Article
Polymer Science
Panagiotis A. Klonos, Maria Lazaridou, Christina Samiotaki, Apostolos Kyritsis, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris
Summary: This study investigates the thermal transitions, crystallization, and molecular mobility of a series of sustainable polymeric blends based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(ethylene adipate) (PEAd). The addition of PEAd to PLA enhances the plasticization of PLA chains and facilitates the nucleation of PLA, leading to strong cold crystallization. The blends also exhibit partially miscible polymers and systematic alternation in both local dynamics and dielectric strength. These PLA/PEAd blends have the potential to be used as phase change materials for tuning material performance.
Article
Polymer Science
Sanchayan Pal, Rajiv K. Srivastava, Bhanu Nandan
Summary: The study revealed that the crystalline structure and morphology of PEO/PBA blends are governed by the faster crystallization kinetics of PEO and the higher nucleation density of PBA, showcasing a novel insight into the competitive role of crystallization rate and nucleation density in crystalline/crystalline blends.
Article
Thermodynamics
Hechang Shi, Hongda Cheng, Changyu Han, Yanchun Yu, Mengdie Yu, Ye Zhang
Summary: This work investigates the effect of uniaxial stretching on the properties of neat poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and miscible PLLA/poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) blends. The stretching process influences the thermal properties, crystallization behavior, miscibility, crystal structure, and mechanical properties of the materials. With an increased stretching ratio, the chains in PLLA and PLLA/PVAc blends become more oriented and exhibit enhanced crystallization, resulting in changes in thermal properties and improved toughness. The findings provide insight into the effect of stretching on miscible PLLA blends and offer practical implications for their large-scale application.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gang Liu, Dong Fang, Yongjie Dan, Huan Luo, Cong Luo, Yanhua Niu, Guangxian Li
Summary: This study investigated the interactions between imidazolium ionic liquids with different alkyl chain lengths and poly(methyl methacrylate), showing that the alkyl chain length and anion type can affect the chain dynamics of PMMA. Anions have a more prominent effect on the interactions between ILs and PMMA compared to alkyl chain lengths.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhiyi Sun, Mingkun Chen, Gang Xie, Zhiguo Jiang, Zhaobin Qiu
Summary: This study successfully synthesized a series of novel poly(ethylene succinate-co-2,3-butylene succinate) (2,3-PEBS) copolyesters with low contents of 2,3-butylene succinate unit (2,3-BS) via a two-stage melt polycondensation. The results revealed that the introduction of a small amount of two adjacent side methyl groups brought an obvious variation in the thermal and mechanical properties of PES. However, 2,3-PEBS displayed the same crystallization mechanism and crystal structure as PES.
Article
Polymer Science
Dimitrios G. Papageorgiou, Irini Tsetsou, Raphael O. Ioannidis, George N. Nikolaidis, Stylianos Exarhopoulos, Nejib Kasmi, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris, Dimitris S. Achilias, George Z. Papageorgiou
Summary: This study investigated the structure, thermal properties, and miscibility of PET/PEF blends, finding that the miscibility varied at different blend compositions and exploring reactive blending as a potential method to improve miscibility.
Article
Polymer Science
Pratick Samanta, V Thangapandian, Rajiv Srivastava, Bhanu Nandan
Summary: This study investigates the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of confined polymer in electrospun nanofibers. The results indicate that the Avarmi and Jeziorny models successfully predict the nucleation nature and growth behavior of PEO chains, while the Ozawa model is not suitable for the confined system. The Mo's method effectively describes the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of PEO in confined domains. The Kissinger and Takhor methods demonstrate that the activation energy for crystallization of PEO chains increases with reduction of PEO weight fraction in the nanofibers.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Jia-Yi Ren, Shu-Gui Yang, Yue Li, Jun Lei, Hua-Dong Huang, Mingwang Pan, Hao Lin, Gan-Ji Zhong, Zhong-Ming Li
Summary: This study investigates the impact of external flow, pressure, and temperature on the crystallization behavior of polymeric blends during processing. It is found that shear flow and pressure can induce the formation of specific phases, while the addition of PMMA stabilizes shear-induced local trans conformation. The synergistic effect of shear flow and PMMA leads to the transformation of PVDF crystalline structure.
