Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Teng Wang, Jiawen Zhang, Ying Cai, Lang Xu, Lingmin Yi
Summary: This study demonstrates that molecular-scale compositional heterogeneities can reduce the nonspecific interaction between proteins and surfaces, leading to improved resistance against surface contamination. The balance between hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments on the surface of the copolymer coatings provides better synergistic effects, resulting in excellent resistance to various proteins.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Yafei Ding, Ye Yuan, Ning Wu, Xiaohong Wang, Guobing Zhang, Longzhen Qiu
Summary: High-performance stretchable n-type conjugated polymers were achieved through molecular engineering by changing the type of grafted side chains and increasing their density, resulting in reduced film crystallinity, improved polymer chain flexibility, and maintained high electron transport properties under high strains. The study highlights the importance of systematic side chain engineering for achieving high-performance stretchable n-type polymer semiconductors.
Article
Polymer Science
Paniz Pahlavanlu, So Young An, Jenny R. Panchuk, Adam A. Pollit, Dwight S. Seferos
Summary: This study investigates the anion-radical polymerization of a series of oxygenated and thionated, thiophene- and selenophene-flanked naphthalene diimides. The results show that subtle changes in monomer structure afford significant changes in polymer synthesis, with selenophene-flanked naphthalene diimides polymerizing more rapidly compared to thiophene-flanked analogues. Thionated naphthalene diimides form anion-radical complexes but do not undergo polymerization.
Article
Polymer Science
Ziyi Xie, Qingyun Wei, Tong Shan, Xiaoyang Zheng, Yi Zhang, Hongliang Zhong
Summary: Polythiophene derivatives, P3SHT and PTST, synthesized by KCTP show stronger absorption and downshifted energy levels compared to P3HT, due to the role of sulfur as a pi-acceptor. PTST exhibits the strongest crystallinity among the polymers and hierarchically pre-aggregates in solution, leading to a superior PCE in OSCs.
Article
Polymer Science
Alexandra J. Berl, Jonathan H. Sklar, Young Ju Yun, Julia A. Kalow
Summary: This study reports the photo-controlled synthesis of hydrophilic CPs and finds that changing side chains from alkyl to oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) can alter their photoreactivity. The researchers also discovered a side chain decomposition pathway for N-OEG monomers and overcame it by adding an extra methylene unit in the side chains. This polymerization method does not require transition metal catalysts and shows promise for preparing n-type conjugated block copolymers.
Article
Polymer Science
Min-Kyoung Kim, Gyung-Tak Kim, Taemin Kim, Moon-Gyu Kim, Felix Sunjoo Kim, Taeshik Earmme, Ye-Jin Hwang
Summary: Two poly(naphthalene diimide)s (PNDIs) were developed using different conjugated side chains, with P(NDI-BBT) having higher absorption coefficient and narrower optical energy band gap compared to P(NDI-BT), and also lower lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels. Interestingly, lower crystallinity was observed in P(NDI-BBT) compared to P(NDI-BT).
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Lixin Li, Hao Zhan, Shuwen Chen, Qingqing Zhao, Juan Peng
Summary: This study investigates the effect of block sequence on the crystalline structure and electrical properties of all-conjugated triblock copolymers. The results show that the block sequence is closely correlated with factors such as solvent evaporation rate and heating temperature, and different microphase-separated structures have varying impacts on charge mobilities in organic field-effect transistors.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Juanjuan Han, Shengqi Gong, Zhongshi Peng, Xueqi Cheng, Yuhan Li, Hanqing Peng, Yuchan Zhu, Zhandong Ren, Li Xiao, Lin Zhuang
Summary: The study found that the topology of comb-shaped anion exchange membranes has a significant impact on membrane properties, with membranes where side chains are grafted onto backbones showing better ion conduction and chemical stability compared to those with side chains tethered to cations. Increasing side chain length enhances the chemical stability of the membranes.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhi-Chao Yan, Yanan Li, Zhenfeng Guo, Akira Shinohara, Takashi Nakanishi, Guangming Chen, Chengjun Pan, Florian J. Stadler
Summary: This study examines the linear viscoelasticity of viscoelastic conjugated polymers based on dialkyl-fluorene and dialkoxybenzene over a wide temperature range. Three dynamic transition temperatures are identified and attributed to different parts of the polymer structure. The findings suggest that the properties of different components of the polymer exhibit distinct behaviors under varying temperature conditions.
Article
Polymer Science
Yuchai Pan, Jianyao Huang, Dong Gao, Zhihui Chen, Weifeng Zhang, Gui Yu
Summary: Semiconducting polymers play a crucial role in both industrial and academic purposes, with ongoing research focusing on the structure-performance relationship. By improving structural engineering, new semiconducting polymers with enhanced properties can be developed. Through studying a series of diketopyrrolopyrrole-based polymers with different alkyl chain lengths, a strong correlation between electrical performance and alkyl side chain was observed, leading to a comprehensive understanding of design rules for high-performance semiconductor materials.
