POLYSOLVAT-14

The topic of this series of international conferences was originally centered on polymer systems that are obtained through the co-crystallization, or in a broader sense, through the co-organization of polymer chains or macromolecules with solvent molecules. These systems, which are also designated as polymer-solvent molecular compounds, crystallosolvates, intercalates…., typically form through molecular recognition (intercalates) and/or through specific molecular interactions (complexes). While complexes of this type were known for decades for biopolymers, such as cellulose/water, cellulose/amines, amylose/water, amylose/organic molecules,… their observation with synthetic polymers is much more recent which has triggered a renewal of interest towards these systems. The former six conferences were therefore entitled Polymer-solvent Complexes and Intercalates. It, however, turned out that more and more other systems, such as supramolecular polymers (self-assembled systems) and proteins complexes, were discussed, as the scientists involved in their study clearly shared common concerns, and in many cases similar scientific approaches. To acknowledge the broader range of systems presented in this series of conferences, it was felt that a new name should be coined. POLYSOLVAT seemed to be an appropriate choice: a short name that conveys the general idea of specific interactions of large molecules with smaller ones. The 7^th conference, that took place in Marrakech in 2008, was accordingly renamed POLYSOLVAT-7. As is now customary, POLYSOLVAT-14 will focus on the formation mechanisms, the morphology, the molecular structure, and the properties of compounds from synthetic polymers, biopolymers, proteins, and supramolecular polymers. The bulk state, the solutions and the systems formed at surfaces/interfaces will be considered.