1.

Molecular Characterization

• Ways to find molecular weight distributions for insoluble polymers

• Better ways to determine branch content and sequence information

• Better ways of measuring how branch content and monomer composition are distributed over range of molecular weights

2.

Solutions, Melts, and Elastomers

• Better ways to measure the distribution of molecular lengths between cross-links

• More intense sources of long-wavelength neutrons to make possible time-resolved experiments

• Better techniques for the preparation of isotopically labeled biomaterials

3.

Solid-State Structure and Properties

• Energy-filtered soft X-ray microscopy

• Electron tomography

• New techniques for reducing electron radiation damage

• Chemical-imaging transmission electron microscopy

• Ways to measure plastic deformation and fracture properties of small samples

• Methods to probe mechanism of shear yielding in glassy polymers

• Methods to characterize the microscopic deformation of rubber-modified polymers at impact strain rates

• New techniques for the solution of the phase problem in biomolecules

• Computational techniques for the solution of nonglobular virus structures such as the AIDS virus and complex structures such as those of molecular motors

4.

Surfaces and Interfaces

• Analysis techniques that can characterize curved interfaces

• Interface analysis techniques with both good depth resolution and good lateral resolution

• Ways to use atomic force microscopy to characterize local mechanical properties

5.

Biopolymers

• Scanning tunneling microscopy to read out biopolymer sequences

• Rapid sequencing methods

• Computer algorithms to predict biomolecular structures from sequences

• Higher-resolution electrophoretic methods for separating large biopolymers

• Time-resolved Laue diffraction methods for X-ray crystal structure determination

• Hydrogen exchange nuclear magnetic resonance for local motions and internal structure of biopolymers