Editing Polymer (section)

====Polymer architecture{{Anchor|Intermolecular forces}}====
{{Main|Polymer architecture}}
[[File:Polymer Branch.svg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|Branch point in a polymer]]

An important microstructural feature of a polymer is its architecture and shape, which relates to the way branch points lead to a deviation from a simple linear chain.<ref name="PP6">{{cite book |last1= Rubinstein |first1= Michael |last2= Colby |first2= Ralph H. |title= Polymer physics |url= https://archive.org/details/polymerphysics00rubi_825 |url-access= limited |year= 2003 |publisher= Oxford University Press |location= Oxford; New York |isbn= 978-0-19-852059-7 |page= [https://archive.org/details/polymerphysics00rubi_825/page/n14 6]}}</ref> A [[branching (polymer chemistry)|branched polymer]] molecule is composed of a main chain with one or more substituent side chains or branches. Types of branched polymers include [[star polymer]]s, [[comb polymers]], [[polymer brush]]es, [[dendronized polymer]]s, [[ladder polymer]]s, and [[dendrimer]]s.<ref name="PP6"/> There exist also [[two-dimensional polymer]]s (2DP) which are composed of topologically planar repeat units. A polymer's architecture affects many of its physical properties including solution viscosity, melt viscosity, solubility in various solvents, [[glass transition|glass-transition]] temperature and the size of individual polymer coils in solution. A variety of techniques may be employed for the synthesis of a polymeric material with a range of architectures, for example [[living polymerization]].