This volume summarizes the papers presented at the second Osaka University Macromolecular Symposium OUMS '95 on "New Macromolecular Architecture and Functions" which was held at Senri Life Science Center, Osaka, Japan, on June 2 through June 5, 1995. The symposium covered the three topics, (1) Controlled Polymerizations, (2) Macromolecular Organized Systems and (3) Biomimetic Polymers, and invited leading scientists in these fields. At present, any of these topics is a hot issue in itself and frequently taken up separately on many occasions. It is noted, however, that all these topics are correlated with each other with the keyword "molecular design of new types of polymers" and their combination provides a unique feature of the present symposium in reflecting the interactions among investigators working in these important fields with the common ground expressed by the keyword "molecular design of new types of polymers". Twenty five invited lectures and twenty nine posters were presented at the Symposium, and twenty of the lectures contribute to this volume. In the first topic, preparations of sequentially of stereoregularly controlled polymers were discussed from the view points of precise design of polymer preparation on the molecular level; attention was paid to a possibility of living radical polymerization, preparations of new types of living polymers, recent advances in preparation of stereospecific living polymers, sequential control in block copolymers, and molecular design of initiators and/or catalysts for the controlled polymerizations.
