Lecture: Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. (60 Min.), C05
Exercise: Tuesdays, 11:15 a.m. till 12:00 noon, C05
Scripts - Physical Chemistry of Polymers 1 (login with your JGU account)
Goal
This lecture aims at establishing a basis of knowledge and competence for understanding fundamental structure–property relations of polymers, such to arc further teaching contents in the fields of polymer chemistry and materials engineering.
Requirements
Basic knowledge in organic and physical chemistry as well as mathematics, as taught in bachelor-level classes of these fields.
09.032.641 Lecture: Introduction to Macromolecular Chemistry: Physical Chemistry of Polymers
Preface to the Summer Term 2025
Dear students:
This is one of several online presences for the hybrid lecture "Physical Chemistry of Polymers 1" at JGU Mainz. Another online presence can be found on our e-learning platform Moodle; it will automatically show up there under your content if you are registered for this class.
What does "hybrid lecture" mean? It means that the lecture takes place in equal parts in digital and in real space. In the digital part, you can acquire the basic knowledge all by yourself. For this purpose, short scripts, each covering one of a total of nine lesson units of this lecture (that would normally be featured in a classical 90-min lecture-hall format each), are available to you as working materials in the "Scripts" section of this website and (alternatively), on our university`s e-learning platform Moodle. In addition, nine accompanying digital lectures, in the format of both a video and an audio-podcast each, are available to you for streaming on this website and on Moodle. You can view/listen them at home, supported by the scripts, and thus consume the lecture contents conveniently from your private place. As further accompanying material, the textbook "Physical Chemistry of Polymers" (S. Seiffert, DeGruyter 2020) is recommended, which presents the content in even greater depth and detail. You can lend it from our MIN Bereichsbibliothek (that's the library underneath the chemistry lab-classrooms); they have a decent number of both paper copies and e-Book licenses.
With these materials, you will be able to work through the lecture material completely by yourself; and you should also be able to pass the exam. If you like, however, you are also cordially invited to attend a classroom session, which takes place on Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:00 in Lecture hall C05. On these dates, we will work together in lively and interactive groups to deepen and anchor the understanding of the lecture material. We will meet once a week and work through one by one of the lecture topic-units, respectively. Participation in this presence format is voluntary, and the exam can be well passed without. It is to be expected, though, that true understanding of the lecture content can profit a lot from participation in this presence part of the class.
Accompanying to the lecture, there is an exercise. It takes place in presence. Dates are announced above and below on this website.
Your teacher,
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Seiffert
Audio- and Videostreams
1. Introduction
Video: click here
Audio:
2. Ideal Chains
Video: click here
Audio:
3. Entropy Elasticity
Video: click here
Audio:
4. Real Chains
Video: click here
Audio:
5. Flory Theory
Video: click here
Audio:
6. Chain Dynamics
Vide: click here
Audio:
7. Flory–Huggins Theory
Video: click here
Audio:
8. Phase Diagrams
Video: click here
Audio:
9. Osmotic Pressure
Video: click here
Audio:
10. Schlusswort
Video: click here
Audio:
Topics and Contents
1. Introduction
Delimination of the Field of Macromolecular Chemistry, History of the Discipline, Definition of the Teaching and Learning Targets of this Lecture
2. Ideal Chains
Chain Conformation, End-to-End Distance, Radius of Gyration, Characteristic Ratio, Kuhn Model, Persistence, Random Walk Statistics, Gaussian Coils, Free Energy of Ideal Chains, Entropy Elasticity, Fractality of Polymers
3. Real Chains
Interaction Potentials, Mayer f-Function, Excluded Volume, Types of Solvents, Theta State, Conformation of Real Chains, Flory Theory, Blob Model, Rouse and Zimm Dynamics
4. Thermodynamics of Polymer Systems
Lattice Model, Flory–Huggins Theory, Chi Parameter, Solubility Parameters, Phase Behavior of Polymer–Solvent and Polymer–Polymer Systems, Osmotic Pressure
Dates and Lessons
Apr. 24, 2025: Preface
May 08, 2025: Introduction
May 15, 2025: Ideal Chains
May 22, 2025: Entropy Elasticity
Jun. 05, 2025: Real Chains
Jun. 12, 2025: Flory Exponent
Jun. 26, 2025: Chain Dynamics
Jul. 03, 2025: Flory–Huggins Theory
Jul. 10, 2025: Phase Diagrams
Jul. 17, 2025: Osmotic Pressure
09.032.650 Exercise: Introduction to Macromolecular Chemistry (Part 1 + 2)
Dates and Excercise Topics
May 15, 2025: Ideal Chains
May 29, 2025: Entropy Elasticity
Jun. 12, 2025: Excluded Volume
Jul. 03, 2025: Flory Theory
Jul. 17, 2025: Polymer Thermodynamics
Results of the Exam written on March 05, 2025
PC Part
You can check your exam on Friday 7th of March between 10:00 and 11:30 in the coffee corner in front of the office of W.Schärtl (02-424, Physical Chemistry Building)
procedure: max. 4 students at the same time, max. time per student 10 minutes ... you will be handed an exemplaric solution with your exam, and any objections from your side will be noted and checked later in detail)
| Sum | Percent | Marks | Code |
| 47,0 | 94,0 | 1,0 | 21 |
| 45,0 | 90,0 | 1,0 | 7 |
| 43,0 | 86,0 | 1,3 | 16 |
| 41,5 | 83,0 | 1,3 | 6 |
| 39,0 | 78,0 | 1,7 | 14 |
| 38,5 | 77,0 | 2,0 | 23 |
| 37,0 | 74,0 | 2,0 | 13 |
| 37,0 | 74,0 | 2,0 | 17 |
| 36,5 | 73,0 | 2,3 | 35 |
| 36,0 | 72,0 | 2,3 | 1 |
| 36,0 | 72,0 | 2,3 | 38 |
| 33,0 | 66,0 | 2,7 | 24 |
| 32,0 | 64,0 | 3,0 | 36 |
| 30,5 | 61,0 | 3,3 | 3 |
| 30,5 | 61,0 | 3,3 | 39 |
| 29,5 | 59,0 | 3,3 | 20 |
| 28,0 | 56,0 | 3,7 | 4 |
| 26,0 | 52,0 | 4,0 | 19 |
| 25,5 | 51,0 | 4,0 | 26 |
| 24,0 | 48,0 | 5,0 | 37 |
| 24,0 | 48,0 | 5,0 | 40 |
| 23,0 | 46,0 | 5,0 | 15 |
| 21,0 | 42,0 | 5,0 | 22 |
| 20,5 | 41,0 | 5,0 | 25 |
| 20,5 | 41,0 | 5,0 | 2 |
| 20,5 | 41,0 | 5,0 | 11 |
| 20,0 | 40,0 | 5,0 | 31 |
| 18,0 | 36,0 | 5,0 | 12 |
| 17,5 | 35,0 | 5,0 | 5 |
| 16,5 | 33,0 | 5,0 | 30 |
| 15,0 | 30,0 | 5,0 | 18 |
| 14,5 | 29,0 | 5,0 | 8 |
| 14,5 | 29,0 | 5,0 | 10 |
| 13,0 | 26,0 | 5,0 | 32 |
| 13,0 | 26,0 | 5,0 | 33 |
| 8,0 | 16,0 | 5,0 | 9 |
| 3,5 | 7,0 | 5,0 | 27 |
Note: marks are just a feedback for the physical chemistry part, not the final grades you will receive for the whole exam!