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Polymers
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Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications
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Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 52755

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Chi-Jung Chang

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Feng Chia University, 100, Wenhwa Road, Seatwen, Taichung 40724, Taiwan
Interests: polymers and nanomaterials for optoelectronic and biomedical applications; semiconductor nanomaterial-based photocatalysts and gas sensor; organic molecule/polymer-based chemical sensor and biosensor; materials for environmental protection/energy applications.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The Special Issue will focus on the interaction between polymers and other compounds, surface modification and/or functionalization of polymers, processing parameters, and application of functional polymers, including polymers, polymeric blends, composites, and hybrids. The effective approaches for the characterization of polymeric materials are very important to investigate their interaction and surface properties. Appropriate surface modification may help enhance the performance of polymers. The use of suitable processing approaches and the optimization of processing parameters may help manipulate the nanostructures, mesostructures, textures, and performance of polymeric nanomaterials, films, membranes, parts, and devices. The surface, chemical, physical, electrical, mechanical, optical, and thermal properties of the functional polymers can be tuned to facilitate their application in various fields. This Special Issue will cover review and research papers on the interaction, surface, and processing of functional polymers for the environmental/energy/biomedical applications.

Prof. Dr. Chi-Jung Chang
Guest Editor

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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

  • Chemical/gas/bio sensing 
  • Oil-water separation 
  • Heavy metal removal 
  • Photocatalyst 
  • Interaction with biomolecule 
  • Solar steam generation 
  • Smart textile 
  • Functional textile 
  • Microwave absorption 
  • Photothermal effect 
  • Piezoelectric effect 
  • Stimuli-responsive polymers 
  • Processing parameter property correlation 
  • Composition-property relation

Published Papers (17 papers)

