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Role of Conformational Entropy in Complex Macromolecular Systems

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Chemical Research in Chinese Universities Aims and scope

Abstract

Conformation is the key to revealing the physical characteristics of macromolecular systems and receives tremendous interest from the fields of polymer physics and biological materials. The conformational entropy, related to the number of conformations of the macromolecule, plays a predominant role in the structural formation, transition, and dynamics of macromolecular systems. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the research, development and applications of the conformational entropy in complex macromolecular systems. We begin by discussing the physical origin of the conformational entropy based on statistical mechanics of macromolecules in classical polymer physics, and then introduce the recent progress on the predictive modeling of the conformational entropy, associated with a variety of typical macromolecular systems. Furthermore, we also highlight several principles and rules, which have been harnessed to manipulate the structural organization of complex macromolecular systems through the conformational entropy. We anticipate that this review will further promote fundamental research in polymer physics, and offer intriguing prospects for applications in complex macromolecular systems including biomacromolecules, grafted nanoparticles, and polymer nanocomposites.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natual Science Foundation of China (Nos.22025302, 21873053) and the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2016YFA0202500).

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China

    Xiaobin Dai, Hai-Xiao Wan, Xuanyu Zhang, Wenjie Wei, Wenlong Chen & Li-Tang Yan

  2. Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry, SINOPEC, Beijing, 100013, P. R. China

    Longgui Zhang & Juan Li

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  1. Xiaobin Dai
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  2. Hai-Xiao Wan
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  3. Xuanyu Zhang
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  7. Juan Li
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Correspondence to Li-Tang Yan.

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YAN Li-Tang is a youth executive editorial board member for Chemical Research in Chinese Universities and was not involved in the editorial review or the decision to publish this article. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Dai, X., Wan, HX., Zhang, X. et al. Role of Conformational Entropy in Complex Macromolecular Systems. Chem. Res. Chin. Univ. 39, 709–718 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40242-023-3174-2

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