Article
Polymer Science
Nathanael Guigo, George Z. Papageorgiou, Nikki Poulopoulou, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris, Nicolas Sbirrazzuoli
Summary: Biobased poly(hexamethylene 2,5-furan dicarboxylate) (PHF) was successfully synthesized by a two-stage melt polycondensation method. The nonisothermal crystallization from the melt and glass states was studied using various thermal analysis techniques. The research reveals the changes in the crystallization mechanism and proposes a method for accurately simulating the crystallization rate curve.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Mohammad Nahid Siddiqui, Halim Hamid Redhwi, Dimitris S. Achilias
Summary: In this study, the thermal degradation of polymers is simulated using the random chain-scission model. By combining experiments and mathematical models, kinetic parameters with physical meaning are obtained for comparing the thermal stability of different polymers. The research shows that the dominant degradation mechanism for several polymers in the range of 30% to 90% relative degree of degradation is random scission.
JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL AND APPLIED PYROLYSIS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mina Aleemardani, Louis Johnson, Michael Zivojin Trikic, Nicola Helen Green, Frederik Claeyssens
Summary: In this study, photocurable (PGS-co-PEG)-M copolymers were successfully prepared by methacrylation of PGS-co-PEG. The methacrylation process enhanced the mechanical strength of the copolymers while reducing their bioadhesive properties. These photocurable copolymers have great potential for biomedical applications.
MATERIALS TODAY ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Yaqing Shang, Zhiguo Jiang, Zhaobin Qiu
Summary: Novel biobased and biodegradable PBS-b-PBSe multiblock copolymers were successfully synthesized with high thermal stability. The two blocks crystallized separately in both amorphous and crystalline phases. The mechanical properties of the copolymers were significantly improved compared to homopolymers.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nur Hafifah Nahdirah Jafri, Nor Hamidah Abu Othman, Mohd Firdaus Mohamad Yusoff
Summary: The study synthesized diester plasticizers based on suberic, azelaic, and sebacic acid with 2-ethylhexanol, and blended them with PVC using a solvent-casting technique. Compared to DEHP, the dicarboxylate ester plasticizers showed excellent compatibility with PVC and were evaluated for mechanical, thermal, and migration stability. The plasticized PVC films exhibited improved tensile strength, elastic modulus, and elongation at break. The synthesized plasticizers proved to be suitable alternatives to DEHP and can be used as primary or secondary plasticizers in food packaging, medical devices, and domestic appliances in the polymer industry.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Monika Smiga-Matuszowicz, Jakub Wlodarczyk, Malgorzata Skorupa, Dominika Czerwinska-Glowka, Kaja Folta, Malgorzata Pastusiak, Malgorzata Adamiec-Organisciok, Magdalena Skonieczna, Roman Turczyn, Michal Sobota, Katarzyna Krukiewicz
Summary: This paper introduces a scaffold material made of PLGA/PISEB fibers and confirms its biocompatibility towards HUVEC. During a 12-week hydrolytic degradation process, the PLGA/PISEB fibers swell and disintegrate, resulting in the formation of highly developed structures resembling seaweeds. The change in the scaffold structure is expected to have a positive effect on blood vessel regeneration.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Alejandro J. Cruz-Arzon, William Serrano-Garcia, Nicholas J. Pinto, Nikita Gupta, Alan T. Charlie Johnson
Summary: This study investigated charge transport in a field-effect transistor structure in a temperature range. At low temperatures, activation and hopping were dominant transport mechanisms, while phonon scattering dominated at high temperatures. The presence of deep traps within the polymer bandgap was observed, and the energy of the deep traps was dependent on the gate voltage. Furthermore, a metallic-like transport characteristic was observed at high temperatures, which could be attributed to enhanced electron delocalization and increased carrier density.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Ziyu Wei, Shanshan Zhou, Yuhong Xie, Yongyan Sun, Huimin Ma, Zhanghua Xie, Zhe Zhu, Jinjun Yang
Summary: Incorporating TMC306 as a nucleator into PES enhances the crystallization behavior of PES at lower weight fractions, but leads to a decline in crystallization at higher weight fractions. Interaction between TMC306 and PES through hydrogen bonding is indicated by IR results.
Review
Polymer Science
Maria Laura Di Lorenzo
Summary: PLLA and PBS are biodegradable, compostable, and biocompatible polymers that have complementary properties, making blending them an opportunity to exploit their favorable characteristics. However, research on the properties of PLLA/PBS blends has yielded contradictory results, creating complexity in their utilization.
Article
Polymer Science
Shiwei Feng, Zhiguo Jiang, Zhaobin Qiu
Summary: Three fully biobased PHFSe copolyesters with different HSe unit contents (10 mol%, 20 mol%, and 30 mol%) were synthesized successfully. The PHFSe copolyesters showed high thermal stability and their thermal and mechanical properties could be easily tuned by changing the HSe unit content.
