The current book describes the chemical and physical behavior of polymers and biopolymers that form highly associating structures in equilibrium solution. It summons the established results known of polymer complexes in solution taking into account also the recent developments. It covers the whole range from synthesis and fundamental aspects to applications and technology of associated polymers.

I. Hydrophobically Associating Polymers.- 1 Synthesis and Characterization of Hydrophobically Associating Water-Soluble Polymers.- 2 Analysis of Hydrophobically Associating Copolymers Utilizing Spectroscopic Probes and Labels.- 3 Solution Properties of Hydrophobically Associating Water-Soluble Polymers.- 4 Aggregation of Hydrophobically Modified Polyelectrolytes in Dilute Solution: Tonic Strength Effects.- 5 Microdomain Composition in Two-Phase Hydrogels.- 6 Molecular Association and Polymerization of 1-Alkyl-4-vinylpyridinium Ions.- 7 Fluorocarbon-Modified Water Soluble Polymers.- II. Polyelectrolyte Complexes.- 8 Static Light Scattering of Polyelectrolyte Complex Solutions.- 9 Interaction Between Oppositely Charged Low Ionic Density Polyelectrolytes: Complex Formation or Simple Mixture?.- 10 Basic Properties of Soluble Interpolyelectrolyte Complexes Applied to Bioengineering and Cell Transformations.- 11 Conformation Presumption for Polysaccharide-Polylysine Complexation.- 12 Interpolymer Complexes and their Ion-Conduction.- 13 Fluorescence Probe Studies of Poly(acrylic acid) Interchain Complexation Induced by High Shear Flow and Influence of Cationic Surfactants on the Complexation.- III. Biopolymer Systems.- 14 Water-Soluble Biospecific Polymers for New Affinity Purification Techniques.- 15 Protein-Polyelectrolyte Complexes.- 16 Precipitation of Proteins with Polyelectrolytes: Role of Polymer Molecular Weight.- 17 Complex Coacervation: Micro-Capsule Formation.- 18 Complexation of Proteins with Polyelectrolytes in a Salt-Free System and Biochemical Characteristics of the Resulting Complexes.- IV. Ionomers in Solution.- 19 Ionomer Solutions: Polyelectrolyte or Ionomer behavior.- 20 Scattering Studies of Ionomer Aggregates in Nonpolar Solvents.