“Polymer Physics”, as taught to chemistry undergraduates, is known for its extensive use of theoretical formulas. A key challenge in this course is enhancing students' comprehension of fundamental physical concepts while cultivating theoretical analysis skills. Drawing from practical teaching experience, we developed a virtual simulation teaching software for teaching polymer physics that leverages the interactive and visualization capabilities of virtual simulation technology. This paper presents the platform’s core functionalities and discusses our teaching implementation experiences.

The addition reaction between thiols and vinyl ethers is an anti-Markovnikov addition reaction based on a free radical mechanism, which proceeds efficiently under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation in the presence of photoinitiator or photosensitizer. In this experiment, triethylene glycol divinyl ether (TEGDVE) and 3,6-dioxa-1,8-octanedithiol (DODT) were selected as monomers to synthesize poly(ether-thioether) polymers through thiol-ene click stepwise polymerization. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to determine the molecular structure of the polymers, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was employed to measure the molecular weight of the obtained polymers. Strategies to achieve high-molecular-weight polyaddition products were explored by adjusting the molar ratio of monomers and polymerization time. The mechanism of the polymerization reaction was further verified by introducing radical scavengers. This experiment serves as a simple, efficient, green, and environmentally friendly comprehensive polymer chemistry experiment.

The concept of free volume originated from the study of liquid viscosity and was later utilized by Fox and Flory in the analysis of the glass transition in polymer materials, establishing itself as a crucial tool for understanding various physical phenomena in polymers. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive discussion on free volume in educational contexts. This paper provides an overview of the origin, definition, and applications of free volume, explores different testing methods, and investigates the relationship between free volume and the physical properties of polymers. The study aims to deepen students’ understanding of the free volume concept, promote a comprehensive grasp of polymer physical processes, and inspire interest and enthusiasm for scientific research.

Polymer chain structures form a crucial fundamental concept bridging polymer chemistry and polymer physics. This paper presents a systematic pedagogical approach to teaching polymer chain structures, hierarchically covering the structures of repeating units, bonding sequences, molecular weights and their distributions, and the topological architectures of chains. Such systematic introduction aims to enable students to grasp the fundamental structural elements of polymer chains and their corresponding physical significance. Consequently, it lays a solid foundation for students to better understand the intricate relationship between the chemical structures and the physical properties of polymers.

Organic-inorganic lead halide perovskites, known for their numerous outstanding optoelectronic properties, have garnered significant interest among researchers and hold promising applications across various advanced optoelectronic devices. However, perovskites suffer from poor stability and are highly susceptible to factors such as light, humidity, and polar solvents. Consequently, enhancing their fluorescence stability remains a focal point of current research. Building on the foundation of the undergraduate suspension polymerization experiment in polymer chemistry, this study introduces an undergraduate-led polymer science experiment titled "Preparation and Fluorescence Stability of Perovskite Quantum Dots Encapsulated in Polystyrene Microbeads". This strategy combines polymer and perovskite materials, encapsulating organic-inorganic perovskites within polystyrene microbeads using a swelling-shrinkage strategy to form hybrid fluorescent microbeads. This approach not only enhances the stability of the perovskite materials but also broadens the applications of products from polymer science experiments. Additionally, employing the swelling-shrinkage strategy as a vanguard for cutting-edge research in this field not only aids undergraduates in understanding experimental principles but also greatly stimulates their interest in scientific inquiry. By translating cutting-edge research into an experimental teaching reform model for undergraduate education, students' experimental design capabilities, innovation skills, and overall quality have been effectively developed.

The course of polymer physics is rich in philosophical content, and this paper highlights the use of reverse thinking to tackle complex issues. For example, viewing the aggregation process of polymer chains as the reverse of dissolution, preparing macroscopic polymer single crystal by crystallizing monomers before initiating polymerization, rather than crystallizing polymers directly, and shifting from free volume approaches to understand the glass transition in polymers are discussed. This article shares insights from teaching experiences that help students deeply understand the fundamentals of polymer condensed states and molecular motions through reverse thinking.