Article
Polymer Science
Bowen Zhao, Ziqi Liang, Ying Zhang, Ying Sui, Yibo Shi, Xuwen Zhang, Miaomiao Li, Yunfeng Deng, Yanhou Geng
Summary: The direct arylation of different side chain functional groups on 2,7-dibromofluorene was investigated, and the resulting TFB-substituted fluorene derivatives were used to synthesize water/alcohol soluble conjugated polymers. Monomers carrying phosphonate and amino groups could be successfully polymerized under typical DArP conditions, while monomers with bromohexyl side chains required different conditions for preparation. High performance organic solar cells were fabricated using the polymers made through DArP as cathode interfacial layers.
Article
Polymer Science
Egor A. Bersenev, Evgeniia A. Nikitina, Erfan Dashtimoghadam, Sergei S. Sheiko, Dimitri A. Ivanov
Summary: Brush-like elastomers with crystallizable side chains show potential for biomedical applications. The crystallization process of these elastomers was studied using synchrotron X-ray scattering, revealing that the main chains are expelled into the amorphous gaps during the process, leading to a transition from an unconfined state to a confined state.
Article
Physics, Applied
Momoko Yoshida, Toru Moriya, Eri Tomita, Shinji Kanehashi, Kenji Ogino
Summary: In this study, graft copolymers with polystyrene (PSt) as side chains were successfully synthesized and evaluated. Enhanced electron mobilities were observed in the graft copolymer films. Investigation of various characteristics suggested that the improved mobilities were attributed to the enhanced growth of pi-pi stacks and increased crystallinity induced by PSt graft chains.
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2022)
Review
Polymer Science
Naisheng Jiang, Donghui Zhang
Summary: Polypeptoids, a class of synthetic peptidomimetic polymers, have the potential for biotechnological applications and can self-assemble into various nanostructures with tailorable morphologies and functionalities.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xunchang Wang, Zhiya Li, Xufan Zheng, Cong Xiao, Tianyu Hu, Yuchen Liao, Renqiang Yang
Summary: New small molecule donors with symmetric/asymmetric hybrid cyclopentyl-hexyl side chains were designed to improve the power conversion efficiencies of organic solar cells. The manipulation of intermolecular interactions and morphology of the bulk heterojunction layer resulted in a significant enhancement in the performance of the solar cells.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Kosuke Terayama, Chuan-Wen Liu, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: The study revealed that incorporating ester-carbonyl group into aromatic dibromo monomers is a key molecular design strategy to realize an efficient intramolecular Pd(0) catalyst-transfer system for the polymerization process.
Article
Polymer Science
Keita Yoshida, Jia-Fu Chang, Chu-Chen Chueh, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: In this study, a new organic-inorganic hybrid material, PNDI-SH:PbS-QD, was synthesized and characterized. Although it showed good properties, the overall photovoltaic performance as a polymer acceptor was inferior due to downshifted energy levels and unfavorable morphology.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wei-Chen Yang, Yan-Cheng Lin, Shin Inagaki, Hiroya Shimizu, Ender Ercan, Li-Che Hsu, Chu-Chen Chueh, Tomoya Higashihara, Wen-Chang Chen
Summary: In this study, polymer materials were used to simulate neural processes in a photosynaptic transistor, achieving excellent features such as long-term and short-term memory, as well as ultra-low energy consumption. This work has significant implications for the development of artificial intelligence technology.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Peiying Hu, Jing Wang, Peigen Zhang, Fushuo Wu, Yingying Cheng, Jin Wang, ZhengMing Sun
Summary: This study presents the design and fabrication of hyperelastic Kevlar nanofiber aerogels (HEKAs) using a slow-proton-release-modulating gelation and thermoinduced crosslinking strategy. HEKAs exhibit low thermal conductivity, high porosity, high thermal stability, enhanced compression resilience, and fatigue resistance. The concept of HEKAs as on-off thermal switches is demonstrated through experiments and simulations, showing rapid thermal response speed and high heat flux.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Wei-Chen Yang, Yi-Wen Chen, Yang-Yen Yu, Yan-Cheng Lin, Tomoya Higashihara, Wen-Chang Chen
Summary: This study develops a series of all-conjugated block copolymers and applies them to electronic memory devices, achieving good memory performance. The design of the all-conjugated block copolymers improves the memory-photoresponse properties in phototransistor memory and overcomes the issue of phase separation in conjugated polymer blends.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Xiameng Shan, Peiying Hu, Jing Wang, Ling Liu, Dengsen Yuan, Junxiong Zhang, Jin Wang