Article
Polymer Science
Sangwoo Kwon, Youngsan Kim, Hyunho Jang, Sun Jong Kim, Su-il Park
Summary: This study investigated the effects of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a compatibilizer and hydrolysis-accelerating agent in blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(butylene sebacate-co-terephthalate) (PBSeT). The addition of PEO improved the elongation at break and miscibility of the blends, and accelerated the hydrolytic degradation.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Michal Marzantowicz, Abeer Sami, Karol Pozyczka, Agnieszka Chodara, Dorota Gladka, Ewa Zygadlo-Monikowska, Franciszek Krok
Summary: Polymer electrolytes composed of lithium borate salts and poly(ethylene oxide) PEO are prepared and their characteristics are investigated. It is found that these electrolytes exhibit lower glass transition temperature and higher characteristic frequencies of dielectric relaxations. Moreover, the mixed systems show higher transference numbers than pure borate salt.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
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
Engineering, Chemical
Yulu Zhang, Tao Luo, Xiushan Yang, Xinlong Wang, Zhiye Zhang
Summary: Diffusion dialysis is a promising method for the recovery of titania waste acid due to its low energy consumption and ease of operation. However, the current commercial anion exchange membranes (AEMs) suffer from low acid permeability coefficient and high cost. Therefore, the development of high-performance AEMs is crucial for the successful recovery of titania waste acid.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Neel J. Shah, Sajjad Dadashi-Silab, Michael D. Galluzzo, Saheli Chakraborty, Whitney S. Loo, Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Nitash P. Balsara
Summary: The study investigated the impact of salt addition on a diblock copolymer system with a negative Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, chi. It was found that ordered phases only appear under specific conditions, as predicted by ionic self-consistent field theory.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jiwoong Seol
Summary: The addition of propylene oxide (PO) and epoxyisobutane (EIB) significantly improves the thermodynamic stability of methane hydrates and enhances methane storage capacity. The microstructures of the methane hydrates containing both PO and EIB were identified as the sII type, showing stability even at ambient temperature and mild pressure. Both PO and EIB act as powerful promoters with good water miscibility, offering potential for sustainable and energy-efficient methane storage technologies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Abdullah S. Altorbaq, Husam Alkhodairi, Nicholas F. Mendez, Linda S. Schadler, Alejandro J. Mueller, Sanat K. Kumar
Summary: This study investigates the effects of adding ungrafted PMMA versus silica-grafted PMMA on the crystallization kinetics and mechanical properties of PEO. The grafted PMMA shows enhanced crystallization kinetics and higher nucleation rates, while both additives improve the modulus and toughness of PEO.
Article
Computer Science, Software Engineering
Prabhakar N. N. Kota, Ashok S. S. Chandak, B. P. Patil
Summary: Industrial 4.0 makes manufacturers more vulnerable to current challenges and makes it easier to adapt to market changes. The research aims to overcome the issues of information security and control systems by developing a hybrid machine learning technique. The experimental results show that the proposed technique performs well in various metrics.
CONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION-PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guanqing Sun, Tiehuang Guo, Jing Luo, Ren Liu, To Ngai, Bernard P. Binks
Summary: Phase inversion of Pickering emulsions from W/O to O/W can be achieved by forming an interfacial particle bilayer using negatively charged and positively charged particles dispersed in water and oil, respectively. The mechanism is based on electrostatic attraction across the toluene-water interface, which is confirmed by investigating the parameters affecting the surface charge of negatively charged particles. Addition of anionic silica-RB particles in the aqueous phase induces phase inversion of toluene-dispersed W/O emulsion, and smaller silica-RB particles can achieve this at a lower concentration. The formation of an interfacial particle bilayer is revealed by imaging techniques, and emulsion stability can be tuned by adjusting the surface charge density of silica-RB particles.
Article
Polymer Science
Claire L. Seitzinger, Timothy P. Lodge
Summary: By incorporating a photoactive moiety into a block polymer, the phase behavior of the polymer can be controlled with light. The positioning of pendant azobenzene groups along the polymer backbone significantly affects the phase transition temperature and the ability to control the behavior with light and temperature. By adjusting the location of the azobenzene units within the polymer solution, the overall behavior of the solution can be changed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yang Liu, Xinyan Wang, Zhili Wan, To Ngai, Ying-Lung Steve Tse
Summary: Biomolecules function in microenvironments where their local concentration, spatial organization, and biochemical reactivity are regulated. Cellular mimics and artificial bioreactors have been developed to study membraneless organelles or mimic the bio-environment for life origin. Molecular dynamics simulation with the Martini 3.0 model was used to reproduce the salt concentration and pH dependency of complex coacervates. Coacervates inside vesicles can change their shape. Actin spontaneously partitions to all coacervate peripheries. This study provides a better understanding of the versatile coacervate platform for biomolecules' biological duties.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhuolun Jiang, Zhenghao Shi, Ka Man Cheung, To Ngai
Summary: This paper describes a simple and low-pollution surface modification strategy for fabricating flexible, semi-transparent, and robust bacterial cellulose (BC)/Kombucha tea-based BC films that are effectively resistant to water, water vapor, oxygen, ultraviolet light, and foodborne pathogenic bacteria. The modified BC film has good antimicrobial properties and is capable of wrapping strawberries, increasing their longevity. The study also shows that the film is biodegradable and can be recycled, demonstrating the potential for a green life cycle for high-performance biofilm-based food packaging.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Supriya Gupta, Timothy P. Lodge
Summary: This study investigates the fragmentation mechanism of block copolymer micelles in ionic liquids. It is found that the driving force for micelle fragmentation can be enhanced by controlling the amount of low interfacial tension solvent, leading to faster fragmentation.
