Macromolecular Self-assembly: From Polyethylene to Dendrimer-based Cell-like Mimics
The talk will outline research carried out over the past decade with computer simulation techniques aimed at probing macromolecular self-assembly. Recent results on polyethylene crystallization will give an indication of what is possible with state-of-the-art computers. The talk will also review novel synthetic work carried out over the past decade on advanced polymer systems based on dendritic macromolecules that self-assemble into cell-like objects. The latter can now be functionalized with sugar moieties and other constructs, which offer the prospect of their future utility in nano-medicine applications.
