Article
Polymer Science
Yuanyuan Dou, Han Wu, Li Zhang, Zhenbo Ning, Ni Jiang, Zhihua Gan
Summary: Three types of spherulitic morphologies, including conventional ring-banded spherulites, special spherulites with a curve-like morphology, and composite spherulites, were found in PCL-b-PA6-b-PCL due to the wide crystallization temperature range of chemically jointed PA6 blocks. The formation conditions, internal factors, and lamellar orientation and assembly of different spherulites were studied in detail. The appearance of unusual spherulitic morphology may result from different internal stress induced by chemically jointed PA6 blocks under diverse crystallization conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Aoi Nakashima, Kaho Kohori, Kazuya Yamamoto, Jun-ichi Kadokawa
Summary: Chitin hexanoate-graft-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (ChHex-g-PCL) was found to be thermoplastic, and the thermoplasticity was confirmed by the formation of a melt-pressed film. Chitin hexanoates were prepared by hexanoylation of chitin and then the surface-initiated ring-opening graft polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone was conducted to graft PCL chains onto the hydroxy groups of chitin hexanoates. The molar substitution and degree of polymerization of the PCL graft chains were influenced by the catalyst, reaction time, and degree of substitution.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Supriya Atta, Jarrod Cohen, Joachim Kohn, Adam J. Gormley
Summary: Ring opening polymerization (ROP) is typically conducted using anhydrous reagents and inert atmosphere, which are barriers for non-experts. Here, two new techniques for limited ROP of epsilon-caprolactone (CL) without pre-drying reagents were developed using a laboratory oven. By evaporating water in a vacuum oven or polymerizing through water with titanium isopropoxide (TTIP), variable chain lengths and molecular weight distributions of PCL were achieved, with TTIP showing better performance for higher molecular weights and block copolymer formation.
Article
Polymer Science
Abderrahmane Nabgui, Taha El Assimi, Abdellatif El Meziane, Gerrit A. Luinstra, Mustapha Raihane, Geraldine Gouhier, Pascal Thebault, Khalid Draoui, Mohammed Lahcini
Summary: In this study, a bio-nanocomposite based on poly (epsilon-caprolactone) & bentonite nanofiller was prepared through in-situ ring opening polymerization. The resulting composite material showed improved physicochemical properties and exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. epidermidis and S. aureus.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Jiafeng Su, Guangqiang Xu, Bingzhe Dong, Rulin Yang, Hongguang Sun, Qinggang Wang
Summary: Chemical upcycling of commercial plastic materials to their starting monomers is of great significance. This study demonstrates the closed-loop processes for ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) to poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) to ε-CL, and PCL to ε-CL to PCL.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Quinten Thijssen, Sandra V. Vlierberghe
Summary: This study reports a straightforward approach to obtain photo-crosslinked, bioresorbable PCL networks with a range of mechanical properties by altering the network topology. Utilizing multifunctional thiols for crosslinking proves to be an effective method for changing the mechanical properties of the materials. By controlling the thiol to acrylate ratio, significant alterations in Young's modulus, elongation at break, and ultimate strength can be achieved. The materials described hold potential for light-based 3D-printing and tissue engineering applications.
MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anilkumar Yadav, Sagnik Ghosh, Archana Samanta, Jit Pal, Rajiv K. Srivastava
Summary: The review explores the role of PCL and its 3D scaffolds in tissue engineering, focusing on the use of HIPE templating in the fabrication of PCL scaffolds, as well as the challenges and potential for expansion of the technique. Additionally, it discusses how HIPE templating can be coupled with advanced fabrication methods such as 3D printing or electrospinning.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Reyhan Ozdogan Tasci, Mehmet Arslan, Mehmet Atilla Tasdelen
Summary: Utilizing click chemistry for the fabrication of polymeric nanocomposites shows great promise in improving the structure-property relationship of materials. This study successfully prepared poly(epsilon-caprolactone)/clay nanocomposites via Diels-Alder click reaction, demonstrating excellent performance.
