Article
Engineering, Chemical
Alice Oliveira Aguiar, Hyunmin Yi, Ayse Asatekin
Summary: Zwitterions are neutrally charged molecules with equal numbers of cationic and anionic groups, and their exceptional fouling resistance makes them excellent membrane materials. This study focuses on synthesizing thin-film composite ultrafiltration membranes with ultra-thin hydrogel selective layers using a novel method called Interfacially Initiated Free Radical Polymerization. The researchers found that incorporating two zwitterionic monomers in the hydrogel selective layers led to increased water permeance without significant decrease in protein rejection, and all tested hydrogel selective layer membranes showed excellent oil fouling resistance.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Robin Wanka, Florian Koschitzki, Vuk Puzovic, Thorben Pahl, Emily Manderfeld, Kelli Z. Hunsucker, Geoffrey W. Swain, Axel Rosenhahn
Summary: A new dendritic PG-HEMA material was synthesized chemically and compared with commercially available hydrophilic monomers, showing that PPGMA exhibited better resistance to silt incorporation and outperformed PEGMA and PG(4)MA in the DSFE assay.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Che-Hao Wu, Wenjing Meng, Masafumi Yoshio
Summary: Low-voltage-driven actuators based on photo-cross-linked ionic columnar liquid-crystalline polymer films integrating ionic liquids into nanoscale 1D channels have been shown to exhibit larger deformation and generated force compared to amorphous actuators. This concept opens up a promising pathway for electroactive actuator design by incorporating nanostructured components.
ACS MATERIALS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Wenjing Ma, Hui Fang, Dandan Tian, Lingji Zheng, Meiran Xie, Ruyi Sun
Summary: The study demonstrates the successful preparation of a multi-stimuli-responsive supramolecular actuator by introducing azobenzene-cyclodextrin cross-linkers into a polyacrylamide network. The actuator exhibits rapid response to various stimuli, especially light, and is capable of macro-motions even without solvent.
Article
Polymer Science
Chung-Kai Sun, Cherng-Jyh Ke, Yi-Wen Lin, Feng-Huei Lin, Tung-Hu Tsai, Jui-Sheng Sun
Summary: The study aims to establish an effective antibiotic slow-release system and evaluate its efficacy in preventing implant-related infections through an animal model experiment.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kai Xu, Kaixiang Shen, Jing Yu, Yuxuan Yang, Yuantao Wei, Peiling Lin, Qiang Zhang, Chunhui Xiao, Yanfeng Zhang, Yilong Cheng
Summary: In this study, B-N coordination was used to promote gelation of hydrogels, resulting in excellent stability and mechanical properties. The addition of NaCl further enhanced the mechanical and electrical performance of the hydrogels. The conductive hydrogels showed great potential in monitoring human activities with reliable outputs.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kai Xu, Kaixiang Shen, Jing Yu, Yuxuan Yang, Yuantao Wei, Peiling Lin, Qiang Zhang, Chunhui Xiao, Yanfeng Zhang, Yilong Cheng
Summary: This study utilizes B-N coordination as the driving force to develop hydrogel-based flexible electronics with robust elasticity and low hysteresis. By incorporating NaCl, the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the hydrogels are further enhanced. The conductive hydrogels can accurately detect various deformations and output reliable electrical signals with high durability.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Vidyalakshmi Damodara, S. Ramakrishnan
Summary: This article presents a simple approach to prepare reactive coatings that can be functionalized after coating. The polymer used in this approach has multiple attractive features and can be easily derivatized to obtain surfaces with distinct characteristics. The method can also be applied to paper and enables photopatterning through a click reaction.
