Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yiming Liu, Jizhe Xu, Yiming Zhang, Yong Shen, Zhibo Li
Summary: In this study, the rapid ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of gamma-butyrolactone (γ-BL) using a bisurea and an organophosphazene base as the binary catalyst was presented. Well-defined poly(gamma-butyrolactone) (P gamma BL) samples with various terminal groups were prepared, achieving a moderate monomer conversion of 61% within 10 mins and producing high-molecular-weight P gamma BL with M-n up to 37.5 kDa and good mechanical properties. The use of bisurea as a co-catalyst exhibited higher catalytic activity compared to previous monourea catalysts, significantly reducing the energy cost for the ROP of γ-BL conducted at low temperature condition. This study may overcome obstacles for the scalable production and practical applications of P gamma BL.
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xing Yang, Hua-Zhong Fan, Zhongzheng Cai, Qi Zhang, Jian-Bo Zhu
Summary: Monomer design strategy is a powerful tool for synthesizing polymers with desired functionalities. In this study, a novel monomer BTO was designed and synthesized. The resulting polymer exhibited living polymerization characteristics and high molecular weight with narrow dispersity. The polymer displayed elastomeric behavior at room temperature and its mechanical properties were modulated by copolymerization. Furthermore, oxidation and debenzylation reactions allowed the adjustment of the glass transition temperature and introduction of hydroxyl groups. Ultimately, the polymer could be hydrolyzed and converted back to the monomer, completing a closed-loop cycle.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alban Falconnet, Mathieu Nicolas, Tobias Vollgraff, Rupert Konradi, Bernd Bruchmann, Dieter Rodewald, A. Stephen K. Hashmi, Thomas Schaub
Summary: (Co)poly-?-butyrolactone (pGBL) is a thermoplastic material that shows potential to replace common plastics due to its biodegradability and renewable feedstocks. Mild methods for pGBL synthesis have been developed, but often require sophisticated catalysts or low temperatures. In this study, a simple base/alcohol system using potassium tert-butoxide with benzyl alcohol or polyols was used to achieve high conversions and molecular weights of pGBL.
Article
Polymer Science
Yu-kun Ma, Shao-feng Liu, Zhi-bo Li
Summary: The synthesis of environment-friendly polymer materials is crucial for sustainable development and addressing environmental stress. Organocatalysts, as emerging metal-free catalysts, have unique properties and great potential. This article reviews the recent progress in CO2/epoxide/anhydride ring-opening copolymerization catalyzed by organocatalysts and discusses the respective polymerization mechanisms.
ACTA POLYMERICA SINICA
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Karolina Cichon, Irena I. Bak-Sypien, Malgorzata Basko, Bartlomiej Kost
Summary: New functionalized lactide copolymers with controllable number of reactive groups were synthesized. The copolymers had chemically modifiable sites in the backbone and the degradability varied with the nature of acetal unit. Cyclic acetals with different functionalities were synthesized and used for cationic copolymerization with lactide to obtain copolyesters with variable acetal unit contents. The copolymers' structure and molar masses were investigated, and the post-modification ability of the functionalized copolymers was proven.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Changxia Shi, Zi-Chen Li, Lucia Caporaso, Luigi Cavallo, Laura Falivene, Eugene Y-X Chen
Summary: The article introduces a new hybrid monomer design strategy that combines high ceiling temperature (HCT) and low ceiling temperature (LCT) sub-structures within the same monomer to achieve high polymerizability and depolymerizability. This innovative approach resulted in a polymer with high performance properties, demonstrating that the HCT/LCT hybrid monomer strategy is a powerful method for designing circular polymers with conflicting properties.