Article
Polymer Science
Bo Zhang, Shuquan Cui, Timothy P. Lodge, Frank S. Bates
Summary: In this study, the structure and phase behavior of ternary mixtures containing AB bottlebrush diblock copolymer and A and B linear homopolymers were systematically investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering and cloud point measurements. The overall phase behavior of these mixtures closely resembles the linear counterparts, but with a significantly weaker increase in lamellar and microemulsion domain spacing as the homopolymer content increases. This behavior is attributed to an unconventional spatial distribution of the homopolymer within the bottlebrush architecture of the diblock copolymer. These ternary mixtures offer a promising platform for designing cocontinuous materials with an expanded parameter space using bottlebrush polymers.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Bo Zhang, Caini Zheng, Frank S. Bates, Timothy P. Lodge
Summary: Charged block copolymers have potential as next generation battery electrolytes due to their ability to self-assemble into various nanostructures with high ionic conductivity and mechanical strength. This study investigates the impact of ions on the self-assembly of charged block copolymers by employing a nonpolar matrix to enhance electrostatic interactions. The phase behavior was analyzed using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), revealing an asymmetric shape of the phase boundary and comparable composition windows of ordered phases to neutral diblock copolymers. These findings provide insight into the design of nanostructured polymer electrolytes and the influence of ions on charged block copolymer self-assembly.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Polymer Science
Fuguo Liu, To Ngai
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xin Guan, Guangyao Cheng, Yi-Ping Ho, Bernard P. P. Binks, To Ngai
Summary: In the past decades, various stimuli-responsive materials have been developed for droplet manipulation, with light being a flexible option for contactless control in three-dimensional space. This study presents a synthesis of plasmonic hybrid microgels through electrostatic heterocoagulation, which are effective stabilizers of oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. Laser irradiation on Au nanoparticles induces a cascade effect to thermally responsive microgels, causing microgel desorption and emulsion destabilization. The localized heating from a focused laser leads to the formation of air-in-oil-in-water emulsions, capable of mimicking natural microswimmers and achieving on-demand droplet merging and chemical communication.
Article
Immunology
Sha Peng, Yumeng Yan, To Ngai, Jianjun Li, Kenji Ogino, Yufei Xia
Summary: Therapeutic cancer vaccines are cost-effective for eliminating cancer cells, but transient maturation and activations of dendritic cells weaken the immune response. Researchers have developed an alum-stabilized Pickering emulsion to enhance antigen presentation by antigen-presenting cells, leading to improved T cell responses against tumor growth.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Pravin Balaso Chopade, Prabhakar N. Kota, Bhagvat D. Jadhav, Pravin Marotrao Ghate, Shankar Dattatray Chavan
Summary: The ultimate goal of the Super-Resolution (SR) technique is to generate high-resolution images by combining low-resolution images. This technique has various applications such as surveillance, remote sensing, and medical diagnosis. However, existing reconstruction methods often suffer from artifacts such as noise and blurring. This research proposes a method to improve the effectiveness of SR image reconstruction by enhancing visual information and autonomous machine perception.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING SYSTEMS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Jiahao Wu, Wei Liu, To Ngai
Summary: In this review, a noninvasive and ultrasensitive technique called total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM) is introduced for characterizing near-interface interactions and dynamics. The principles of TIRM and its characteristics are demonstrated. Typical measurements with TIRM and the recent development of the technique are reviewed in detail. The great progress of TIRM in the past several decades and its potential to be influential in measuring interactions and dynamics near interfaces in various research fields are highlighted.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fengqiang Cao, Sha Peng, Yaling An, Kun Xu, Tianyi Zheng, Lianpan Dai, Kenji Ogino, To Ngai, Yufei Xia, Guanghui Ma
Summary: Current vaccine delivery systems aim to replicate the natural dissemination of live pathogens, but fail to consider that pathogens evolve to evade the immune system. A new multi-layered aluminum hydroxide-stabilized emulsion (MASE) has been developed to dictate the delivery sequence of antigens, resulting in enhanced immune responses and decreased viral loads in H1N1 influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. By reversing the delivery sequence of surface antigen and core antigen, the inside-out strategy may offer major implications for enhanced vaccinations against enveloped RNA viruses.
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION AND TARGETED THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yongkang Xi, Shuxin Wang, Bo Liu, Shuheng Wei, Lukas Zeininger, Shouwei Yin, To Ngai, Xiaoquan Yang
Summary: By superficial growth of a responsive protein crust around mesoporous nanoparticles, smart responsive core-shell microreactors were generated to address the incompatibilities in combined cascade chemo- and biocatalysis, providing novel strategies for incompatible cascade reactions. The core-shell structure allows catalyst recovery, simplifying post-treatments by easily separating the products via external stimulation after the reaction. Furthermore, the facile generation, versatility and expandability of the developed strategy were validated by extending the findings to other functional core-shell systems.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS
(2023)
