Associative polymers in aqueous solution

Water soluble polymers with pendant hydrophobic substituents associate in water to form extended structures. Solutions of the polymers have important applications in technologies ranging from paints and paper coatings (as rheology modifiers) to DNA sequencing (where the network structure serves as a sieving medium). Recent experiments are beginning to reveal the nature of the structures formed and their response to shear. Many facets of the behavior of these polymers are under active investigation.