Article
Polymer Science
Huining Ding, Xianmin Wu, Bing Han, Ning Liu, Binyuan Liu, Il Kim
Summary: Highly regioselective ring-opening copolymerizations of 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride (NA) and epoxide monomers have been achieved using Cr-III catalysts and specific ligands, allowing for the control of cis/trans regioselectivity in the resulting polyesters by adjusting feed ratio and monomer structure. The resulting polyesters from the copolymerization of NA and epichlorohydrin provide a robust platform for post-modification, with the ring-strained C=C double bonds in the norbornene units facilitating further functionalization through azide-alkene 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions based on desired targets.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alex J. Plajer, Charlotte K. Williams
Summary: Heteroatom-containing polymers have potential as sustainable replacements for petrochemicals, offering a wide range of properties for various applications. Catalysed ring-opening copolymerisation (ROCOP) provides a route to create precise new polymer structures, leading to a renaissance in research and commercial products.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Taeyang An, Hanseul Ryu, Tae-Lim Choi
Summary: This study presents a versatile approach to improve the alternation and degradability of 2,3-dihydrofuran (DHF) copolymers by carefully controlling the reactivity of both the Ru initiators and the monomers. The DHF copolymers showed outstanding A, B-alternation and could be broken down to a single repeat unit level under acidic conditions.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Max Hirschmann, Rachele Zunino, Sara Meninno, Laura Falivene, Tiziana Fuoco
Summary: In this study, bi-functional organocatalysts containing a (thio-)urea moiety and an iminophosphorane moiety were synthesized and optimized for the ring-opening alternating co-polymerization of phthalic anhydride with three different epoxides. The most effective catalyst showed quantitative conversion of all tested epoxides within 24 hours, with high ester-selectivities up to >97%. NMR and DFT experiments revealed that the catalysts existed as dimers in solution and dissociated during the initiation of polymerization. The catalyst coordinated to the growing chain and modulated its reactivity through reversible protonation/deprotonation, suppressing transesterification side reactions even at prolonged polymerization times without the need for a co-catalyst. The rate-determining step of the polymerization was the ring-opening of the epoxide by the carboxylate chain end, and higher temperatures and concentrations of epoxide and catalyst promoted polymerization rates.
CATALYSIS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Lijun Wang, Fang Wang, Qiang Zhou, Yanfei Wang, Haixiang Song, Haiyang Yang
Summary: In this study, novel nitrobenzoxadiazole fluorophore-functionalized polyester-based amphiphilic polymers were synthesized, and their self-assembled fluorescent polymeric nanoparticles showed excellent fluorescence performance and biocompatibility, providing a new strategy for the design and preparation of biocompatible fluorescent amphiphilic polymers for biological imaging agents.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Hongyan Xie, Lanlan Zheng, Jiabing Feng, Xinyu Wang, Suping Kuang, Li Zhou, Jia Jiang, Yaling Xu, Yan Zhao, Zhiguang Xu
Summary: Ring-opening alternating copolymerization (ROAC) using alkali metal carbonates (AMCs) as efficient and environmentally benign catalysts is reported. The ROAC of phthalate anhydride (PA) and propylene oxide (PO) is catalyzed efficiently by AMC at 100 degrees C, producing polyesters with perfectly alternating structures. The structural and functional diversity of the resultant polyesters can be expanded by using various epoxide monomers and alcohol initiators. The cooperative catalysis of AMC accelerates the generation of the alternating structure.
Article
Polymer Science
Hui Zhou, Fan Zhang, Rui Wang, Wei-Ming Lai, Sheng Xie, Wei-Min Ren, Xiao-Bing Lu
Summary: In this study, a series of alpha-alkylidene cyclic thiocarbonates (α CTCs) were selectively synthesized from carbonyl sulfide (COS) and primary propargylic alcohols, and polymerized via anionic ring-opening decarboxylative polymerization (ARODP) using alkali metal alkoxides as initiating systems. The resulting polymers showed exclusive thioether units and demonstrated varying glass transition temperatures and degradation temperatures based on their side chain structures, with poly(thioether)s bearing naphthalenyl groups exhibiting a high refractive index. Additionally, incorporation of tetraphenylethylene into the side chains led to aggregation-induced emission (AIE) features in the polymers, further rationalized through Pearson's hard-soft acid-base theory and computational studies. This research presents a novel and effective approach for utilizing COS-sourced monomers in polymer synthesis.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xue Liang, Fei Tan, Yunqing Zhu
Summary: The biomedical applications of polyesters and polycarbonates hold great potential but face challenges, with ring-opening copolymerization offering new possibilities to overcome these challenges, while advancements in catalyst development and post-polymerization modification methods have also been made in this field.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Xiu-Mei Kan, Jie Zhu, Pin-Hua Li, Zhi-Chuan Wu, Pei-Jun Yang
Summary: An efficient synthesis of g-amino ethers was achieved by Cu(OTf)2-catalyzed ring-opening of 2-aryl N-tosylazetidines with phenols. This reaction exhibited excellent yields and regio-selectivities, low catalyst loading, mild reaction conditions, and good scalability. One product was transformed into the drug molecule (+/-)-fluoxetine via a two-step procedure.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nikhil Srivastava, Hyun-Joon Ha
Summary: Aziridine displays different regioselective ring-opening reactions depending on the functional group of its alkyl substituents. This reaction can efficiently generate various substituted heterocycles.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Ling-Gao Li, Qi-Yuan Wang, Qiu-Yang Zheng, Fu-Sheng Du, Zi-Chen Li
Summary: Thermally recyclable semiaromatic polyesters were prepared by ring-opening polymerization of benzene-fused caprolactones. Three constitutional isomers of benzo-thia-caprolactones were synthesized and their organocatalytic ROPs were systematically investigated. The mechanical properties, thermal stability, and depolymerization behavior of these polymers were studied, showing promising results for potential closed-loop recyclable plastics.
