Dear Colleagues,

Understanding of structure–property relationships in polymeric materials has been a central subject for several decades. Such relationships can be utilized for the development of functional and high-performance polymeric materials. Although analyses of microphase-separated structures in block copolymers, higher-order crystalline structures in crystalline polymers, or agglomeration structures of carbon black in elastomeric materials have been performed using many experimental techniques, such as small-angle X-ray (or neutron) scattering (SAXS or SANS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and so on, such structural information is not strongly correlated with material properties due to the size being too microscopic to control macroscopic properties. More appropriate size-scaled information is required for the purpose of property control. In this regard, the experimental techniques for higher-order structure analyses are also needed. Promising experimental techniques are ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS), anomalous SAXS, X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy, depolarized light scattering, and grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray (or neutron) scattering (GISAXS or GISANS), as well as the above-mentioned techniques. Recently, these techniques have become more common and have been utilized in many different fields of polymeric materials. The significance of understanding the hierarchy in polymer structures is now being commonly recognized in many different fields of polymeric materials. Therefore, this Special Issue of Polymers is proposed, entitled “Hierarchy in Polymer Structures and Related Properties (or Phenomena)”.

Prof. Dr. Shinichi Sakurai
Prof. Dr. Kohji Tashiro
Guest Editor

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• Hierarchical Structures in Block Copolymers
• Hierarchical Structures in Tires and Other Elastomeric Materials
• Hierarchical Structures in Crystalline Polymers
• Hierarchical Structures in Adhesive Materials
• Static Analyses of Hierarchical Structures
• In-situ Analyses of Changes in Hierarchical Structures under the Operating State of Polymeric Materials
• Control of Orientation of Hierarchical Structures
• Optical Properties in Relation with Hierarchy in Structure
• Mechanical Properties in Relation with Hierarchy in Structure
• Dynamics in Each Hierarchy of Structures
• Hierarchical Structures in Thin Films