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17 pages, 3291 KiB  
Article
Inflammation-Responsive Nanovalves of Polymer-Conjugated Dextran on a Hole Array of Silicon Substrate for Controlled Antibiotic Release
by Ai-Wei Lee, Pao-Lung Chang, Shien-Kuei Liaw, Chien-Hsing Lu and Jem-Kun Chen
Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3611; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173611 - 01 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1280
Abstract
Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) brushes were tethered on a silicon surface possessing a 500-nm hole array via atom transfer radical polymerization after the modification of the halogen group. Dextran-biotin (DB) was sequentially immobilized on the PMAA chains to obtain a P(MAA-DB) brush surrounding the [...] Read more.
Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) brushes were tethered on a silicon surface possessing a 500-nm hole array via atom transfer radical polymerization after the modification of the halogen group. Dextran-biotin (DB) was sequentially immobilized on the PMAA chains to obtain a P(MAA-DB) brush surrounding the hole edges on the silicon surface. After loading antibiotics inside the holes, biphenyl-4,4′-diboronic acid (BDA) was used to cross-link the P(MAA-DB) chains through the formation of boronate esters to cap the hole and block the release of the antibiotics. The boronate esters were disassociated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) to open the holes and release the antibiotics, thus indicating a reversible association. The total amount of drug inside the chip was approximately 52.4 μg cm−2, which could be released at a rate of approximately 1.6 μg h−1 cm−2 at a ROS concentration of 10 nM. The P(MAA-DB) brush-modified chip was biocompatible without significant toxicity toward L929 cells during the antibiotic release. The inflammation-triggered antibiotic release system based on a subcutaneous implant chip not only exhibits excellent efficacy against bacteria but also excellent biocompatibility, recyclability, and sensitivity, which can be easily extended to other drug delivery systems for numerous biomedical applications without phagocytosis- and metabolism-related issues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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14 pages, 7501 KiB  
Article
Study on a Hydrogel for Adsorption of Chloride Ions in Cementitious Materials
by Meng Cao, Lili Wu, Guixia Zhang, Ying Yang, Wei Chen, Qiu Li, Pei Tang and Wanyu Chen
Polymers 2022, 14(10), 2081; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14102081 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1897
Abstract
Chloride ions in the seaside environment can corrode the steel reinforcement in concrete, which greatly endangers the safety of seaside structures. As an excellent adsorption material, hydrogel is widely used in the field of water treatment but is rarely used in cementitious materials. [...] Read more.
Chloride ions in the seaside environment can corrode the steel reinforcement in concrete, which greatly endangers the safety of seaside structures. As an excellent adsorption material, hydrogel is widely used in the field of water treatment but is rarely used in cementitious materials. In this study, a polyacrylamide–chitosan hydrogel (PAMC) was prepared with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide as the cross-linking agent and acrylamide as the monomer. The prepared PAMC gel could effectively adsorb chloride ions in simulated seawater and simulated sea sand environments, and the maximum adsorption capacity of chloride ions by PAMC-1 (prepared from 2.5 g acrylamide and 1% content of N,N-methylenebisacrylamide relative to acrylamide) gels in simulated seawater was 55.53 mg/g. The adsorption behavior of the PAMC gels in solution fit the Langmuir isotherm model. The composition and morphology of the PAMC gel were characterized, and the responsiveness of the PAMC gel to the environment was studied. The results showed that the PAMC gels adsorbed better in alkaline environments and thus could be used in alkaline cement-based environments. The mortar sample containing the PAMC-1 gel had higher resistance to chloride ion penetration, and the chloride ion content at 7.5–10mm from the surface of the sample cured for 28 days was reduced by 41.4% compared to the samples without the gel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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16 pages, 7806 KiB  
Article
Respiratory Adsorption of Organic Pollutants in Wastewater by Superhydrophobic Phenolic Xerogels
by Yinchun Li, Depeng Gong, Youliang Zhou, Chaocan Zhang, Chunyang Zhang, Yitian Sheng and Shu Peng
Polymers 2022, 14(8), 1596; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14081596 - 14 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1450
Abstract
Organogel adsorbents are widely used for the adsorption of hard-to-degrade organic pollutants in wastewater due to their natural affinity to the organic phase in water. In this study, phenolic xerogels (PF) synthesised in the ethylene glycol inorganic acid system are used as a [...] Read more.
Organogel adsorbents are widely used for the adsorption of hard-to-degrade organic pollutants in wastewater due to their natural affinity to the organic phase in water. In this study, phenolic xerogels (PF) synthesised in the ethylene glycol inorganic acid system are used as a backbone and superhydrophobic phenolic xerogels (ASO-PF) are obtained by grafting aminosilanes onto the PF backbone via the Mannich reaction. The modified ASO-PF not only retains the pore structure of the original PF (up to 90% porosity), but also has excellent superhydrophobic properties (water contact angle up to 153°). Owing to the unique pore structure, ASO-PF has excellent compression properties, cycling 50% compression deformation more than 10 times without being damaged, with a maximum compression deformation of up to 80%. A squeeze–suction–squeeze approach is proposed for selective adsorption of organic pollutants in homogeneous solutions based on the recyclable compression properties of ASO-PF. The ASO-PF is put under negative pressure by squeezing, and when the pressure is released, the adsorbed liquid enters the ASO-PF, where the organic pollutants are retained by the adsorption sites in the skeleton, and then the remaining water is discharged by squeezing. This breathing ASO-PF holds great promise for organic pollutant adsorption and recovery applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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13 pages, 5497 KiB  
Article
Study of a Novel Electrochromic Device with Crystalline WO3 and Gel Electrolyte
by Wanyu Chen, Guixia Zhang, Lili Wu, Siyuan Liu, Meng Cao, Ying Yang and Yong Peng
Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1430; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14071430 - 31 Mar 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1882
Abstract
Most ECDs are coated with an electrochromic material on the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) substrate. A novel electrochromic device (ECD), having a variable optical performance, was prepared by using tungsten foil as a substrate in this study. It was found that the WO [...] Read more.
