Shape Persistence of Synthetic Polymers

Traditional methods for making synthetic polymers do not allow much control over polymer shape, but recent advances are enabling the stiffness of polymer chains to be controlled, with potential applications ranging from photonics to optoelectronics. In this Perspective, Ober reports on a recent meeting at the Max-Plank Institut fA¼r Polymerforschung, held in honor of Gerhard Wegner on the occasion of his 60th birthday, where strategies for controlling polymer shapes were discussed.