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Topological Gels

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Polymeric Nanomaterials

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Synonyms

Cross-linked necklace; Polyrotaxane gel; Slide-ring materials; Supramolecular network

Definition

Topological gels are cross-linked polyrotaxane. Cross-linking junctions consisting of cyclic molecules can move freely in polymer network unlike usual chemical gels and rubbers. In other words, polymer chains can pass through cross-linking junctions freely. Topological gels show extreme softness and strong shape recovery.

Introduction and Historical Background

Since the discovery of cross-linking in natural rubber with sulfur in 1839 by Goodyear, the cross-linking of polymeric materials has become one of the most important topics in polymer science and technology [1, 2]. Gels are typical cross-linked materials containing solvents in network. All gels have been classified into two categories: chemical gels and physical ones [3]. Physical gels have noncovalent cross-linking junctions from ionic bonding, hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonding, microcrystal formation, helix...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5-603 Kashiwanoha, 277-8561, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan

    Kohzo Ito

Authors
  1. Kohzo Ito
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kohzo Ito .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Fiber and Textile Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

    Shiro Kobayashi

  2. Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany

    Klaus Müllen

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Ito, K. (2015). Topological Gels. In: Kobayashi, S., Müllen, K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Polymeric Nanomaterials. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29648-2_55

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