Mechanics of Bond Breaking: from Single Molecules to Polymer Networks (MBB 2025)

Bond breaking and reforming have a determining influence on the mechanical and rheological properties of polymer materials and are crucial features to understand and control. These molecular level processes have an impact across different length scales up to the macroscopic level, and it is therefore essential to establish links between these different length scales. However, correlating bulk mechanical performances with the nanomechanical properties of individual molecular constituents remains a major challenge. This symposium aims thus at bringing together scientists working at different length scales, from single molecules to bulk materials.

The scientific program will include topics such as:

• Covalent adaptable networks and vitrimers
• Fracture behavior
• Mechanochemistry
• Rheological and mechanical properties of polymer networks
• Self-healing
• Single molecule force spectroscopy
• Supramolecular materials

The 3-day symposium will take place in the prestigious rooms and gallery of the Palace of the Academies in Brussels.

It will include invited plenary lectures, keynote lectures, short communications selected from submitted abstracts and a poster session.