Article
Polymer Science
Zui Liu, Lifang He, Guangqiang Guo, Qin Gui, Yongjie Yuan, Hailiang Zhang
Summary: This study focuses on a series of luminescent liquid crystal elastomers with photo-induced deformation behavior and photo-responsive fluorescence. By adjusting the crosslinking agent content, the deformation rate and maximum bending angle of the polymers can be controlled. All prepared LCEs exhibit aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) characteristic and emit strong fluorescence in solid state.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yicheng Guo, Ying Wang, Xiaohong Zhao, Xue Li, Quan Wang, Wen Zhong, Kibret Mequanint, Rixing Zhan, Malcolm Xing, Gaoxing Luo
Summary: The study introduces a novel visible light-induced blood-resistant hemostatic adhesive (HAD) that efficiently achieves hemostasis by activating and aggregating platelets. HAD demonstrates excellent hemostatic performance on liver incision and severed rat tail, significantly reducing blood loss.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yue Xin, Jionghong Liang, Lantu Ren, Wenshuo Gao, Weicheng Qiu, Zhenhan Li, Baoliu Qu, Aijian Peng, Zhixin Ye, Jun Fu, Guang Zeng, Xin He
Summary: In this study, a strong, stretchable, self-healing and antifreezing ion conductive hydrogel was developed by designing a multiphysically cross-linked network structure. The hydrogel exhibited high tensile strain, tensile strength, conductivity and freezing resistance, making it suitable for applications in wearable electronics.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Quinten Thijssen, Kim Cornelis, Rand Alkaissy, Janis Locs, Lana Van Damme, David Schaubroeck, Robin Willaert, Sarah Snelling, Pierre-Alexis Mouthuy, Sandra Van Vlierberghe
Summary: In this study, the thiol-ene click reaction was introduced for the first time to improve the elongation and strength of PCL composites by photo-cross-linking them with HAp nanoparticles. The results showed that the thiol-ene cross-linking mechanism significantly increased the elongation and strength of the composites. Furthermore, osteoblasts were able to attach and proliferate on the surface of the photo-cross-linked PCL-HAp composites.
Article
Thermodynamics
Jiawei Yang, Wei Yu, Yuan Zhang, Changqing Liu, Huaqing Xie
Summary: The article introduces a novel thermal interface material obtained by incorporating graphene into a polyacrylate-based double cross-linked hydrogel, which exhibits low thermal contact resistance, high thermal conductivity, excellent elasticity, and self-healing properties, meeting the requirements of a dynamic working environment. The study found that under certain pressure, the effect of temperature on thermal contact resistance is minor, indicating the excellent thermal management performance of the composite hydrogel.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS IN HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Stefan Cesnik, Alberto Perrotta, Alessandro Cian, Massimo Tormen, Alexander Bergmann, Anna Maria Coclite
Summary: This research aims to improve the response time of humidity sensors by changing the surface-to-volume ratio of a humidity-sensitive polymer thin film and using an optical read-out method. Large and uniform nanostructured areas are created on the thin film using nanoimprint lithography. The first proof of concept shows that the response time of the structured thin film is at least three times faster than commercial sensors.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Tapas Ghosh, Apurba K. Das
Summary: Dynamic covalent chemistry has been successfully used to develop functional self-assembled soft materials with ubiquitous properties. Boronic acids can form dynamic covalent bonds with cis-diols, providing stability and stimuli responsive behavior in hydrogels. Nucleoside guanosine has also been found to form boronate ester-cross-linked hydrogels. The current review focuses on the development, properties, and applications of guanosine-boronate esters based functional hydrogels in biomedical fields.
