The 10th IUPAC International Symposium on Macromolecule-Metal Complexes (MMC-10) took place from May 18-23, 2003 in a boat traveling from Moscow along the Volga river. Areas presented included several basic and applied topics in the field of advanced MMC. Presented were the latest results in the fundamental aspects of: Macromolecule metal complexes (synthesis, structure, properties) Electron and photonic transfer Catalysis and separation processes Supramolecules Dendrimers Molecular recognition Metal ion conductive polymers Environmental application of MMC were widely discussed.

The international symposium “POLYCONDENSATION 2002” (15-18 September, in Hamburg, Germany) was the 4th meeting of a series launched in Paris 1996. This symposium covered topics such as: New theories New synthetic methods Block copolymers Hyperbranched polymers Liquid crystalline polymers Properties and application This book contains (oral) contributions of the symposium.

This volume contains papers based on the main lectures, oral communications and selected posters presented at the 4th International Conference of Polymer-Solvent Complexes and Intercalates held as the 63rd meeting of Prague Meetings on Macromolecules in Prague in July 2002. Many aspects of the polymer-solvent interactions, structure and dynamics in solution, gels, solids and interfaces are discussed in detail herein. The wide scope of the presented results is evidence of the growing impact of this field on various research areas.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.

SCFs are currently the subjects of intense research and commercial interest. Applications such as the RESS (rapid expansion of supercritical fluid solutions) process are part of standard industrial practice. In view of their ever-growing importance in the polymer industry there is a need to fully comprehend how supercritical fluids interrelate with polymeric materials to realise the potential that can be gained from their use. The authors review the basic principles of SCFs and their application within the polymer industry: characteristics and properties, extraction of unwanted residual products, polymerisation solvents, and polymer impregnation. Processing applications such as plasticisation, foaming and blending are also considered. There is discussion of the potential within the polymer recycling industry for use of SCFs as cleaning agents or within supercritical oxidation processes. Around 400 references with abstracts from recent global literature accompany this review, sourced from the Polymer Library, to facilitate further reading. A subject index and a company index are included.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.

This report contains a review of the state of the art in photoinitiated polymerisation. The review is divided into two main parts. The first part is devoted to a basic description of the different photoinitiation processes encountered. In the second part photopolymerisation reactions are presented and discussed. This review is published together with an indexed section containing bibliographic references and abstracts to the cited articles.

The review sets out to highlight the major developments in this field over the last decade. The different techniques used to prepare PLS nanocomposites are covered. The physicochemical characterisation of PLS nanocomposites and the improved materials properties that those materials can display are discussed. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database provides useful references for further reading.

This review discusses the preparation of highly ordered polyacetylene blends and compares forms of polyacetylene obtained by different methodsand includes an analysis of the formation of defects in polyacetylene during growth of the polyene chain and cis-trans isomerisation. The mechanism of acetylene polymerisation with rhenium catalysts, and the reactivity of highly ordered polyacetylene blends to oxidation and doping are also discussed. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database gives useful references for further reading.