As a special class of unconventional aggregation-induced emission (AIE) polymers, hyperbranched polysiloxanes have attracted much attention in luminescent materials due to their distinctive structure, excellent properties, and diverse applications. In this paper, starting from the incidental discovery of the luminescent properties of hyperbranched polysiloxanes with Si―O―C backbone structure, we innovatively developed the ‘transesterification polycondensation method’ inspired by the principle of classical esterification reaction. Through molecular design and structural modulation, the multicolor fluorescence emission from blue to red, high quantum yield and long fluorescence lifetime of hyperbranched polysiloxanes have been achieved. These materials also demonstrate practical applications in ion detection, information encryption, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging. Building on these breakthroughs, we present the concept of “Innovation Inspired by Classics” to cultivate students' dialectical thinking and innovative capabilities, while incorporating ideological and political elements into chemistry education.

Phase separation in polymer blends is a crucial method for polymer modification, which is covered in the course “Polymer Structure and Properties”. Different phase separation mechanisms result in distinct phase-separated structures, ultimately leading to various material properties. Understanding these mechanisms is essential yet challenging for students due to their abstract nature, making it a key focus in theoretical teaching. Based on years of teaching experience and research findings, we developed a process reproduction teaching method that demonstrates how phase diagrams of polymer blends are obtained. The teaching approach begins with basic binary mixture thermodynamics, then progresses to explaining thermodynamic behaviors of endothermic and exothermic binary systems at both low and high temperatures. Finally, it addresses complex binary blend thermodynamics and phase diagram construction. Using these phase diagrams, we explain two types of phase separation mechanisms under different compositions and temperatures. This teaching method has effectively helped students understand phase separation mechanisms, with some students successfully applying this knowledge to enhance ionic liquid gels.

As one of the key points in “Polymer Chemistry” course, the kinetics of polymer is difficult to instruct due to its high dependence on theoretical derivation. Ideal living and controlled polymerizations typically exhibit a first-order kinetic characteristic. However, when extending the system to a random copolymerization of two monomers, the complexity of polymer composition space increases significantly, making it difficult to directly transfer knowledge from homopolymerization characteristics. This paper, herein, addresses the monomer consumption kinetics of binary random living copolymerization from both theoretical derivation and Monte Carlo simulation perspectives. It demonstrates the complexity of living copolymerization kinetics and shows that first-order kinetics behavior is only observed under two specific conditions. This work provides new insights for teaching Polymer Chemistry, integrating both theoretical and simulation approaches.

The physical chemistry of polymer surfaces and interfaces is an important branch of polymer science, forming the scientific foundation for the design and preparation of high-performance polymer materials. Given the importance of polymer surfaces and interfaces in material design and applications, we explore integrating this knowledge into the undergraduate polymer physics course. We have reviewed and organized the knowledge system of polymer surface and interface science into three main modules: interface thermodynamics and molecular motion, physical phenomena at interfaces, and interface modification techniques. This structured framework provides a progressive, multidimensional approach to help students develop a comprehensive understanding of the structure, molecular dynamics, and physical properties of polymers at surfaces and interfaces, thus enriching and enhancing the polymer physics curriculum.

This article presents a scientific debate titled “Is White Pollution the Fault of Plastics?” conducted in the Polymer Physics course. Through seminar-style teaching, we guided students to actively participate in classroom teaching and research activities, thereby effectively fostering the mutual enhancement of teaching and learning.

The undergraduate students majoring in Polymer Materials and Engineering often face challenges such as weak foundational knowledge, insufficient innovation ability, and underdeveloped potential. To address these issues, we revised the undergraduate education program for Polymer Materials and Engineering major students at South China University of Technology, which is called Program 2017. In the new program, the class hours for basic courses were significantly increased, e.g., Physical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry now both having 112 h of instruction. Besides, practical training was strengthened, and some featured courses were added. The Program 2017 aims to cultivate students with a solid foundation, strong capabilities, and high potential, in line with first-class undergraduate education standards. Guided by Engineering Education Accreditation requirements and informed by seven years of practical experiences, the program has been continuously improved, resulting in remarkable achievements in undergraduate education. This paper outlines the revision and practical achievements of the education program.

