Selected successful approaches in combinatorial materials research

Combinatorial materials research (CMR) is still a relatively young field of research. Nevertheless, it already provides successful strategies for a fast and accurate evaluation of a large variety of different research problems. Some of these approaches in CMR considering polymeric materials will be discussed and highlighted within this contribution by focussing on three prominent literature examples: structure-property relationships in biomaterials research, material properties evaluation utilizing thin film polymer libraries as well as the parallel and automated study of polymer based reversed unimolecular micelles and their application possibilities. These examples are meant to demonstrate the almost unlimited possibilities of combinatorial approaches in polymer science rather than to provide an extended overview of the field.