Pierre-Gilles de Gennes and Polyvocality

Abstract

It has been 35 years since Pierre-Gilles de Gennes received the Nobel Prize in Physics. One of his many contributions to condensed matter physics was in polymer science. The following Spotlight article presents the many phenomena and explanations that earned de Gennes the Nobel Prize and sets his work in historical context. While he was primarily a theoretical physicist, he was keenly aware of all of the observable properties of the materials that drew his attention. When enough experiments had been carried out to create a quantitative picture of these systems, de Gennes created theoretical models that made real sense of the results. He was especially adept at constructing pictorial representations that allowed all scientists to appreciate polymer science and liquid-crystal chemistry. The discussion will include material understandable by all polymer scientists and more detailed presentations that attempt to make clear the essence of his theories. Perhaps the greatest contribution of Pierre-Gilles de Gennes to polymer science was his ability to talk to a very wide range of scientists and forge understandings that benefitted a wide range of practitioners, from industrial engineers to theoretical chemists and physicists (polyvocality).