Article
Polymer Science
He-Yuan Ji, Bin Wang, Li Pan, Xiao-Hui Liu, Yue-Sheng Li
Summary: A metal-free Lewis pair catalyst was used to achieve the ring-opening alternating copolymerization (ROAC) of biorenewable glycidyl ethers with 3,4-dihydrocoumarin (DHC), resulting in renewable polyesters with perfectly alternating structures and functional groups fidelity. Additionally, a one-step strategy for block copolymerization and post-polymerization modification of the polyesters was demonstrated, enabling the introduction of additional functionality and creating highly modifiable polyesters.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Huishan Huang, Haixiao Wei, Lu Huang, Ting Fan, Xu Li, Zhen Zhang, Tongfei Shi
Summary: We report a new synthetic approach for cyclic polyureas through alternating copolymerization. Aziridines react with tosyl isocyanate spontaneously to produce polyureas with an alternating structure. The synthesized polyureas are found to be cyclic. Calculations indicate that the copolymerization of tosyl isocyanate with ethyleneimine is more favorable kinetically and thermodynamically compared to 2-benzylaziridine.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuezhou Huang, Chenyang Hu, Xuan Pang, Yanchuan Zhou, Ranlong Duan, Zhiqiang Sun, Xuesi Chen
Summary: This paper presents an electrochemically switchable strategy for copolymerization using heterometallic complexes, allowing control over the composition and properties of multi-block copolymers. The strategy enables the synthesis of polymers with different functionalities.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Xingji Zhu, Rui Wang, Xinhui Kou, Fusheng Liu, Yong Shen
Summary: In this research, an organic cyclic trimeric phosphazene base (CTPB) in combination with different ureas was utilized as a binary catalyst, showing high catalytic activities in the ring-opening alternating copolymerization (ROAC) of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides. The resulting polyesters exhibited diverse structures, well-defined chain-ends, and low dispersities.
MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Mustafa Kalay, Abidin Esidir, Mahmut Ruzi, N. Burak Kiremitler, Mustafa Serdar Onses
Summary: This study proposes stable and addressable polymer PUFs, utilizing a cross-linkable polymer system, which demonstrates high stochastic characteristics and low-cost production. The performance of the polymer features is evaluated through various analyses, and direct image authentication is achieved using feature matching algorithms.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Jingyu Jin, Guoqiang Lu, Jun Nie, Xiaoqun Zhu
Summary: Photopolymerization technology is limited in the fields of food packaging and biomedicine due to the high migration of small molecules from photoinitiators. In this study, a polymerizable 2-vinyl thioxanthone (ETX) was synthesized to improve the migration stability of photoinitiators. Macromolecular photoinitiators (PPI1, PPI2) were also prepared to further reduce migration. The results showed that the ETX/TEOA system had higher initiation performance and PPI2 displayed favorable initiation ability. Additionally, the migration of ETX, PPI1, and PPI2 in photocured film was significantly reduced. These low-migration photoinitiators have potential applications in the fields of food packaging and biological materials.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Weijie Li, Jun Nie, Yingying Zhao, Xiaoqun Zhu
Summary: This study focuses on the development of high-performance, low-migration photoinitiators. A polymerizable photoinitiator (VBP) was synthesized by introducing an ethylene group into benzophenone, and three different molecular weight single-component photoinitiators (PVBN1-3) were synthesized based on VBP. The results show that these new photoinitiators have stronger absorption ability compared to benzophenone and significantly reduce the migration of initiators and co-initiators, addressing the safety concerns caused by migration.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Seira Morimune-Moriya, Yuki Iwahashi, Mitsuru Nakamura, Daisuke Ogawa, Keiji Nakamura
Summary: This study investigates the effect of plasma treatment on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the structure/properties of polyimide (PI) nanocomposites with ultra-low content of CNTs. The results show that plasma treatment introduces isocyanate groups on the surface of CNTs and enhances the interfacial interaction between PI and treated CNTs. This leads to a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites, with even a small addition of treated CNTs showing a substantial increase in Young's modulus, tensile strength and toughness.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuanlong Li, Chaojie Chen, Guoqing Cui, Li Liu, Chao Zhou, Guangfeng Wu
