Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xabier Lopez de Pariza, Tim Erdmann, Pedro L. Arrechea, Leron Perez, Charles Dausse, Nathaniel H. Park, James L. Hedrick, Haritz Sardon
Summary: Conducting polymerizations under continuous-flow conditions has advantages over batch experimentation, especially in the synthesis of polyurethanes, allowing for rapid and precise control over material properties and improving process monitoring and control to minimize batch-to-batch variations.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aydin Cihanoglu, Jessica D. Schiffman, Sacide Alsoy Altinkaya
Summary: Ultrasound was used as a trigger to accelerate dopamine polymerization kinetics, significantly increasing the deposition rate of polydopamine coating on polymeric membranes.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Stephen T. Knox, Sam J. Parkinson, Clarissa Y. P. Wilding, Richard A. Bourne, Nicholas J. Warren
Summary: The application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in polymer discovery and synthesis offers a new opportunity. Through a computationally controlled flow reactor and online real-time detection instruments, the optimization and synthesis of polymer formulations can be achieved autonomously without user intervention. This method allows for polymerization reactions under conditions that are usually forbidden, and can simultaneously optimize multiple polymer performance indicators.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qiong Hu, Yilin Luo, Xiaojing Cao, Zhuohua Chen, Yanyu Huang, Li Niu
Summary: A method for highly selective and amplified sensing of ultralow-abundance nucleic acids using PNA recognition probe and BERP-based amplification strategy is presented. The method is cost-effective, easy to operate, highly selective, and has a low detection limit.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qingyu Liao, Dong Chen, Xianhong Zhang, Yuhong Ma, Changwen Zhao, Wantai Yang
Summary: A facile synthetic route was developed to prepare a surface-grafted brush layer of poly(vinyl ethers) directly by a radical mechanism, with naked Li+ acting as a catalyst. The grafted polymer layers showed excellent hydrolysis resistance and provided active sites for efficient fixation of bioactive molecules.
Article
Polymer Science
Ilke Sahin Eguz, Murat Ihlamur, Emrah Sefik Abamor, Murat Topuzogullari
Summary: Polyelectrolytes can be used as adjuvants in subunit vaccine formulations to enhance the immunogenicity of antigenic molecules. In this study, linear conjugates of polyacrylic acid and an antigenic peptide sequence of the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein were successfully produced. These conjugates showed high biocompatibility and stimulated macrophages to release high levels of NO.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Ankita Mandal, Andreas F. M. Kilbinger
Summary: Vinyl ether based macro-chain transfer agents (m-CTAs) are used to synthesize different di or tri-block copolymers under catalytic living ROMP conditions. The m-CTAs, including polystyrene (PS) vinyl ether m-CTA, polycaprolactone (PCL) m-CTA, and polylactide vinyl ether (PLA) m-CTA, are synthesized via ATRP and ROP methods. The synthesized m-CTAs show high regioselectivity and metathesis activity, enabling the synthesis of metathesis-based A-B diblock copolymers with controlled dispersities (D < 1.4). These degradable ROMP polymers prepared under catalytic living ROMP conditions have potential applications in biomedicine.
Article
Polymer Science
Ilke Sahin Eguz, Murat Ihlamur, Emrah Sefik Abamor, Murat Topuzogullari
Summary: Polyelectrolytes can be used as adjuvants in subunit vaccine formulations to increase immunogenicity. Linear conjugates of polyacrylic acid (PAA) with an antigenic peptide sequence of the HPV-16 E7 oncoprotein were produced in this study, showing high conjugation efficiency and biocompatibility, stimulating macrophages to release high levels of nitric oxide.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Ali Shahrokhinia, Sahaj Rijal, Busra Sonmez Baghirzade, Randall A. Scanga, Priyanka Biswas, Shayesteh Tafazoli, Onur G. Apul, James F. Reuther
Summary: Photocontrolled atom transfer radical polymerization-induced self-assembly (PhotoATR-PISA) was used to obtain polymer nanostructures with variable morphologies. Copper catalyst was used at ppm levels to achieve nanospheres, wormlike micelles, and vesicles. Sequential chain extension and click reactions were utilized to fabricate nanostructured networks with different morphologies, which showed potential applications in water treatment.
Article
Polymer Science
Christian W. Schmitt, Sarah L. Walden, Laura Delafresnaye, Hannes A. Houck, Leonie Barner, Christopher Barner-Kowollik
Summary: The use of visible light-triggered reversible triazolinedione (TAD) chemistry in materials science is a relatively unexplored area. By exploiting the reversible naphthalene-TAD Diels-Alder couple, researchers have successfully crosslinked pre-synthesized polymers to form narrow disperse microparticles without the need for additives. The formation and degradation rate of the particles can be tuned by using shorter or longer prepolymers, showcasing potential applications in long term drug or fertilizer delivery systems.