Summary: In this study, a novel system for cross-media thermal management is proposed, which can passively cool in air and provide thermal insulation underwater. Hybrid aerogels composed of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix and superhydrophobic silica aerogel particle (SSAP) are designed and synthesized using a thermally induced phase separation and self-templating strategy. The TPU matrix provides the aerogels with super stretchability, shape memory, and outstanding healing recovery rate, making them suitable for potential wearable usage. Additionally, the aerogels exhibit high solar reflectivity and infrared emissivity, resulting in a sub-ambient cooling effect in air. Moreover, the aerogels possess low thermal conductivity and high hydrophobicity, enabling them to provide effective underwater thermal insulation. These characteristics make the aerogels promising for cross-media environments such as reefs and islands where both air cooling and water insulation are required.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Megumi Matsuda, Kei-ichiro Sato, Kosuke Terayama, Yuto Ochiai, Kazushi Enomoto, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: Researchers have developed a new type of intrinsically stretchable semiconducting material with good stress-releasing properties, which can be used for manufacturing wearable intelligent electronic devices. While there are already several stretchable p-type semiconducting polymers, studies on intrinsically stretchable n-type materials are still limited.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bingjie Ma, Yingying Cheng, Peiying Hu, Dan Fang, Jin Wang
Summary: The passive radiative cooling behavior of traditional silica aerogels prepared from methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) and dimethyldimethoxysilane (DMDMS) was investigated in outdoor environments. The study found that silica aerogels showed excellent thermal insulation performance in room environments, but could achieve sub-ambient cooling of 12 degrees Celsius on a clear night and up to 7.5 degrees Celsius in the daytime.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jing Wang, Dengsen Yuan, Peiying Hu, Yongjiang Wang, Jin Wang, Qingwen Li
Summary: This study reveals the on-demand thermal management behavior of silica aerogels with passive thermal insulation, passive heating, or passive cooling in different environments, which can be achieved by controlling their optical properties. By manipulating the solar transmittance and infrared emissivity through the microstructure and surface composition design, solar heating of 25 degrees C higher than the ambient temperature in the daytime and sub-ambient cooling of 7 degrees C at night are achieved. A comprehensive understanding of the thermal management behavior of silica aerogels is provided, and the tailored optical and thermal conductivity properties enable the on-demand thermal management applications.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ling Liu, Jia Fu, Xueyan Hu, Dengsen Yuan, Jin Wang, Qingwen Li
Summary: In this study, a simple and cost-effective strategy was developed to synthesize ultrafine and nearly monodispersed silica aerogel microspheres (SAM) with low thermal conductivity and high thermal insulation performance. The SAMs can passively cool the environment below ambient temperature during the daytime and reduce heat dissipation in cold environments. The study also highlights the potential of achieving global carbon neutrality and sustainability through the use of SAMs.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bingjie Ma, Bing Wu, Peiying Hu, Ling Liu, Jin Wang
Summary: Aerogels have gained extensive attention due to their excellent thermal insulation performance and are widely used in thermal management for energy saving and emission reduction in various industries. However, it has been found that silica aerogels possess passive radiative cooling (PRC) capacities, which may negatively impact their thermal insulation performance. This study investigates six types of aerogels with different chemical components and microstructures and confirms that PRC is a universal property of aerogels, regardless of their chemical composition or color. The findings highlight the significance of considering PRC in the thermal management behavior of aerogels.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Peiying Hu, Fushuo Wu, Bingjie Ma, Jie Luo, Peigen Zhang, Zhihua Tian, Jin Wang, ZhengMing Sun
Summary: A universal strategy for creating polymer aerogel fibers using crosslinked nanofiber building blocks is proposed, resulting in high-performance fibers with high thermal stability and low thermal conductivity. These fibers show flame retardancy and self-powered sensing capabilities.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jing Zhang, Junxiong Zhang, Qilong Sun, Xinli Ye, Xiaomin Ma, Jin Wang
Summary: Ceramic-based nanofiber materials have been attracting increasing attention in the field of high-performance thermal management due to their high-temperature resistance, thermal insulation, mechanical flexibility, and physical-chemical stability.
CHEMISTRY-SWITZERLAND
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Shin Inagaki, Tomoya Higashihara
Summary: A novel ABC-type triblock copolymer, consisting of PMMA, P3HT, and PS, was synthesized by the bilateral CuAAC reaction, resulting in a high yield.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yu-Cheng Tseng, Aoto Kato, Jia-Fu Chang, Wen-Chang Chen, Tomoya Higashihara, Chu-Chen Chueh
Summary: The development of single-component organic solar cells (SCOSCs) using only one photoactive component with a chemically bonded D/A structure has attracted increasing research attention. In this study, we synthesized a D-A all-conjugated polymers based on an n-type PNDI2T block and a p-type PBDB-T donor block but with three different segment ratios (P1-P3) and demonstrate the significance of the D/A segment ratio on photovoltaic performance. The results show that the n-type PNDI2T block plays a critical role in the inter/intra-chain charge transfer, and SCOSC based on P1 exhibits the highest power conversion efficiency among the synthesized CBCs.