Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yuma Ueno, Hayato Nakazaki, Hina Onozaki, Shingo Tamesue
Summary: Researchers developed a growable adhesive gel system using RAFT polymerization, which can change its characteristics similar to human growth. The adhesive joint grown by RAFT polymerization showed higher adhesive strength and a function of thermal responsiveness compared to non-RAFT-polymerized adhesive joint. These growable adhesive gel systems enable long-term use of gel materials while adapting to environmental changes.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhiying Li, Qianjin Lian, Youwei Xu, Yichuan Zhang, Pengfei Zhang, Jin Geng
Summary: A robust aggregation-induced emission luminogen photoaddition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization was investigated, resulting in the preparation of a variety of well-defined polymers with narrow polydispersities (D < 1.20). The use of low concentrations of a donor-acceptor (D-A) type aggregation-induced emission luminogen as a photocatalyst enabled polymerization under visible light at ambient temperature. Previous studies have mainly focused on organic solvents, with fewer investigations conducted in aqueous environments. This study successfully demonstrated the polymerization strategy in water with or without oxygen, leading to the synthesis of structure-controlled polymers. Furthermore, the fluorescence intensity of DCDPP-2TPA increased linearly with the degree of polymerization.
Article
Polymer Science
Kazunori Masuko, Chiharu Kumano, Ryo Sugawara, Kazuhiro Nakabayashi, Hideharu Mori
Summary: A variety of amino-acid-based amphiphilic diblock copolymer nano-objects with different morphologies were prepared through RAFT dispersion polymerization of styrene in methanol, utilizing six different hydrophilic poly(N-acryloyl amino acid) macro-chain transfer agents. The effects of polymerization conditions, monomer conversion, and concentration were systematically studied to achieve the formation of nano-objects with various morphologies. By transforming the products from methanol to water, pH-responsive morphological changes were observed in the aqueous solution.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kyeong Min Kim, Masud, Jung-Min Ji, Hwan Kyu Kim
Summary: By varying the composition and molecular weight of the copolymers, the performance of polymer gel electrolytes (PGEs) in quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells can be improved, with higher molecular weight enhancing ionic conductivity in the PGEs.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Fehaid M. Alsubaie, Othman Y. Alothman, Hassan Fouad, Abdel-Hamid I. Mourad
Summary: This study reported the aqueous Cu(0)-mediated reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) of triblock copolymers with two block sequences at 0.0 degrees C. Sequence-controlled triblock copolymers were successfully synthesized via ultrafast one-pot synthesis and without any purification steps throughout the monomer additions. The resulting copolymers exhibited narrow dispersities, controlled chain length, and quantitative conversion.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ruoyu Li, Weina Kong, Zesheng An
Summary: This Minireview discusses the key roles enzymes play in reversible deactivation radical polymerization (Enz-RDRP) and highlights their applications in surface brush fabrication, sensing, polymerization-induced self-assembly, and high-throughput synthesis. The authors also reflect on the challenges and future directions of this emerging area.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pinar Akarsu, Stefan Reinicke, Anne-Catherine Lehnen, Marek Bekir, Alexander Boeker, Matthias Hartlieb, Martin Reifarth
Summary: The study demonstrates a feasible method to fabricate patchy silicon dioxide microspheres, which can be equipped with tailor-made polymeric materials as patches. The method relies on a solid-state supported microcontact printing (μCP) routine optimized for the transfer of functional groups to capillary-active substrates, introducing amino functionalities as patches to a monolayer of particles. Acting as anchor groups for polymerization, photo-iniferter reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) is used to graft polymer from the patch areas. The protocol promises a vast degree of freedom in engineering the surface properties of highly functional patchy particles, making it a platform technology for the fabrication of particles with locally precisely formed patches.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xiuxian Zhao, Junhua Sun, Jiachen Ma, Tongyao Liu, Zeyi Guo, Zhen Yang, Wei Yao, Xuchuan Jiang
Summary: Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is considered as a promising material for smart windows. However, its real application is hindered by several limitations. In this study, core-shell structured VO2@PMMA-b-PHFBMA nanoparticles with excellent properties were prepared using a RAFT polymerization method. The addition of a F-containing polymer shell improved the stability and compatibility of the VO2 nanoparticles. Furthermore, a photochromic and hydrophobic copolymer was synthesized and coated onto the VO2 nanoparticles to create an energy-saving composite film. The composite film showed high solar modulation efficiency, making it a highly promising application for smart windows.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Chengqiang Ding, Yuhan Yan, Yuhao Peng, Danming Wu, Hang Shen, Jiandong Zhang, Zhao Wang, Zhengbiao Zhang
Summary: In this study, a well-controlled piezoelectrically mediated reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization (piezoRAFT) was successfully conducted using piezoelectric ZnO nanoparticles as the mechanochemical transducer under ultrasonic agitation. The resulting polymer exhibited high end-group fidelity, low dispersity, and capacity for chain extension. The generation of alkyl radicals through electron transfer process from piezoelectric nanoparticles to alkyl bromide was confirmed by various characterization techniques.
Article
Polymer Science
Mahtab Hamrahjoo, Saeed Hadad, Elham Dehghani, Mehdi Salami-Kalajahi, Hossein Roghani-Mamaqani
Summary: A nanocomposite polymer electrolyte with optimized structural design and morphology of polymer-functionalized graphene oxide was successfully prepared. It exhibited high ionic conductivity, superior lithium ion transfer capability, and excellent electrochemical stability, making it a promising candidate for high safety and long cycle life lithium-ion batteries.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joji Tanaka, Noel Edward Archer, Michael Jeffery Grant, Wei You
Summary: In this study, RAFT step-growth polymerization was achieved by combining RAFT and step-growth polymerization mechanisms, resulting in backbone repeat units with a pendant RAFT agent that can form molecular brush polymers in a second polymerization step. The cleavable backbone functionality allows the transformation of brushlike polymers into linear chains of uniform size under stimuli.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Sarthik Samanta, Sovan Lal Banerjee, Koushik Bhattacharya, Nikhil K. Singha
Summary: A new waterborne epoxy-based fluorescent adhesive, synthesized via surfactant-free miniemulsion polymerization and decorated with graphene quantum dots, shows transparency, easy detection, and excellent adhesion strength. The addition of GQDs enhances the adhesive performance, making it a promising contrivance for art conservators in repairing or reconstructing artifacts.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Patrizia P. Smith, Stephen G. Boyes
Summary: Amphiphilic block copolymers were successfully synthesized using a dual initiator chain transfer agent. Comprehensive kinetics studies provided valuable insights into factors influencing the synthesis of well-defined block copolymers, as well as the ability to produce poly(lactide) blocks of different molecular weights. The role of the chain transfer agent in facilitating the complex and sterically demanding RAFT polymerization of PEGEEMA was also examined through kinetics monitoring.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Arne Wolpers, Florian Baffie, Vincent Monteil, Franck D'Agosto
Summary: In this study, a dithiocarbamate chain transfer agent was used to synthesize statistical and diblock copolymers of ethylene and vinyl acetate, achieving various polymer compositions through good chain growth control, including linear diblock copolymers and a three-arm star copolymer.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Daisuke Hotta, Arihiro Kanazawa, Sadahito Aoshima
Summary: tert-Butyl esters play a crucial role as chain transfer agents in the cationic copolymerization, liberating tert-butyl cations to facilitate the chain transfer process. The chain transfer reactions by tert-butyl esters potentially occur reversibly through the reaction of the propagating cation with the ester group at the omega-end of another chain.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