Article
Polymer Science
Lea-Sophie Hornberger, Philipp Weingarten, Pia L. Lange, Thomas Schleid, Friederike Adams
Summary: This study reports the use of amino-alkoxy-bis(phenolate) yttrium amido and alkoxide catalysts for controlled metal-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of w-pentadecalactone (PDL). By controlling the reaction temperature and using a chain transfer agent, polymers with high molecular weight can be obtained. Additionally, successful synthesis of block copolymers with different block length and molecular weight was achieved, and the preservation of crystallinity in the block copolymers was confirmed.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhengyang Liu, Jinfeng Shi, Na Zhao, Zhibo Li
Summary: In this study, polysiloxanes with unique low temperature flexibility, including polydiethylsiloxane (PDES) and poly(dimethylsiloxane-co-diethylsiloxane) (PMES) copolymers, were successfully synthesized. The cyclic trimeric phosphazene base (CTPB) catalyzed ring-opening polymerization (ROP) at room temperature, resulting in high yields of PDES homopolymers with high molecular weights. Furthermore, the random copolymers of PMES with tunable diethylsiloxane contents were directly prepared via ring-opening copolymerization (ROCP) using CTPB as a catalyst. The controlled copolymer composition and the random distribution of diethylsiloxane and dimethylsiloxane units were confirmed by microstructure characterizations. The thermal property investigations demonstrated the good low-temperature flexibility and thermal stability of PMES copolymers, indicating their potential in extreme environmental applications.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Yihuan Liu, Xin Yuan, Jiaqi Wu, Xin Hu, Ning Zhu, Kai Guo
Summary: The use of commercial organomagnesium compounds for ring-opening polymerization of GBL resulted in the successful synthesis of predominantly linear PGBL with controlled topology. The addition of organomagnesium led to the production of PGBL with enhanced mechanical properties, showing promising potential for sustainable polymer synthesis and catalysis.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chloe Pascouau, Raphael Mereau, Etienne Grau, Anne-Laure Wirotius, Stephane Carlotti, Henri Cramail, Frederic Peruch
Summary: Organocatalysis has been developed as an alternative to metal-based catalysis, promoting the development of sustainable and degradable polymers. Gamma-lactones, such as alpha-hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactone (HBL), can yield polyesters that are readily depolymerized. The ring-opening copolymerization of HBL and epsilon-caprolactone (epsilon-CL) in the presence of tert-BuP4 catalyst achieved high conversions and molar masses, with partial HBL depolymerization over time affecting the microstructures of the copolymers.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoqian Wang, Ziyu Huo, Xiaoyu Xie, Narasimhamurthy Shanaiah, Rong Tong
Summary: The demand to replace unsustainable polyolefins drives the transformation of renewable resources into functional and degradable polymers. However, the properties of many degradable homopolymers are inferior to commodity polyolefins, limiting their utility. One-pot synthesis of sequence-defined copolymers from cyclic monomer mixtures is attractive in terms of concept and economics, as it maximizes materials usage and improves polymer performance. Recent advances in one-pot, sequence-controlled polymerizations of cyclic monomer mixtures using a single catalytic system that combines multiple catalytic cycles are highlighted, including the scopes of cyclic monomers, catalysts, and polymerization mechanisms.
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pengjun Yuan, Yangyang Sun, Xiaowei Xu, Yi Luo, Miao Hong
Summary: The study demonstrates that irreversible ring-opening polymerization of biomass-derived thionolactones is an effective strategy for producing sustainable polymers with renewability and high performance properties, which are thermodynamically forbidden under ambient conditions. This strategy allows the conversion of traditionally unachievable five-membered lactones into practical materials with a range of potential applications.
Article
Polymer Science
Shuang Li, Han Lu, Ling Zhu, Meixue Yan, Xiaohui Kang, Yi Luo
Summary: The mechanisms of ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide and trimethylene carbonate using DMAP/Sac as a bifunctional catalyst were investigated using DFT calculations. A new two-component organocatalyst Adenine/Sac was also designed and evaluated for its catalytic performance. The results showed that Adenine/Sac exhibited higher catalytic activity in the ring-opening of L-lactide and trimethylene carbonate.