POLYMER COMPOSITES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Charalampos Pronoitis, Minna Hakkarainen, Karin Odelius
Summary: By rational design of the microstructure of PHUs and utilizing solubility as an enabling tool, complex architectures can be realized with benign reagents and atom-economical reactions, without harsh reaction conditions and solvents. This approach expands the synthetic intricacy for PHUs and could potentially broaden their applications and opportunities in the future.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Min Li, Yi Zhong, Yunjie Luo, Meng Deng
Summary: In this study, the ferrocenyl functionalized half-sandwich rare-earth metal complexes were synthesized via salt metathesis and addition reactions. The complexes were well-characterized by various analytical techniques, and the solid state structure of complex 1 was determined by X-ray diffraction. Electrochemical study showed that the Fe(ii/iii) couple in these complexes was reversible. Additionally, complex 2 exhibited good controlled polymerization performance.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Hanghang Wang, John Michael O. Cue, Erika L. Calubaquib, Ruvanthi N. Kularatne, Somayeh Taslimy, Justin T. Miller, Mihaela C. Stefan
Summary: This review explores the stereospecific polymerization of dienes, vinyl monomers, and epsilon-caprolactone using various neodymium catalysts.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Quinten Thijssen, Astrid Quaak, Joseph Toombs, Elly De Vlieghere, Laurens Parmentier, Hayden Taylor, Sandra Van Vlierberghe
Summary: Current biodegradable and cross-linkable polymers mainly rely on acrylate crosslinking, but their brittleness limits their applicability. In this study, photo-cross-linkable poly(e-caprolactone) networks through orthogonal thiol-ene chemistry are introduced, which show improved mechanical properties compared to acrylate cross-linked materials. The tunability of the materials is evaluated by altering the molar mass between cross-links, and their biocompatibility and volumetric printability are demonstrated. This research opens up new possibilities for bedside manufacturing of biodegradable patient-specific implants.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Mi Li, Yunqiao Pu, Fang Chen, Arthur J. Ragauskas
Summary: Modification of lignin with poly(epsilon-caprolactone) improves the quality of lignin and enhances its compatibility and dispersion in solvents. Lignins from different sources and extraction methods all showed good reactivity in copolymerization reactions.
Article
Polymer Science
Xiang Liu, Wei Yu
Summary: The study demonstrates that weak shear can slow down the crystallization rate of polymer melts, weaken the melt memory effect of crystallization, and accelerate chain re-entanglements.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Aysu Arslan, Wolfgang Steiger, Patrice Roose, Hugues Van den Bergen, Peter Gruber, Elise Zerobin, Franziska Gantner, Olivier Guillaume, Aleksandr Ovsianikov, Sandra Van Vlierberghe, Peter Dubruel
Summary: Two-photon polymerization (2PP) is a high-resolution 3D-printing technology with diverse applications, including tissue engineering (TE). However, the limited number of biodegradable materials supporting the required level of spatial resolution presents a major bottleneck for 2PP in the TE field.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hai-Peng Li, Zhi-Neng You, Yuan-Yang Liu, Gao-Wei Zheng, Heng Gong, Yiming Mo, Ning Zhu, Yun-Peng Bai, Jian-He Xu
Summary: The use of a continuous-flow microreactor (CFMR) has significantly improved the efficiency of NAD(+)-dependent chenodeoxycholic acid oxidation, allowing for the production of high value-added chemicals. Compared to traditional batch reactions, the production yield increased by 96-fold, the total turnover number of NAD(+) improved by 10-fold, and enzyme consumption decreased by 7-fold.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhao Jin, Huiyue Wang, Xin Hu, Yihuan Liu, Yujing Hu, Shuangfei Zhao, Ning Zhu, Zheng Fang, Kai Guo
Summary: This review focuses on the impact of microreactor structure on anionic polymerization and its applications in polymer synthesis, providing guidance for flow chemistry and anionic polymerization.
REACTION CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kerui Chen, Wenjian Han, Xin Hu, Yihuan Liu, Yujing Hu, Shuangfei Zhao, Ning Zhu, Zheng Fang, Kai Guo
Summary: A microreactor-based enzymatic and metal-catalytic cascade reaction platform was developed for the synthesis of bottlebrush polymers. By using a continuous flow chemo-enzymatic strategy, well-defined bottlebrush polymers with fast kinetics and narrow molecular weight distribution were successfully prepared.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Yi-Huan Liu, Xin Yuan, Jia-Qi Wu, Ming-Xuan Luo, Xin Hu, Ning Zhu, Kai Guo
Summary: The emerging chemical recyclable polymers provide a solution to plastic pollution, but their structures and properties are limited. In this study, a fully chemical recyclable copolymer P(GBL-co-((R)-M)) was reported, with tunable structures and properties achieved through controlling reaction conditions and catalyst. The copolymer shows potential for sustainable applications.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yifan Ding, Huan Wang, Yunyun Wang, Long Li, Jiahui Ding, Caiyan Yuan, Tao Xu, Haoran Xu, Hui Xie, Ning Zhu, Xin Hu, Huang Fang, Songwei Tan
Summary: This study developed a co-delivery system of luteolin and TGF-beta 1 gene for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) using a polymer self-assembly technique. The results showed that this co-delivery system could inhibit inflammation, restore the balance of synthesis and catabolism, and delay the progression of IDD.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuzhan Wang, Tingting Shi, Zheng Fang, Chengkou Liu, Wei He, Ning Zhu, Yujing Hu, Xin Li, Kai Guo
Summary: A strategy integrating biotechnology and microtechnology was developed to enhance the optical purity of mandelic acids during kinetic resolution process. The study showed that the method achieved higher optical purity under optimal conditions and improved the kinetics properties.
