Terminology for aggregation and self-assembly in polymer science (IUPAC Recommendations 2013)

Jones, Richard G.; Ober, Christopher K.; Hodge, Philip; Kratochvíl, Pavel; Moad, Graeme; Vert, Michel

doi:10.1351/PAC-REC-12-03-12

Pure Appl. Chem., 2013, Vol. 85, No. 2, pp. 463-492

http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/PAC-REC-12-03-12

Published online 2012-12-16

Terminology for aggregation and self-assembly in polymer science (IUPAC Recommendations 2013)

Richard G. Jones¹*, Christopher K. Ober²*, Philip Hodge³, Pavel Kratochvíl⁴, Graeme Moad⁵ and Michel Vert⁶

¹ University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
² Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
³ University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
⁴ Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Praha, Czech Republic
⁵ CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Clayton South, Victoria, Australia
⁶ University Montpellier 1, Montpellier, France

Abstract: In the past, aggregation and self-assembly have been associated principally with micellar and colloidal systems of molecules; however, with the advent of supramolecular chemistry, molecular self-assembly has been opened to a much wider understanding that has facilitated access to a variety of different shapes and sizes, along with the construction of new and fascinating molecular topologies. This document aims at defining more than 150 terms related to aggregation and self-assembly in the particular case of macromolecules. The list is restricted to the most commonly encountered terms.