Article
Polymer Science
Yalei Liu, Xinhui Kou, Chen Xu, Wei Zhou, Hongshu Zhang, Fusheng Liu, Yong Shen, Zhibo Li
Summary: The chemoselective ring-opening copolymerization (ROCP) of MVL with CL has been achieved using an organophosphazene/urea binary catalyst, resulting in functional P(MVL-co-CL) copolyesters with a modifiable double bond. The pendent double bond of the copolyesters can be post-functionalized by the thiol-Michael addition reaction to obtain thiolated copolyesters.
Review
Polymer Science
Teng-Wei Wang, Matthew R. Golder
Summary: The exploration of macromolecular topology provides common ground amongst chemists, material scientists, mathematicians, and artists. Different polymer architectures have unique physical properties and their topological-dependent properties are a fusion of symmetry and polymer physics. Specifically, cyclic macromolecules have distinct characteristics compared to their linear counterparts due to the lack of chain ends.
Article
Polymer Science
Mustafa Kalay, Abidin Esidir, Mahmut Ruzi, N. Burak Kiremitler, Mustafa Serdar Onses
Summary: This study proposes stable and addressable polymer PUFs, utilizing a cross-linkable polymer system, which demonstrates high stochastic characteristics and low-cost production. The performance of the polymer features is evaluated through various analyses, and direct image authentication is achieved using feature matching algorithms.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Jingyu Jin, Guoqiang Lu, Jun Nie, Xiaoqun Zhu
Summary: Photopolymerization technology is limited in the fields of food packaging and biomedicine due to the high migration of small molecules from photoinitiators. In this study, a polymerizable 2-vinyl thioxanthone (ETX) was synthesized to improve the migration stability of photoinitiators. Macromolecular photoinitiators (PPI1, PPI2) were also prepared to further reduce migration. The results showed that the ETX/TEOA system had higher initiation performance and PPI2 displayed favorable initiation ability. Additionally, the migration of ETX, PPI1, and PPI2 in photocured film was significantly reduced. These low-migration photoinitiators have potential applications in the fields of food packaging and biological materials.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Weijie Li, Jun Nie, Yingying Zhao, Xiaoqun Zhu
Summary: This study focuses on the development of high-performance, low-migration photoinitiators. A polymerizable photoinitiator (VBP) was synthesized by introducing an ethylene group into benzophenone, and three different molecular weight single-component photoinitiators (PVBN1-3) were synthesized based on VBP. The results show that these new photoinitiators have stronger absorption ability compared to benzophenone and significantly reduce the migration of initiators and co-initiators, addressing the safety concerns caused by migration.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Seira Morimune-Moriya, Yuki Iwahashi, Mitsuru Nakamura, Daisuke Ogawa, Keiji Nakamura
Summary: This study investigates the effect of plasma treatment on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the structure/properties of polyimide (PI) nanocomposites with ultra-low content of CNTs. The results show that plasma treatment introduces isocyanate groups on the surface of CNTs and enhances the interfacial interaction between PI and treated CNTs. This leads to a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites, with even a small addition of treated CNTs showing a substantial increase in Young's modulus, tensile strength and toughness.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuanlong Li, Chaojie Chen, Guoqing Cui, Li Liu, Chao Zhou, Guangfeng Wu
Summary: In this study, a novel ion-conducting hydrogel was fabricated using a straightforward approach. The hydrogel showed excellent tensile properties and high toughness due to physical interactions and covalent binding. Additionally, the introduction of hydroxyethyl cellulose and lithium chloride improved the biocompatibility, mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and frost resistance of the hydrogel, demonstrating its potential for cold climate applications.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Dengwei Yan, Jinxian Yang, Xuejun Pan, Xiaozheng Duan, Lianwei Li, Mo Zhu