This paper presents the design of a demonstration course on "Degradation and Aging" in polymer chemistry, developed in the context of environmental protection. By incorporating case-based teaching and a flipped classroom model, the course aims to expand students’ horizons while deepening their engagement with ideological and political education. Survey results indicate that the teaching case significantly increased students' interest in learning, facilitated the integration of theory and practice, and improved their research skills, environmental awareness, and sense of social responsibility, achieving the intended educational objectives.

To address the growing challenges of conventional teaching methods in the rapidly advancing high-tech field, this study introduces and implements a “project-patent-scholarly paper” integrated teaching model, using “Polymer Processing” course as a case study. This model integrates the distillation of scientific research problems, patent applications, intellectual property protection, and scholarly paper writing and submission into the teaching process. The implementation procedure, advantages, and potential for broader application of this model are explored. This model demonstrates broad applicability and significant potential in higher education chemistry teaching.

Composite solid propellant, serving as the propulsion source of various solid engines in missiles and space vehicles, consist of solid particles (oxidizer and metal fuel) embedded in polymer matrices (binders). This experimental teaching module addresses the challenge of “dewetting” under load in solid propellants, where adhesive and filler separation occurs, compromising interfacial interactions. Through controlled radical polymerization, a well-defined neutral macromolecular bonding agent with controlled molecular weight and composition was synthesized. Its molecular structure was characterized using hydrogen nuclear magnetic spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography system. This comprehensive experimental teaching not only deepens students' understanding of solid propellant technology, but also enhances their awareness of fundamental principles and methodologies in the field of cutting-edge polymer chemistry. Furthermore, it cultivates students' experimental operation skills, proficiency with sophisticated instrumentation, and capability in result analysis, bridging cutting-edge scientific research with the national imperative for talent development in critical technological domains.

The degradation and recycling of thermosetting polymers have emerged as a hot-topic in the field of polymer science under the background of “dual carbon” policy. Conducting a comprehensive experiment on the preparation of depolymerizable thermosetting polymers aligns well with modern societal development and facilitates students’ understanding of frontline scientific research. This experiment employs the Michael addition reaction to synthesize depolymerizable thermosetting polymers. The β-amino ester groups formed through the Michael addition reaction can dissociate under acidic conditions, enabling rapid depolymerization of the prepared thermosets. By engaging in this experiment, students can master the latest methods for fabricating depolymerizable thermosetting polymers and gain insight into the current trends in polymer materials research. This comprehensive experiment integrates cutting-edge scientific achievements with classroom teaching, providing a solid foundation for cultivating students’ innovation capabilities and their ability to apply professional knowledge comprehensively.

“Principles of Chemical Engineering” is an important foundational course for the polymer materials and engineering major, emphasizing engineering perspectives and strong practicality. This article explores the characteristics of the polymer materials and engineering major, discussing ways to optimize the theoretical teaching content, strengthen practical teaching elements, and improve assessment systems. The aim is to enhance the teaching quality of this course, and improve students' engineering awareness and abilities to solve practical industrial problems.

To achieve breakthroughs in scientific research, graduate students must avoid blindly trusting authority during the learning process. The key to breaking conventions and cultivating critical analytical thinking is to follow logic. Therefore, in the teaching process of polymer materials, the author introduces classic cases that challenge conventional theories, using RAFT polymerization-induced self-assembly as a case study. This approach encourages students to follow logical reasoning, question authoritative theories, and maintain a fact-based research attitude. This effectively stimulates students to actively learn, think, analyze and solve problems, and promotes the cultivation of their innovation ability.

