handbook serves that purpose well.
0168-3659 / 02 / $ – see front matter 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S0168-3659( 02 )00038-X
Balaji Narasimhan Department of Chemical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-2230, USA