Role of Conformational Entropy in Complex Macromolecular Systems

Conformation is the key to revealing the physical characteristics of macromolecular systems and receives tremendous interest from the fields of polymer physics and biological materials. The conformational entropy, related to the number of conformations of the macromolecule, plays a predominant role in the structural formation, transition, and dynamics of macromolecular systems. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the research, development and applications of the conformational entropy in complex macromolecular systems. We begin by discussing the physical origin of the conformational entropy based on statistical mechanics of macromolecules in classical polymer physics, and then introduce the recent progress on the predictive modeling of the conformational entropy, associated with a variety of typical macromolecular systems. Furthermore, we also highlight several principles and rules, which have been harnessed to manipulate the structural organization of complex macromolecular systems through the conformational entropy. We anticipate that this review will further promote fundamental research in polymer physics, and offer intriguing prospects for applications in complex macromolecular systems including biomacromolecules, grafted nanoparticles, and polymer nanocomposites.