International
Symposium on New Approaches in Polymer Synthesis and Macromolecular
Formation
Symposium
Editors, A. Yu. Bilibin and S.S. Skorokhodov
Editor-in-Chief, Hartwig Hocker
Wiley-VCH (1998), pp. 1-254
ISBN 3-85739-325-4.
Preface
International
Symposium "New Approaches in Polymer Synthesis and Macromolecular Formation"
was organized by the Institute of Macromolecular Compounds of Russian
Science Academy and the Chemistry Department of Saint-Petersburg State
University. It appeared to be a logical continuation of the Saint-Petersburg
Polymer Meetings well known due to the 1-st and 2- nd IUPAC Symposia
"Molecular Order and Mobility in Polymers".
The Symposium was held under the sponsorship of IUPAC. Besides, financial
support was provided by Saint-Petersburg Telephone Network, Russian
Foundation of Fundamental Researches, Saint-Petersburg Research Centre
of Russian Science Academy and European Research Office of US Army.
Organizers would like to express their sincere thanks to all sponsors.
24 plenary lectures were declared to be delivered by the most active
and prominent scientists in polymer chemistry. Not all of them found
an opportunity to come to Saint-Petersburg. That is why the final program
included 21 plenary lectures.
The Symposium was originally planned to be divided in four sections:
A - New approaches in chain- and step-growth polymerization B - Catalysis
in polymer synthesis C - New macromolecular architecture D - Non-traditional
methods of macromolecular formation
However, the abstracts having been delivered made it very difficult
to follow this division. That reflects really existing interconnection
and interpenetration of contemporary polymer chemistry branches.
About 130 scientists from 18 countries have attended the Symposium as
registered participants. The message of greetings from the IUPAC was
read out by the Honorary Chairman of the Symposium, President of Macromolecular
Section of the IUPAC Professor James Economy.
The present volume includes texts of 21 plenary and oral lectures. Editors
tried to follow up to the declared division in arrangement of the lectures.
But it was mentioned above that the division was somewhat arbitrary.
Of course, not all set problems have been solved by this Symposium.
That may be explained by relatively narrow circle of participants. Apparently,
it would be reasonable to organize the second symposium on this topic
in some interval of time.
Organizers would like to express their gratitude to all participants
attending the Symposium and special thanks to Professor Economy who
followed organizational matters during all preparatory period and whose
contribution to success of the Symposium is impossible to overestimate.
Prof. A. Bilibin