Article
Polymer Science
Matthias Sandmeier, Nevena Paunovic, Riccardo Conti, Leopold Hofmann, Jieping Wang, Zhi Luo, Kunal Masania, Na Wu, Nicole Kleger, Fergal Brian Coulter, Andre R. Studart, Hansjoerg Gruetzmacher, Jean-Christophe Leroux, Yinyin Bao
Summary: Solvent-free 3D printing of biodegradable elastomers using macrophotoinitiator-polymer conjugates enables high-quality printing without the need for organic solvents. This approach allows for systematic investigation of structure-property relationships and offers new perspectives for additive manufacturing of bioresorbable medical implants and functional devices.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Abhiram Senapati, Suvendu Kumar Barik, Pradyumna Kumar Parida, Hrudananda Jena
Summary: Sodium niobium phosphate (SNP) glasses with different compositions were prepared and their non-isothermal kinetics of glass transition and crystallization were studied. The activation energy of glass transition was deduced from the dependence of glass transition temperature on the heating rate. The average activation energies of crystallization were calculated by different kinetic methods. The nucleation and growth of various crystalline phases formed on heat treatment were investigated through Avrami exponents and SEM analysis.
JOURNAL OF NON-CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Daegyu Lim, Su-il Park
Summary: Solid state polymerization (SSP) was used to modify poly(butylene sebacate-co-terephthalate) (PBSeT) at different temperatures. The results showed that PBSeT had higher viscosity and crystallinity, and improved thermal stability after SSP at 90°C for 40 minutes. SSP is a facile and rapid method for improving the crystallinity and thermal stability of synthesized PBSeT.
Article
Polymer Science
Beata Misztal-Faraj, Marcelina Ciupak, Ryszard Pecherski, Leszek Jarecki
Summary: The study analyzes the development of polymorphic composition in the isothermal crystallization process of unstressed amorphous PLLA, and predicts the relationship between the transformation degree of individual polymorphs and crystallization temperature as well as the overall transformation degree.
Article
Polymer Science
Luciana D'Urso, Maria Rosaria Acocella, Felice De Santis, Gaetano Guerra, Roberto Pantani
Summary: Biodegradable polymers, particularly poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), are attracting attention as an alternative to oil-based materials. However, PLLA has processing limitations due to slow melt crystallization kinetics. This study proposes the use of carbon-based nanofillers to overcome these limitations and improve the crystallization behavior of PLLA.
Review
Polymer Science
Athira John, Klementina Pusnik Cresnar, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris, Lidija Fras Zemljic
Summary: Due to increasing consumer demand, the food packaging industry is opting for packaging materials with active functions. Active compounds are added as coatings to the base packaging material for maintaining physicochemical properties and enhancing efficiency. Colloidal systems, specifically colloidal dispersions, are potential candidates for active coatings due to their controlled release and uniform distribution. This review focuses on analyzing the advantages of using natural bio-based substances and packaging materials like PLA, considering consumer awareness and environmental concerns. It also briefly discusses the antiviral concept through surface application, addressing the current pandemic crisis and cross-infection prevention.
Article
Polymer Science
Maria Anna Charitopoulou, Lambrini Papadopoulou, Dimitris S. Achilias
Summary: This study investigated the possibility of extracting bromine from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) using solvent extraction as a pretreatment method to reduce its toxicity before thermochemical recycling. The results showed that the bromine content was significantly reduced after multiple extractions using isopropanol, ethanol, and butanol solvents. The use of butanol completely eliminated bromine, enabling the recycling of pure plastics.
Article
Polymer Science
Dimitra Kourtidou, Dimitrios Karfaridis, Thomas Kehagias, George Vourlias, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris, Konstantinos Chrissafis
Summary: Poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF) nanocomposites reinforced with Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized in situ in this study. The incorporation of fillers resulted in changes in lamellar thickness and increased crystallinity of the PEF matrix, thus broadening its potential applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Eleftheria Xanthopoulou, Zoi Terzopoulou, Alexandra Zamboulis, Savvas Koltsakidis, Dimitrios Tzetzis, Katerina Peponaki, Dimitris Vlassopoulos, Nathanael Guigo, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris, George Z. Papageorgiou
Summary: The synthesis of a new high molecular weight aliphatic-aromatic polyester, poly(hexylene vanillate) (PHV), using 4-(6-hydroxyethoxy)-3methoxybenzoic acid via a two-stage melt polycondensation method is reported. The success of the polymerization was confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), while the number average molecular weight (Mn) was estimated by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). The thermal behavior, mechanical properties, and processability of PHV were investigated, showing its potential as a biobased polyester material.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eleni Evgenidou, Konstantina Vasilopoulou, Lelouda-Athanasia Koronaiou, George Kyzas, Dimitrios Bikiaris, Dimitra Lambropoulou
Summary: This study investigates the photocatalytic transformation of the antiviral drug abacavir using different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and assesses their efficiency in removing abacavir in different matrices. The results show that all processes are effective in eliminating abacavir within a short time, but the presence of organic matter or inorganic constituents can hinder the process. The study also identifies major transformation products and their evolution profiles in different matrices, indicating different transformation pathways dominate in each matrix. The toxicity prediction of the major transformation products suggests that only hydroxylation can detoxify the treated solution.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giulia Fredi, Edoardo Zonta, Alessandro Dussin, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris, George Z. Papageorgiou, Luca Fambri, Andrea Dorigato
Summary: This study successfully prepared and characterized polylactide/poly(propylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PLA/PPF) and polylactide/poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PLA/PBF) blends in bulk and fiber forms, and investigated the influence of poly(alkylene furanoate) (PAF) concentration and compatibilization on their physical, thermal, and mechanical properties. Both blends were successfully compatibilized by Joncryl, which improved the interfacial adhesion and reduced the size of PPF and PBF domains. PBF was found to effectively toughen PLA in bulk samples, while PPF showed no significant plasticizing effects. In fiber samples, both PPF and PBF exhibited plasticizing effects, resulting in significantly higher strain at break values compared to neat PLA.