COORDINATION CHEMISTRY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Albert Prause, Michelle Hechenbichler, Benjamin von Lospichl, Artem Feoktystov, Ralf Schweins, Najet Mahmoudi, Andre Laschewsky, Michael Gradzielski
Summary: The thermosensitive aggregation behavior of a library of amphiphilic BAB* copolymers in an aqueous solution is investigated. The study reveals that the choice and length of a thermoresponsive block greatly influence the aggregation, providing insights into the underexplored class of temperature-sensitive polymeric amphiphiles.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jana F. Karthaeuser, Julian Koc, Eric Schoenemann, Robin Wanka, Nick Aldred, Anthony S. Clare, Axel Rosenhahn, Andre Laschewsky
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between structure and antifouling potential of various polyzwitterion coatings. The polysulfabetaines coatings show effective resistance against non-specific protein adsorption and biofouling organisms, with the ability to tune their resistance through spacer modifications.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lakshmi Pisharody, Chidambaram Thamaraiselvan, Emily Manderfeld, Swatantra P. Singh, Axel Rosenhahn, Christopher J. Arnusch
Summary: This study demonstrates that an electrically conductive feed spacer coated with laser-induced graphene (LIG) has antimicrobial and antifouling effects in a spiral wound reverse osmosis (RO) membrane module. The LIG spacer can completely inactivate Pseudomonas aeruginosa and significantly reduce bacterial adhesion of Rheinheimera sp. under low electrical current. It effectively reduces biofilm growth on both the membrane and spacer components when used in brackish water with 12 V.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Emily Manderfeld, Mauricio Nunes Kleinberg, Chidambaram Thamaraiselvan, Christopher J. Arnusch, Axel Rosenhahn
Summary: This study establishes a method to replenish and stabilize surface-bound air layers, known as plastrons, using electrically conductive superhydrophobic coatings. The results show that surfaces with intact plastrons resist organism attachment and accumulation, highlighting the promising potential of plastron-based antifouling approaches.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Albert Prause, Michelle Hechenbichler, Robert F. Schmidt, Sylvain Prevost, Leide P. Cavalcanti, Andre Laschewsky, Michael Gradzielski
Summary: Oil-in-water microemulsions usually have low viscosity and exhibit ordinary viscosity reduction with increasing temperature. However, for certain applications, it might be necessary to avoid or even reverse the temperature trend. This can be achieved by adding thermoresponsive block copolymers that induce network formation as the temperature increases. The viscosity enhancement with increasing temperature was observed for various microemulsion-polymer mixtures, and the most pronounced enhancement was observed for pNPAm-based systems.
Article
Polymer Science
Albert Prause, Michelle Hechenbichler, Robert F. Schmidt, Miriam Simon, Sylvain Prevost, Leide P. Cavalcanti, Yeshayahu Talmon, Andre Laschewsky, Michael Gradzielski
Summary: Temperature control of rheological properties of aqueous solutions can be achieved by the addition of temperature-responsive amphiphilic polymers. In this study, three sets of acrylamide-based block copolymers with different architectures were explored, and their viscosities showed a substantial increase with increasing temperature. The changes in rheological properties were correlated with the mesoscopic organization of the systems.
Article
Polymer Science
Julija Reitenbach, Christina Geiger, Peixi Wang, Apostolos Vagias, Robert Cubitt, Dirk Schanzenbach, Andre Laschewsky, Christine M. Papadakis, Peter Mueller-Buschbaum
Summary: The swelling behavior of PNIPMAM thin films containing magnesium salts in water vapor is investigated for their potential applications as nanodevices. In situ time-of-flight neutron reflectometry is used to probe the extent and kinetics of the swelling ratio and water content. In situ Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and two-dimensional FTIR correlation analysis are utilized to study the solvation events and enhance the sensitivity of PNIPMAM thin films. The addition of Mg(ClO4)2 or Mg(NO3)2 results in higher water uptake and thickness gain in the swollen state, with Mg(NO3)2 showing the highest relative water uptake.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Riddhiman Medhi, Alicia Cintora, Elisa Guazzelli, Nila Narayan, Amanda K. Leonardi, Giancarlo Galli, Matteo Oliva, Carlo Pretti, John A. Finlay, Anthony S. Clare, Elisa Martinelli, Christopher K. Ober
Summary: In this study, two types of amphiphilic random terpolymers were synthesized and evaluated against diverse marine fouling organisms to study their antifouling and fouling-release properties. The precursor amine terpolymers were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization with different comonomer ratios and initiators, followed by selective oxidation to introduce nitroxide radical functionalities. The terpolymers were then incorporated into a PDMS host matrix to create coatings. The effectiveness of these systems against different fouling organisms was observed, with the nonfluorinated PEG and nitroxide combination identified as the most effective formulation against B. improvisus and F. enigmaticus.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Cristiane Henschel, Dirk Schanzenbach, Andre Laschewsky, Chia-Hsin Ko, Christine M. Papadakis, Peter Mueller-Buschbaum
Summary: Sets of nonionic polymers pNVIBAm and pNIPMAm with molar mass from 20,000 to 150,000 kg mol-1 are synthesized by radical polymerization, and their thermoresponsive and solvent-responsive behaviors in aqueous solution are studied. Both polymers exhibit a rare type II lower critical solution temperature (LCST), similar to well-studied pNIPAm. Additionally, both polymers display co-nonsolvency behavior in mixtures of water with various co-solvents, but the co-nonsolvency becomes less pronounced in the order pNIPAm > pNVIBAm > pNIPMAm. Notably, pNIPMAm does not exhibit co-nonsolvency in mixtures of water and N,N-dimethylformamide.