Summary: The influence of backbone length on grafting efficiency during the graft-onto reaction process was investigated. It was found that the polydispersity effect of backbone length does not affect the final grafting efficiency, indicating that the local dynamics of chain segments dominate the graft-onto process.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhaoyi Luo, Xianjie Pan, Fanqi Liu, Quanxi Yi, Yanning Zeng, Yunhua Chen, Chaoyang Wang
Summary: This study provides a method to prepare high-performance epoxy materials with good malleability and thermal stability. The materials have self-healing and welding capabilities, thanks to the addition of specific chemical bonds and network structures. They exhibit mechanical properties comparable to commercial epoxy resins and show great potential for sustainable industrial development.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Chaoji Xiong, Hao Wang, Lihua Deng, Kun Liang, Chunhua Wu, Wei Wu, Qian Chen
Summary: In this study, four polyamides were synthesized and their adsorption performances for Hg2+ in aqueous systems were investigated. The polyamides exhibited high adsorption capacities and excellent reusability, with the involvement of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen in the chemical adsorption process of Hg2+.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Siim Laanesoo, Olivier Bonjour, Rauno Sedrik, Iris Tamsalu, Patric Jannasch, Lauri Vares
Summary: The insertion of rigid aliphatic or aromatic building blocks in polymer structures is an effective way to synthesize high -Tg polymer materials. In this study, a series of isosorbide-2-aryl carboxylate-5-methacrylate monomers (ArIMAs) were synthesized by functionalizing isosorbide 5-methacrylate with various aromatic lignin-inspired esters. These monomers were polymerized to obtain high molecular-weight poly(aryl carboxylate isosorbide methacrylates) (PArIMAs). The resulting polymers showed high glass transition temperatures and thermal stability, making them suitable for use as high-performance plastics and coatings.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuqian Wu, Weijie Xu, Jianliang Li, Zhangfeng Zhong, Liqing Huang, Shengke Li, Huaping Tan
Summary: This study investigates the improvement of degradation and drug release characteristics of dynamic Schiff base-mediated natural polysaccharide hydrogels using tannic acid (TA), leading to enhanced stability and functionality.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Xi Zhang, Xiangli Kong, Xin Zhou, Yiyan Gao, Yibo Sun, Guanghui Gao, Wei Liu, Kai Shi
Summary: Conductive hydrogels have great development prospects in flexible strain sensors, but long-term direct contact with human skin can cause bacterial infection. A hydrogel with antibacterial, biocompatibility, and toughness was designed and manufactured using a freeze-thaw method. The hydrogel maintains tensile properties and fatigue resistance at low temperatures and is resistant to bacteria. Therefore, hydrogel sensors can be used to monitor human movements.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Wei Zhang, Jiangang Yu, Mingyang Wu, Rui Li, Anqiang Zhang, Yaling Lin
Summary: In this study, polyacrylamide containing quaternary ammonium salts (PAM-X) were synthesized and found to effectively inhibit soil-borne pathogenic fungi while maintaining the balance of microbial population in soil. PAM-X also showed low toxicity to earthworms and fish, providing a new method for the prevention and control of soil-borne fungal diseases.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Jiawen He, Haojie Yu, Li Wang, Jian Yang, Yanhui Zhang, Wenbing Huang, Chenguang Ouyang
Summary: This review discusses the use of polymeric hydrogels for atmospheric water harvesting (AWH), including the mechanism of water sorption, fabrication methods, and strategies for optimizing the structure of hydrogels. The extended applications of hygroscopic photothermal hydrogels, such as agricultural irrigation and dehumidification, are also explored. The challenges and prospects of using polymeric hydrogels for AWH are summarized.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Ying Du, Shuaishuai Lu, Yuanna Sun, Qingshan Li, Xinhai He
Summary: This study introduces a method to improve the performance of hydrogels by incorporating proline, resulting in hydrogels with excellent stretchability, high conductivity, and long-term stability. The hydrogel remains flexible and conductive even at ultra-low temperatures.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)