The preparation, reactions and properties of high-molecular-weight polymeric materials of both natural and synthetic origin. Physical and organic chemistry of polymers for persons with a basic training in chemistry, physics or engineering. The course is a survey of preparative methods of polymers; step growth polymerization, radical polymerization, ionic polymerization, ring-opening polymerization, polymerization by transition metal catalysts and methods of characterization (nuclear magnetic resonance, Raman, infrared, intrinsic viscosity, differential scanning, calorimetry, gel permeation chromatography) and scattering (light, x-rays).