Article
Polymer Science
Maria Lazaridou, Panagiotis A. Klonos, Eleni D. Barmpa, Apostolos Kyritsis, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris
Summary: This study investigates polymer blends based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(3,3-ethylene dithiodipropionate) (PEDPA) using various experimental techniques. Partial miscibility between the polymers is observed, with well-dispersed PEDPA/PLA structures in the PLA matrix. The crystallization of PLA is suppressed in the blends, while the melting behavior of PEDPA improves slightly.
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Iouliana Chrysafi, Nina Maria Ainali, Eleftheria Xanthopoulou, Alexandra Zamboulis, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris
Summary: This study investigates the thermal degradation of PESu/hemp fiber composites and identifies that the main degradation pathway is the β-hydrogen scission of the polymeric backbone. The results provide valuable thermal behavior information for the application of these composites as alternative wood plastic composites (WPCs).
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Dimitrios Gkiliopoulos, Dimitrios Bikiaris, Doukas Efstathiadis, Konstantinos Triantafyllidis
Summary: The study evaluated the reinforcing efficiency of SBA-15-type mesoporous silica as an additive in epoxy polymers. The effects of silica loading and its physicochemical characteristics on the properties of glassy and rubbery epoxy mesocomposites were examined. The addition of up to 6 wt.% silica improved the properties of glassy polymers, while up to 9 wt.% silica improved the properties of rubbery polymers.
JOURNAL OF COMPOSITES SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Lorenzo Martello, Nina Maria Ainali, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou
Summary: In this study, novel molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesized using penconazole as the template and various combinations of functional monomers and cross-linkers. The MIPs showed higher affinity for triazole pesticides in apple juice compared to non-imprinted polymers. The developed MIP-d-SPE-LC-MS method exhibited excellent selectivity and good performance for the enrichment and determination of triazole compounds in apple juice and river water samples.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katerina Papadopoulou, Evangelia Tarani, Nina Maria Ainali, Konstantinos Chrissafis, Christian Wurzer, Ondrej Masek, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris
Summary: In this study, PBSu and its bionanocomposites containing different amounts of biochar were prepared to investigate their thermal stability and decomposition mechanism. XPS was used to analyze the surface area of biochar and PBSu/biochar nanocomposites, and it was found that only physical interactions were present between PBSu matrix and biochar nanoadditive. TGA and Py-GC/MS were used to study the thermal stability and decomposition pathway, showing that the addition of biochar slightly reduced the thermal stability of PBSu nanocomposites and affected the decomposition mechanism.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Evangelia C. Vouvoudi, Aristea T. Rousi, Dimitris S. Achilias
Summary: The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution of products obtained after the addition of certain catalysts in the pyrolysis process of polymer blends found in waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE). The results indicate that Fe2O3 is the best choice for the decomposition of ABS, while Al-MCM41 is the best choice for HIPS. The presence of catalysts does not significantly change the degradation temperatures, but does affect the types of products obtained.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maria Anna Charitopoulou, Angelos A. Lappas, Dimitrios S. Achilias
Summary: Due to the increasing amount of plastic waste from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE), environmentally friendly solutions for handling them are needed. This study focused on the recycling of various plastic materials from WEEE. The polymers present in each device were identified using FTIR and their degradation behavior was investigated using EGA. Soxhlet extraction reduced the bromine content in the brominated samples by up to 35%. Most samples were found to be high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), with some being blends of polycarbonate (PC)/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) or ABS. Pyrolysis led to the recovery of monomers (e.g., styrene) or other valuable compounds (hydrocarbons or phenols) depending on the type of polymer present in each sample.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Maria Saridou, Alexandros K. Nikolaidis, Elisabeth A. Koulaouzidou, Dimitris S. Achilias
Summary: This study investigates the impact of gradual displacement of nanosilica by QA-clay nanoparticles on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of dental nanocomposite resins. The addition of 10wt% QA-clay improves the curing degree, reduces shrinkage and solubility, and yields flexural modulus and strength similar to the control group. These results lay the foundation for the development of dental restorative materials suitable for contemporary clinical applications.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL BIOMATERIALS
(2023)
