Objective This proposal is a collaborative project to formulate molecular, thermodynamic and kinetic criteria for the appearance of columnar mesophases in flexible non-mesogenic macromolecules and to investigate thei stability, structure and morphology of these phases. The roles of intramolecular interactions of side groups in flexible macromolecules and of interchain interactions in the formation of columnar phases will be assessed and a unified set of principles underlying this phenomenon will be established. These principles will be applied to conventional carbon chain polymers in the search for conditions under which they might display similar mesophase behaviour. Various thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of crystal- crystal transitions in polymers forming columnar mesophases will be studied and their role in crystallisation and development of crystalline morphology will be investigated. Peculiarities of defects in 2D crystals and structural reorganisation processes in polymers exhibiting columnar mesophases will be investigated, with particular reference to their high molecular mobility. Specific features of rheological behaviour of the mesophases will be established and considered in relation to high molecular mobility and from the standpoint of a dislocation mechanism of their plasticity. Based on results obtained, various approaches to producing high performance and smart materials will be proposed, e.g. the conditions required for achieving very high degrees of orientation will be formulated. Programme(s) IC-INTAS - International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993- Topic(s) 3 - Chemistry OPEN - OPEN Call Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator University of Sheffield EU contribution No data Address Mappin Street S1 3JD Sheffield United Kingdom See on map Total cost No data Participants (5) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Eindhoven University of Technology Netherlands EU contribution No data Address 5600 MB Eindhoven See on map Total cost No data Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry Russia EU contribution No data Address 10 Vorontsovo Pole street 103064 Moscow See on map Total cost No data Ministry of Education of Russian Federation Russia EU contribution No data Address 33 International st. 392622 Tambov See on map Total cost No data Nesmeyanov Institute of Organo-Element Compounds of the RAS Russia EU contribution No data Address Vavilova 28 117813 Moscow See on map Total cost No data Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft G. W. Leibniz e.V. Germany EU contribution No data Address Hohe Strasse 6 01069 Dresden See on map Total cost No data