Article
Polymer Science
Yuman Li, Nicolas Busatto, Peter J. Roth
Summary: A novel monomer was used to selectively and efficiently modify homopolymers and diblock copolymer nanoparticles post-polymerization, leading to stable and diverse products. Multicomponent reactions allowed for one-step modification of various copolymers, demonstrating a simple and operable cross-linking strategy.
Article
Polymer Science
Jungyeon Kim, Beatrice Cattoz, Alice H. M. Leung, James D. Parish, C. Remzi Becer
Summary: The synthesis of a new 2-oxazoline monomer and its application in RAFT polymerization are reported in this study. Brush copolymers with different architectures were prepared by adjusting the monomer ratios.
Article
Polymer Science
Meng Li, Jun-An Ma, Saihu Liao
Summary: Inspired by controlled radical polymerization and SuFEx click chemistry, a SuFExable vinyl monomer, 4-vinylbenzenesulfonyl fluoride (VBSF), with a good balance of stability and reactivity, was introduced. VBSF can easily undergo organocatalytic atom-transfer radical polymerization under visible light, demonstrating good controls and high end-group fidelity while preserving the sulfonyl fluoride groups. Furthermore, poly(VBSF) can be efficiently modified via SuFEx reactions with various aryl silyl ethers, enabling the rapid construction of a functional polymer library in a click fashion.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pengfei Ma, Christopher M. Plummer, Wenjun Luo, Jiyan Pang, Yongming Chen, Le Li
Summary: The direct optimization on polymers (DOP) is introduced as a method to develop exhaustive post-polymerization modifications (PPM) reactions. The exhaustive Baeyer-Villiger (BV) post-modification method presented in this study allows for the synthesis of copolymers with improved performance. This user-friendly approach is applicable to the synthesis of challenging polymer materials.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chengqiang Ding, Ziye Ren, Jian Wang, Longfei Zhang, Yuhan Yan, Danming Wu, Zhao Wang, Zhengbiao Zhang
Summary: Mechanoredox chemistry using highly polarized piezoelectric materials as catalysts has emerged as an alternative approach for redox reactions. This study focused on the relationship between the structure of ZnO and its catalytic performance for polymerization. Various ZnO crystals with different polar facets ratios were prepared, and ZnO prepared from Zn(NO3)(2) exhibited the highest catalytic activity for mechano-RAFT. The findings highlight the significance of polar facets in ZnO for its catalytic activity.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Hongsuh Choi, Anna Schulte, Mareike Mueller, Mineon Park, Suenghwan Jo, Holger Schoenherr
Summary: Despite decades of biomedical advances, the colonization of implant devices with bacterial biofilms remains a major cause of implant failure. New strategies and materials, such as polymer coatings with triggered antibiotic release, are needed to suppress bacterial colonization at both early and later stages. The use of thermally responsive polymer coatings on titanium implants showed controlled and thermally triggered release of antibiotics, providing enhanced bactericidal effects in initial in vivo tests.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Roland Vogt, Benedikt Steinhoff, Darya Mozhayeva, Eva Vogt, George Metreveli, Holger Schoenherr, Carsten Engelhard, Josef Wanzenboeck, Dunja Katharina Lamatsch
Summary: Toxicological studies on silver nanoparticles revealed that changes in ionic strength of test media did not lead to increased dissolution of AgNPs. Differences in sensitivity to AgNP exposure were observed between whitefish and roach, with whitefish being more sensitive. Additionally, AgNP-induced toxicity was lower in standard test media compared to natural lake water.
JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH-PART A-CURRENT ISSUES
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Navid Soltani, Elham Rabbany Esfahany, Sergey Druzhinin, Gregor Schulte, Julian Mueller, Benjamin Butz, Holger Schoenherr, Mario Agio, Nemanja Markesevic
Summary: In this study, we investigated a model bioassay in a liquid environment using a z-scanning planar Yagi-Uda antenna. We examined the fluorescence collection enhancement of ATTO-647N dye conjugated to DNA molecules and found that the antenna not only changed the excitation and decay rates, but also improved the emission pattern, resulting in a narrow emission angle and improved collection efficiency. Our method efficiently detected immobilized fluorescently-labeled DNA molecules, even at low concentrations. It is a versatile technique applicable to any immobilized, dye-labeled biomolecule in various environments.
BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hongsuh Choi, Ertan Yildirim, Anna Schulte, Holger Schoenherr
Summary: Polymer brushes with tailored surface functionalities were fabricated on titanium substrates to control the conjugation of cell-adhesive peptides. These brushes allow specific attachment of peptides to cells, while inhibiting cell attachment when a different peptide is conjugated, providing a versatile approach for bio-functionalization in titanium-based medical implant devices.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Raphaelle Youf, Adeel Nasir, Mareike Mueller, Franck Thetiot, Tanguy Haute, Rosy Ghanem, Ulrich Jonas, Holger Schoenherr, Gilles Lemercier, Tristan Montier, Tony Le Gall
Summary: Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is a treatment method that relies on various parameters. In this study, the application of Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl ([Ru(II)]) complexes in the airways of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients was investigated, and the influence of different parameters on their properties was studied. The results provide significant evidence for the clinical relevance of [Ru(II)]-based aPDT in CF lung airways.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Celestine Kathure Kinyua, Ayub Omondi Owino, Kawaljit Kaur, Dipankar Das, Nancy Wangechi Karuri, Mareike Mueller, Holger Schoenherr
Summary: The rapid and selective detection of bacterial contaminations and bacterial infections in a non-laboratory setting using advanced sensing materials holds the promise to enable robust point-of-care tests and rapid diagnostics for applications in the medical field as well as food safety. Bacterial enzymes have been successfully targeted in various sensing formats and the focus of this study was to investigate the role of surface area on sensitivity in micro- and nanostructured sensing hydrogel materials for the detection of bacterial enzymes. The findings showed that nanoscale sensing materials with increased surface area significantly enhanced the rate of hydrolysis, enabling rapid detection of living E. coli. These findings offer generalized design principles for the improvement of sensing materials in the detection of bacteria.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Schulte, Andres de los Santos Pereira, Robert Pola, Ognen Pop-Georgievski, Siyu Jiang, Iryna Romanenko, Manisha Singh, Zdenka Sedlakova, Holger Schoenherr, Rafal Poreba
Summary: Cell sheet harvesting and rapid release can be achieved without the use of thermoresponsive materials by functionalizing non-thermoresponsive poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (p(HEMA)) with cell-adhesive peptide motifs. This approach allows for extensive attachment and proliferation of cells, and the formed cell sheets can be released easily by rinsing with cell-culture medium.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Qasim Alhusaini, Walter Sebastian Scheld, Zhiyuan Jia, Dipankar Das, Faria Afzal, Mareike Mueller, Holger Schoenherr
Summary: This study reports a novel method using nanoporous Silicon Rugate Filter as a bare eye detection optical sensor for enzymes, achieving enzyme detection by changing the color of the optical sensor, showing potential in point of care bacteria detection.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qimeng Song, Christian Edorodion Ogiemwonyi, Mengdi Zuo, Holger Schoenherr
Summary: The relationship between the preferred orientation of polystyrene microcubes and surface hydrophobicity at the water/hexadecane interface is investigated. Similar to the water/air interface, the microcubes exhibit three distinct orientations at the water/hexadecane interface: face-up, edge-up, and vertex-up. These orientations lead to the formation of ordered aggregates with different structures. Increasing hydrophobicity on five sides of the cubes causes the preferential orientation to change sequentially from face-up to edge-up, to vertex-up, then back to edge-up, and finally to face-up. This orientation dependence on surface hydrophobicity differs from that observed at the water/air interface. Additionally, preformed microcube assemblies at the water/air interface can be dynamically reconfigured by replacing the air phase with hexadecane under stirring.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mengdi Zuo, Qimeng Song, Nigar Hajiyeva, Holger Lerch, Jens Bolten, Ulrich Plachetka, Max C. Lemme, Holger Schoenherr
Summary: This study investigates the influence of particle size and wettability on the orientation and order of self-assembled polystyrene cubes at the water/air interface. Increasing hydrophobicity leads to changes in preferred orientation, regardless of cube size. The transitions between orientations and capillary force-induced structures shift to larger contact angles for smaller cubes. The order of aggregates decreases significantly with decreasing cube size due to a smaller ratio of inertial force to capillary force. Adding larger cubes or aggregates increases the order of smaller aggregates, breaking metastable structures.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Diana Hebel, Holger Schoenherr
Summary: The authors report on a mild, label-free, and fast method for the separation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) from cocultures with macrophages. This method utilizes thermoresponsive poly(di(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate) (PDEGMA) brushes to selectively detach and separate HUVEC from the surface.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Philipp Gross, Renee S. Hoffmann, Mareike Mueller, Holger Schoenherr, Heiko Ihmels
Summary: DNA-sensitive fluorescent light-up probes based on berberine were developed, which exhibit predictable fluorescence quenching in aqueous solution and a fluorescence light-up effect upon DNA binding. These probes have high affinity for DNA and can generate distinct staining patterns in eukaryotic cells.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jing Xu, Anna Schulte, Holger Schoenherr, Xin Jiang, Nianjun Yang
Summary: A novel method for designing and synthesizing active materials for capacitor electrodes is introduced, leading to high-performance supercapacitors with high specific capacitance, cycling stability, energy density, and power density. The fabricated capacitor electrode exhibits excellent performance even after 10,000 charging/discharging cycles, providing a potential approach for producing binder-/current-collector-free capacitor electrodes.
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Navid Soltani, Elham Rabbany Esfahany, Gregor Schulte, Sergey Druzhinin, Julian Mueller, Benjamin Butz, Holger Schoenherr, Nemanja Markesevic, Mario Agio
2021 CONFERENCE ON LASERS AND ELECTRO-OPTICS EUROPE & EUROPEAN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS CONFERENCE (CLEO/EUROPE-EQEC)
(2021)
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)