1.1 A Brief Historical Perspective
Early polymer scientists studied natural polymers, such as DNA, RNA, polypeptides, and polysaccharides (e.g., cellulose), but they did not immediately understand how the polymer’s chemical structure influenced behavior. For instance, in 1855, Alexander Parkes discovered that heated cellulose could be dissolved in a solvent and molded into various shapes. This modified cellulose was commercially used as an ivory substitute for high-value luxury items, such as billiard balls and pianos [1]. At this time, scientists envisioned hardened cellulose as a complex mass of randomly bonded atoms. When Hermann Staudinger published his theory that polymers were composed of atomic ...
