| Abstract: | This article aims to demonstrate that the fantasy of a polymer chemist needs have no limits. To achieve the targets, knowledge from all areas of chemistry, process technology, biology as well as other natural sciences comes into play. The examples given in terms of problems and solutions concentrate on challenges posed to synthetic, physical and technical chemists. Incorporating a –N=N‐function in the polymer forming the walls of micro‐capsules induces thermolability and makes the capsules suitable for use in thermal transfer printing. The inclusion of related functionalities such as–N=N–NR– or –N=N–P(O)(OR)2– in the polymer backbone makes these especially photo‐sensitive; they can be degraded by lasers and thus specific structures can be produced. It was originally suggested that polymers were not “pure” enough for use as OLED but thanks to progress in synthetic techniques and many obvious advantages when compared with small molecules polymers are becoming increasingly important in this application. Some examples have been specifically chosen to emphasise that cooperation between synthetic and physical chemists can be particularly fruitful. The section describing the use of the Spinning Disk Reactor is an example of the influence of process technology and also an advertisement for this relatively new reactor form which, in the opinion of the author, remains underappreciated. |