COLLOID AND POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Peixi Wang, Christina Geiger, Julija Reitenbach, Apostolos Vagias, Lucas P. Kreuzer, Suzhe Liang, Robert Cubitt, Viet Hildebrand, Andre Laschewsky, Christine M. Papadakis, Peter Mueller-Buschbaum
Summary: The KCl-modulated swelling behavior of double thermoresponsive diblock copolymer(DBC) thin films and their subsequent responsive behavior in a D2O atmosphere are investigated using spectral reflectance (SR), in situ time-of-flight neutron reflectometry (ToF-NR), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The addition of KCl to the DBC thin films increases their swelling ratio and D2O content during vapor treatment. The films further swell and reach a maximum thickness before contracting upon subsequent heating. Two separate volume phase transition temperatures (VPTTs) are observed, which correspond to a further swelling plateau and the start of contraction. KCl reduces the VPTTc of the PNIPMAM blocks and forms an enrichment layer in the film during heating.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Samantha Muhring-Salamone, Robin Wanka, Axel Rosenhahn
Summary: Diethylenetriamine-modified heparin and alginates, as well as unmodified polysaccharides, were combined using sol-gel chemistry to create hybrid material thin-film coatings. These coatings demonstrated the capability to bind nitric oxide when exposed to NO at high pressures, and they also released nitrogen oxide species in aqueous environments. The hybrid materials showed promising antifouling properties against marine organisms.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
A. Graefenstein, D. Brueckner, C. Rumancev, J. Garrevoet, V. Galbierz, W. H. Schroeder, C. G. Schroer, G. Falkenberg, A. Rosenhahn
Summary: 3D and 2D-cross-sectional X-ray fluorescence analysis is a powerful tool for imaging element distribution in biological material and quantifying metal homeostasis. This study presents a method using peak fitting and self-absorption correction to reconstruct the cross-sectional distribution of elements in cryogenically prepared leaves. Additionally, the authors introduce an atomographic MCA hyperspectral reconstruction method that improves quantitative analysis of light elements compared to conventional methods.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Chia-Hsin Ko, Cristiane Henschel, Geethu P. Meledam, Martin A. Schroer, Renjun Guo, Peter Mueller-Buschbaum, Andre Laschewsky, Christine M. Papadakis
Summary: This study reveals that the micellar structures of PMMA-b-PNIPAM diblock copolymers in aqueous solution can be controlled by varying the content of methanol. The methanol content strongly influences the size, aggregation number, shell thickness, and interactions of the micelles.
Article
Polymer Science
Emily Manderfeld, Ajitha Balasubramaniam, Onur oezcan, Charlotte Anderson, John A. Finlay, Anthony S. Clare, Kelli Hunsucker, Geoffrey W. Swain, Axel Rosenhahn
Summary: Perfluoropolyether dimethacrylate (PFPE-DMA) was polymerized onto surfaces using visible light-induced surface grafting polymerization. Surfaces were prepared by depositing an octadecyltrichlorosilane-monolayer and covalently coupling the photoinitiator isopropylthioxanthone. PFPE-DMA with different chain lengths were polymerized from the surface. The coatings exhibited antifouling properties against proteins and were evaluated in biological assays. The highest chain length of PFPE-DMA showed the strongest fouling reduction, suggesting that chain mobility contributes to fouling resistance.