Established in 1962, the Polymers Division in the Material Measurement Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will soon celebrate its 50th year as a world leader in polymers research. The mission of the NIST Polymers Division is to serve as the Nation’s reference laboratory responsible for producing the measurement methods, standards, and data needed to advance the manufacture and use of “soft” materials (polymers and complex fluids), with the goal of improving industrial competitiveness and addressing national needs.
Now, in a Special Issue of Advanced Materials, Guest Editors Eric Lin and Marcus Cicerone present an overview of current research in the Polymers Division, including work on characterization of physical and chemical processes at the molecular level, biomaterials and cellular interfaces, and high-performance mold materials for nanoimprint lithography.
Currently, the Polymers Division at NIST consists of approximately 100 scientists working on a wide array of research topics that includin advanced imaging measurements of the interaction of biological systems with polymer materials, small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering measurements of nanostructured materials, the separation and purification of single-wall carbon nanotubes, and the development of new tests for the reliability of soft body armor. The Special Issue highlights recent progress in some of these areas. An overview of the Progress Reports, Reviews, Communications and Research News articles in the issue can be found here.
Access selected articles for free until the 1st of March:
Combinatorial and High-Throughput Screening of Biomaterials, Carl G. Simon Jr., Sheng Lin-Gibson