Summary: In this study, a novel ion-conducting hydrogel was fabricated using a straightforward approach. The hydrogel showed excellent tensile properties and high toughness due to physical interactions and covalent binding. Additionally, the introduction of hydroxyethyl cellulose and lithium chloride improved the biocompatibility, mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and frost resistance of the hydrogel, demonstrating its potential for cold climate applications.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Dengwei Yan, Jinxian Yang, Xuejun Pan, Xiaozheng Duan, Lianwei Li, Mo Zhu
Summary: The influence of backbone length on grafting efficiency during the graft-onto reaction process was investigated. It was found that the polydispersity effect of backbone length does not affect the final grafting efficiency, indicating that the local dynamics of chain segments dominate the graft-onto process.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Zhaoyi Luo, Xianjie Pan, Fanqi Liu, Quanxi Yi, Yanning Zeng, Yunhua Chen, Chaoyang Wang
Summary: This study provides a method to prepare high-performance epoxy materials with good malleability and thermal stability. The materials have self-healing and welding capabilities, thanks to the addition of specific chemical bonds and network structures. They exhibit mechanical properties comparable to commercial epoxy resins and show great potential for sustainable industrial development.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Chaoji Xiong, Hao Wang, Lihua Deng, Kun Liang, Chunhua Wu, Wei Wu, Qian Chen
Summary: In this study, four polyamides were synthesized and their adsorption performances for Hg2+ in aqueous systems were investigated. The polyamides exhibited high adsorption capacities and excellent reusability, with the involvement of sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen in the chemical adsorption process of Hg2+.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Siim Laanesoo, Olivier Bonjour, Rauno Sedrik, Iris Tamsalu, Patric Jannasch, Lauri Vares
Summary: The insertion of rigid aliphatic or aromatic building blocks in polymer structures is an effective way to synthesize high -Tg polymer materials. In this study, a series of isosorbide-2-aryl carboxylate-5-methacrylate monomers (ArIMAs) were synthesized by functionalizing isosorbide 5-methacrylate with various aromatic lignin-inspired esters. These monomers were polymerized to obtain high molecular-weight poly(aryl carboxylate isosorbide methacrylates) (PArIMAs). The resulting polymers showed high glass transition temperatures and thermal stability, making them suitable for use as high-performance plastics and coatings.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuqian Wu, Weijie Xu, Jianliang Li, Zhangfeng Zhong, Liqing Huang, Shengke Li, Huaping Tan
Summary: This study investigates the improvement of degradation and drug release characteristics of dynamic Schiff base-mediated natural polysaccharide hydrogels using tannic acid (TA), leading to enhanced stability and functionality.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Xi Zhang, Xiangli Kong, Xin Zhou, Yiyan Gao, Yibo Sun, Guanghui Gao, Wei Liu, Kai Shi
Summary: Conductive hydrogels have great development prospects in flexible strain sensors, but long-term direct contact with human skin can cause bacterial infection. A hydrogel with antibacterial, biocompatibility, and toughness was designed and manufactured using a freeze-thaw method. The hydrogel maintains tensile properties and fatigue resistance at low temperatures and is resistant to bacteria. Therefore, hydrogel sensors can be used to monitor human movements.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Wei Zhang, Jiangang Yu, Mingyang Wu, Rui Li, Anqiang Zhang, Yaling Lin
Summary: In this study, polyacrylamide containing quaternary ammonium salts (PAM-X) were synthesized and found to effectively inhibit soil-borne pathogenic fungi while maintaining the balance of microbial population in soil. PAM-X also showed low toxicity to earthworms and fish, providing a new method for the prevention and control of soil-borne fungal diseases.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Jiawen He, Haojie Yu, Li Wang, Jian Yang, Yanhui Zhang, Wenbing Huang, Chenguang Ouyang
Summary: This review discusses the use of polymeric hydrogels for atmospheric water harvesting (AWH), including the mechanism of water sorption, fabrication methods, and strategies for optimizing the structure of hydrogels. The extended applications of hygroscopic photothermal hydrogels, such as agricultural irrigation and dehumidification, are also explored. The challenges and prospects of using polymeric hydrogels for AWH are summarized.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Polymer Science
Ying Du, Shuaishuai Lu, Yuanna Sun, Qingshan Li, Xinhai He
Summary: This study introduces a method to improve the performance of hydrogels by incorporating proline, resulting in hydrogels with excellent stretchability, high conductivity, and long-term stability. The hydrogel remains flexible and conductive even at ultra-low temperatures.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2024)