JOURNAL OF FLOW CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Electrochemistry
Jinze Du, Di Gao, Dong Zhang, Xinxin Lin, Chengkou Liu, Ning Zhu, Zhao Yang, Wei He, Zheng Fang, Kai Guo
Summary: This article presents a metal-catalyst-free and external-oxidant-free electrochemical oxidative radical C-H ortho-trifluoromethylation. The reaction specifically occurs at the ortho-position of anilides without directing groups. Various anilides show good tolerance and provide the desired products in moderate to good yields. Additionally, the gram-scale amplified product of benzanilide is obtained with a yield of 64%, demonstrating its potential for application.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xin Hu, Hui Zhang, Deqi Wu, Dongmei Yin, Ning Zhu, Kai Guo, Chunhua Lu
Summary: In this study, covalently bonded cross-linked inorganic-polymer nanocomposites were designed and prepared. By improving the dispersity of nanofillers in the matrix and forming a network structure, increased dielectric constant, suppressed dielectric loss, and elevated breakdown strength were achieved. The optimal sample exhibited an ultrahigh energy density, providing a potential alternative for the design of high-performance dielectric materials.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Shuangfei Zhao, Yingying Nie, Yimin Wei, Pengjie Yu, Wei He, Ning Zhu, Yuguang Li, Dong Ji, Kai Guo
Summary: The uniformity of mixing plays a crucial role in liquid-liquid two-phase chemical processes. This study proposes a specific surface area ratio to quantify the uniformity and designs a millimeter-scale mixer with a special baffle structure. By optimizing the baffle parameters, the specific surface area ratio and treatment capacity of the mixer are significantly improved.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL REACTOR ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yingying Nie, Shuangfei Zhao, Pengjie Yu, Yimin Wei, Runze Hu, Wei He, Ning Zhu, Yuguang Li, Dong Ji, Kai Guo
Summary: Due to scale effects, directly enlarging the size of the micromixer is an easy way to reduce the efficiency of mass and heat transfer in the continuous flow chemical process. A scale-up microfluidic mixer with a porous structure was designed to improve the mass and heat transfer efficiency. The effects of rotation angle, porosity, and baffle spacing were studied to optimize the mixer structure. Compared with the 1 mm mixer without structure, the scale-up mixer has a higher mixing efficiency and an 80% reduction in energy consumption at Re >= 700. The heat transfer efficiency of the mixer during fluid heating was evaluated using a Nusselt number. The results show that the porous baffle promotes the generation of secondary flow and enhances the heat transfer effect, making its Nu increase by three times compared with the unstructured mixer. The scale-up microfluidic mixer with a porous structure effectively improves the mass and heat transfer performance. This study can provide a reference for the design or development of a novel scale-up mixer.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Huan Liang, Dongmei Yin, Lina Shi, Yihuan Liu, Xin Hu, Ning Zhu, Kai Guo
Summary: Functionalized cellulose has gained research interests for its potential in highly functional and environmentally friendly materials. Surface modification of cellulose via photo-induced click reaction integrates the advantages of photochemistry, click reaction, and surface modification. In this review, recent progress in cellulose surface modification using photo-induced click reactions is summarized. Different click reactions, such as thiol-X and cycloaddition reactions, are compared and their applications in cellulose modification are discussed. The challenges and outlook of photo-induced click reaction in cellulose surface modification are also addressed.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiming Yang, Shulin Wang, Fudong Bai, Xingmei Lu, Wei He, Zheng Fang, Ning Zhu, Kai Guo
Summary: Pretreatment of lignocellulose with a binary system consisting of 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazole chloride (BMIMCl) and arginine (Arg) at temperatures higher than the glass transition temperature of lignin (Tg-lignin) can effectively reduce cellulose crystallinity and lignin content, improving enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency and reducing enzyme dosage.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Pengjie Yu, Shuangfei Zhao, Yingying Nie, Yimin Wei, Runze Hu, Wei He, Ning Zhu, Yuguang Li, Dong Ji, Kai Guo
Summary: This study designed and optimized a novel mixer with triangular-notched rectangular baffles structure, and characterized its performance by combining heat and mass transfer computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The results showed that the optimized mixer had a significant increase in mixing efficiency and heat transfer compared to the mixer without baffles structure. Furthermore, the scale-up strategy for continuous flow chemical process enhancement was provided by enlarging the size of the mixer with triangular-notched rectangular baffles structures.
NUMERICAL HEAT TRANSFER PART A-APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Yihuan Liu, Guoqing Zuo, Han Gao, Zhao Wu, Wei Huang, Canliang Ma, Jie Yin, Xin Hu, Ning Zhu, Kai Guo
Summary: Poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-epsilon-caprolactam) was successfully synthesized through ring-opening copolymerization and its thermal and mechanical properties were investigated. The results showed that the thermal properties of the polymer varied with the ester content, and the mechanical properties decreased with increasing epsilon-caprolactone incorporation.
POLYMER INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wei Lu, Ruijia Wang, Muqing Si, Yi Zhang, Shuangshuang Wu, Ning Zhu, Wenqin Wang, Tao Chen
Summary: In this study, robust fluorescent polymeric hydrogel actuators with spatially anisotropic structures were constructed using an interfacial supramolecular assembly (ISA) approach, enabling control over synergistic shape/color-changing behaviors. The proposed ISA approach is universal and expected to open new avenues for developing bioinspired intelligent soft actuators/robotics with selective spatial shape/color-changing behaviors.