The effective integration of aesthetics, ideological and political concepts is the key to improving the teaching quality of polymer science and cultivating high-quality talents in the new era. In this work, taking the ideological and political teaching practice of the general education course “Appreciation of Aesthetics in the Polymer World” as an example, we explore a new mode of compiling teaching materials with ideological and political themes as the main line, and conducting natural science teaching led by aesthetic experience, which not only helps students master the knowledge of polymer science, but also improves their humanistic qualities, and stimulates their patriotic feelings and sense of social responsibility.

Over the past 70 years, the Polymer Materials and Engineering major at the College of Chemistry, Jilin University, has developed into a distinguished undergraduate program in China. In 2020, it was selected as a “National First-Class Undergraduate Major Construction Point”. This paper presents an overview of the recent efforts in the development of the program, guided by the college’s talent cultivation objectives of “solid foundation, strong ability, and innovation competence” and its “three paradigms, four integrations” model, including curriculum development, teaching team formation, and the enhancement of the major’s unique features.

“Molecular weight determination of polymers by dilute solution viscosity method” is a classic experimental project in the courses of "Polymer Physics Experiment" and "Physical Chemistry Experiment". This project incorporates ideological and political education elements into the teaching process to enhance educational impact. For example, the introduction of Nobel laureate H. Staudinger’s definition of macromolecules aids students in appreciating the significance of molecular weight determination in the development of macromolecular science. Furthermore, the program encourages students to deepen their understanding of polymer molecular weight polydispersity and solubility properties through philosophical inquiry, and to groom the cultivation and application of scientific thinking.

In response to the evolving demands of the “new engineering” reform and addressing existing challenges in polymer engineering education, this paper takes the teaching reform of the “Comprehensive Training in Polymer Engineering” course as an example. It introduces the implementation and evaluation of an in-depth “industry-university-research” integration model in practical course teaching. By aligning the needs and resources of “industry” and “research” with the educational processes of “university,” the approach focuses on the construction of first-class undergraduate programs in polymer materials and engineering, as well as talent cultivation requirements. This study explores a distinctive talent training model for engineering education, achieving significant teaching outcomes. The findings provide valuable insights for cultivating polymer engineering professionals and advancing engineering education reform.

In the teaching of undergraduate Polymer Chemistry courses, polycondensation is commonly used as a teaching case of step-growth polymerization. While there is a close relationship between polycondensation and step-growth polymerization, this approach may cause confusion between these two polymerization concepts. This article proposes a new teaching case for step-growth polymerization, i.e., Barbier polymerization. Unlike traditional step-growth polymerization cases based on condensation reaction, Barbier polymerization is based on addition reaction and exhibits the characteristics of step-growth polymerization. The introduction of Barbier polymerization as a new teaching case for step-growth polymerization can help students understand step-growth polymerization in depth and avoid confusions in the basic polymerization concepts of polycondensation and step-growth polymerization.

With the development of the chemical engineering and new materials fields, the practical application skills of masters majoring in materials and chemical have grown significantly. Polymer Chemistry, a compulsory course for masters majoring in materials and chemical engineering, suffers from a lack of practical engagement, low exploratory depth, and poor student motivation. To address these issues, this reform introduces and intensifies experiment in polymer chemistry, innovates teaching methods and models, and establishes an engineering-based experimental teaching evaluation system. This reform is beneficial for improving the innovation capabilities, practical entrepreneurship and complex engineering problems-solving abilities for graduate students.

This study investigates the implementation of 3D printing technology in the “Polymer Physics Experiments” course, emphasizing the integration of ideological and political education elements. The project employs a hybrid teaching methodology that combines lecture-based instruction with independent design components. The curriculum design extensively incorporates ideological and political elements through both historical and contemporary perspectives: examining the evolution of material processing technologies and exploring the diverse applications of 3D printing across various fields. The course introduces philosophical considerations to cultivate students' problem-solving engineering mindset, innovative leadership capabilities, and collaborative team spirit. This approach achieves a comprehensive integration of technical education and ideological-political cultivation, establishing a foundation for developing new engineering professionals with robust technical expertise, scientific literacy, and ethical integrity.