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Recent Advances in Self-Assembled Polymers and Dendronized Polymers

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Physics and Theory".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 6332

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Shuaiyuan Han

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Guest Editor

College of Materials Science and Engineering Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science & Technology, Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Advanced Wooden Materials, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
Interests: controlled self-assembly; biomass derivative dynamic polymer; lignocellulose derivative functional polymer; control radical polymerization

Prof. Dr. Jie Yang

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Guest Editor

Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, College of Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
Interests: macromolecular self-assembly; supramolecular chemistry; supramolecular nanomedicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We have been invited by the Editor of Polymers (MDPI) to establish a Special Issue entitled “Recent Advances in Self-Assembled Polymers and Dendronized Polymers”.

Self-assembly involves the spontaneous aggregation of molecules into stable and ordered ensembles by non-covalent interactions. Benefiting from the dynamic nature of noncovalent interactions and relatively high stability of polymers, self-assembled polymers exhibit unique advantages in producing complexed functional materials and are found to have widespread applications in the field of tissue engineering, drug delivery vehicles, gels, membrane materials, catalysis, and so on.

In this Special Issue, we aim to capture the cutting edge of the state of the art in research pertaining to self-assembled polymers and related materials. Contributions on the fabrication of supramolecular polymers, macromolecular self-assemblies, natural biomass polymers, dendronized polymers, and their related applications will constitute the backbone of this Special Issue. Theoretical studies on self-assembly are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Shuaiyuan Han
Prof. Dr. Jie Yang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

self-assembly
dendrimer
biomass polymer
supramolecular polymer
polymer brush

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4061 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Siloxane-Modified UV-Curable Castor-Oil-Based Waterborne Polyurethane Superhydrophobic Coatings

by Qianhui Yu, Zengshuai Zhang, Pengyun Tan, Jiahao Zhou, Xiaojing Ma, Yingqing Shao, Shuangying Wei and Zhenhua Gao

Polymers 2023, 15(23), 4588; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15234588 - 30 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1122

Abstract

In recent years, superhydrophobic coatings with self-cleaning abilities have attracted considerable attention. In this study, we introduced hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (OH−PDMS) into castor-oil-based waterborne polyurethanes and synthesized silicone-modified castor-oil-based UV-curable waterborne polyurethanes (SCWPU). Further, we identified the optimal amount of OH−PDMS to be added and introduced different amounts of micro- and nanoscale heptadecafluorodecyltrimethoxysilane-modified SiO₂ particles (FAS−SiO₂) to prepare rough-surface SCWPU coatings with dense micro- and nanostructures, thus realizing waterborne superhydrophobic coatings. The results show that when the OH−PDMS content was 11 wt% and the total addition of FAS−SiO₂ particles was 50% (with a 1:1:1 ratio of 100 nm, 1 µm, and 10 nm particles), the coatings exhibited a self-cleaning ability and superhydrophobicity with a contact angle of (152.36 ± 2.29)° and a roll-off angle of (4.9 ± 1.0)°. This castor-oil-based waterborne superhydrophobic coating has great potential for waterproofing, anti-fouling, anti-corrosion, and other applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Self-Assembled Polymers and Dendronized Polymers)

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Review

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44 pages, 13898 KiB

Open AccessReview

External Stimuli-Induced Welding of Dynamic Cross-Linked Polymer Networks

by Yun Liu, Sheng Wang, Jidong Dong, Pengfei Huo, Dawei Zhang, Shuaiyuan Han, Jie Yang and Zaixing Jiang

Polymers 2024, 16(5), 621; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16050621 - 24 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1083

Abstract

Thermosets have been crucial in modern engineering for decades, finding applications in various industries. Welding cross-linked components are essential in the processing of thermosets for repairing damaged areas or fabricating complex structures. However, the inherent insolubility and infusibility of thermoset materials, attributed to their three-dimensional network structure, pose challenges to welding development. Incorporating dynamic chemical bonds into highly cross-linked networks bridges the gap between thermosets and thermoplastics presenting a promising avenue for innovative welding techniques. External stimuli, including thermal, light, solvent, pH, electric, and magnetic fields, induce dynamic bonds’ breakage and reformation, rendering the cross-linked network malleable. This plasticity facilitates the seamless linkage of two parts to an integral whole, attracting significant attention for potential applications in soft actuators, smart devices, solid batteries, and more. This review provides a comprehensive overview of dynamic bonds employed in welding dynamic cross-linked networks (DCNs). It extensively discusses the classification and fabrication of common epoxy DCNs and acrylate DCNs. Notably, recent advancements in welding processes based on DCNs under external stimuli are detailed, focusing on the welding dynamics among covalent adaptable networks (CANs). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Self-Assembled Polymers and Dendronized Polymers)

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21 pages, 360 KiB

Open AccessReview

Self-Assembled Polymers for Gastrointestinal Tract Targeted Delivery through the Oral Route: An Update

by Xiaoyu Yang, Yang Yang, Haiyan Yu and Yi Zhou

Polymers 2023, 15(17), 3538; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15173538 - 25 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1197

Abstract

Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) targeted drug delivery systems have gained growing attention as potential carriers for the treatment of different diseases, especially local colonic diseases. They have lower side effects as well as enhanced oral delivery efficiency because of various therapeutics that are vulnerable to acidic and enzymatic degradation in the upper GIT are protected. The novel and unique design of self-assembled nanostructures, such as micelles, hydrogels, and liposomes, which can both respond to external stimuli and be further modified, making them ideal for specific, targeted medical needs and localized drug delivery treatments through the oral route. Therefore, the aim of this review was to summarize and critically discuss the pharmaceutical significance and therapeutic feasibility of a wide range of natural and synthetic biomaterials for efficient drug targeting to GIT using the self-assembly method. Among various types of biomaterials, natural and synthetic polymer-based nanostructures have shown promising targeting potential due to their innate pH responsiveness, sustained and controlled release characteristics, and microbial degradation in the GIT that releases the encapsulated drug moieties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Self-Assembled Polymers and Dendronized Polymers)

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15 pages, 4660 KiB

Open AccessReview

Click Chemistry: A Promising Tool for Building Hierarchical Structures

by Adel Badria

Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4077; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194077 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2185

Abstract

The hierarchical structures are utilized at different levels in nature. Moreover, a wide spectrum of nature’s properties (e.g., mechanical, physical and biological properties) has been attributed to this hierarchy. Different reviews have been published to cover the use of click chemistry in building hierarchical structures. However, each one of those reviews focused on a narrow area on this topic, i.e., specific chemical reaction, such as in thiol-ene chemistry, or a specific molecule or compound such as polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, or a certain range of hierarchical structures between the nano to micro range, e.g., nanocrystals. In this review, a frame to connect the dots between the different published works has been demonstrated. This article will not attempt to give an exhaustive review of all the published work in the field, instead the potential of click chemistry to build hierarchical structures of different levels using building blocks of different length scales has been shown through two main approaches. The first is a one-step direct formation of 3D micro/macrometer dimensions structures from Pico dimensions structures (molecules, monomers, etc.). The second approach includes several steps Pico ➔ 0D nano ➔ 1D nano ➔ 2D nano ➔ 3D nano/micro/macro dimensions structures. Another purpose of this review article is to connect between (a) the atomic theory, which covers the atoms and molecules in the picometer dimensions (picoscopic chemistry set); (b) “nano-periodic system” model, which covers different nanobuilding blocks in the nanometers range such as nanoparticles, dendrimers, buckyball, etc. which was developed by Tomalia; and (c) the micro/macrometer dimensions level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Self-Assembled Polymers and Dendronized Polymers)

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