Polymer Chemistry

1. Characterization of Polymers
   1. Spectroscopic Methods
      1. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
         1. Proton NMR
         2. Carbon-13 NMR
         3. Techniques for determining polymer structure
         4. Chemical shift and coupling constants
         5. Solid-state NMR for insoluble polymers
      2. Infrared Spectroscopy (IR)
         1. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
         2. Identification of functional groups
         3. Analysis of polymer backbone
         4. Interpretation of absorption bands
      3. Ultraviolet-visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis)
         1. Determination of optical properties
         2. Analysis of conjugated systems
         3. Bandgap estimation for conductive polymers
   2. Chromatography Techniques
      1. Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC)
         1. Determination of molecular weight distribution
         2. Use of universal calibration
         3. Integration with light scattering detectors
         4. Analysis of polymer dispersity
   3. Microscopy Methods
      1. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)
         1. Surface morphology examination
         2. Analysis of fracture surfaces
         3. Coating requirements for non-conductive samples
      2. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
         1. Study of internal structure and morphology
         2. Crystalline structure analysis
         3. Staining techniques for polymers
      3. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
         1. Surface topography measurements
         2. Phase imaging for composition analysis
         3. Measurement of mechanical properties at the nanoscale
   4. Thermal Analysis
      1. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
         1. Measurement of glass transition temperature (Tg)
         2. Analysis of melting temperature (Tm)
         3. Detection of crystallization and phase transitions
      2. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)
         1. Assessment of thermal stability
         2. Quantification of decomposition temperatures
         3. Evaluation of filler content in composites
      3. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA)
         1. Study of viscoelastic properties
         2. Measurement of storage and loss moduli
         3. Determination of damping behavior
   5. X-ray Diffraction (XRD)
      1. Analysis of crystalline structure
      2. Degree of crystallinity estimation
      3. Identification of polymer phases
      4. Applications in identifying polymer blends