Most ECDs are coated with an electrochromic material on the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) substrate. A novel electrochromic device (ECD), having a variable optical performance, was prepared by using tungsten foil as a substrate in this study. It was found that the WO3 discoloration layer, having a monoclinic phase crystalline structure made of 600 °C calcined, had optimum charge transmission performance with PADA gel polymer electrolyte. Ionic conductivity of PADA gel polymer electrolyte was 2.3 × 10−3 S cm−1 at −20 °C, and it was possible to help Li+ to implement embedding and extraction from WO3 even in low-temperature conditions. The colored time (tc) and the bleached time (tb) of the electrochromic device were 15 s and 26 s, and it showed yellowish-brown in the colored state and navy blue in the bleached state. The ECD (WO3-600) exhibited good cycle stability reach at least 150 times. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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18 pages, 3227 KiB  
Article
Magnetic Ion Imprinted Polymers (MIIPs) for Selective Extraction and Preconcentration of Sb(III) from Environmental Matrices
by Silindokuhle Jakavula, Nkositetile Raphael Biata, Kgogobi M. Dimpe, Vusumzi Emmanuel Pakade and Philiswa Nosizo Nomngongo
Polymers 2022, 14(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14010021 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2458
Abstract
Antimony(III) is a rare element whose chemical and toxicological properties bear a resemblance to those of arsenic. As a result, the presence of Sb(III) in water might have adverse effects on human health and aquatic life. However, Sb(III) exists at very ultra-trace levels [...] Read more.
Antimony(III) is a rare element whose chemical and toxicological properties bear a resemblance to those of arsenic. As a result, the presence of Sb(III) in water might have adverse effects on human health and aquatic life. However, Sb(III) exists at very ultra-trace levels which may be difficult for direct quantification. Therefore, there is a need to develop efficient and reliable selective extraction and preconcentration of Sb(III) in water systems. Herein, a selective extraction and preconcentration of trace Sb(III) from environmental samples was achieved using ultrasound assisted magnetic solid-phase extraction (UA-MSPE) based on magnetic Sb(III) ion imprinted polymer-Fe3O4@SiO2@CNFs nanocomposite as an adsorbent. The amount of antimony in samples was determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The UA-MSPE conditions were investigated using fractional factorial design and response surface methodology based on central composite design. The Sb(III)-IIP sorbent displayed excellent selectivity towards Sb(III) as compared to NIIP adsorbent. Under optimised conditions, the enrichment factor, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of UA-MSPE/ICP-OES for Sb(III) were 71.3, 0.13 µg L−1 and 0.44 µg L−1, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precision expressed as relative standard deviations (%RSDs, n = 10 and n = 5) were 2.4 and 4.7, respectively. The proposed analytical method was applied in the determination of trace Sb(III) in environmental samples. Furthermore, the accuracy of the method was evaluated using spiked recovery experiments and the percentage recoveries ranged from 95–98.3%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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15 pages, 4233 KiB  
Article
Iron-Loaded Carbon Aerogels Derived from Bamboo Cellulose Fibers as Efficient Adsorbents for Cr(VI) Removal
by Xiaolin Xue, Wei Yuan, Zhuo Zheng, Jian Zhang, Chenghong Ao, Jiangqi Zhao, Qunhao Wang, Wei Zhang and Canhui Lu
Polymers 2021, 13(24), 4338; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13244338 - 11 Dec 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2354
Abstract
A unique iron/carbon aerogel (Fe/CA) was prepared via pyrolysis using ferric nitrate and bamboo cellulose fibers as the precursors, which could be used for high-efficiency removal of toxic Cr(VI) from wastewaters. Its composition and crystalline structures were characterized by FTIR, XPS, and XRD. [...] Read more.
A unique iron/carbon aerogel (Fe/CA) was prepared via pyrolysis using ferric nitrate and bamboo cellulose fibers as the precursors, which could be used for high-efficiency removal of toxic Cr(VI) from wastewaters. Its composition and crystalline structures were characterized by FTIR, XPS, and XRD. In SEM images, the aerogel was highly porous with abundant interconnected pores, and its carbon-fiber skeleton was evenly covered by iron particles. Such structures greatly promoted both adsorption and redox reaction of Cr(VI) and endowed Fe/CA with a superb adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) (182 mg/g) with a fast adsorption rate (only 8 min to reach adsorption equilibrium), which outperformed many other adsorbents. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetics and isotherms were also investigated. The experiment data could be much better fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetics model with a high correlating coefficient, suggesting that the Cr(VI) adsorption of Fe/CA was a chemical adsorption process. Meanwhile, the Langmuir model was found to better describe the isotherm curves, which implied the possible monolayer adsorption mechanism. It is noteworthy that the aerogel adsorbent as a bulk material could be easily separated from the water after adsorption, showing high potential in real-world water treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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16 pages, 5980 KiB  
Article
Polydopamine-Bi2WO6-Decorated Gauzes as Dual-Functional Membranes for Solar Steam Generation and Photocatalytic Degradation Applications
by Yea-Chin Wang, Chi-Jung Chang, Chih-Feng Huang, Hao-Cheng Zhang and Chun-Wen Kang
Polymers 2021, 13(24), 4335; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13244335 - 10 Dec 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2523
Abstract
The dual-functional Bi2WO6/polydopamine (PDA)-modified gauze membrane has been developed for applications in photocatalytic degradation and solar steam generation. Two types of membrane were prepared by changing the growth sequence of Bi2WO6 nanomaterials and PDA on gauze [...] Read more.
The dual-functional Bi2WO6/polydopamine (PDA)-modified gauze membrane has been developed for applications in photocatalytic degradation and solar steam generation. Two types of membrane were prepared by changing the growth sequence of Bi2WO6 nanomaterials and PDA on gauze substrates. The spatial distribution of Bi2WO6 and polydopamine has a great influence on light absorption, photocatalytic degradation, and solar steam generation performances. Bi2WO6 photocatalysts can absorb short-wavelength light for the photocatalytic decoloration of organic dyes. The photothermal polydopamine can convert light into heat for water evaporation. Besides, the gauze substrate provides water transport channels to facilitate water evaporation. The morphology, surface chemistry, and optical properties of Bi2WO6-PDA modified gauzes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectra. The photothermal properties, wetting properties, and solar steam generation rates of the composite films were also studied. Degradation of 96% of indigo carmine was achieved after being irradiated for 120 min in the presence of G/PDA/BWNP. The water evaporation rates of the G/BWP/PDA sample under the irradiation of an Xe lamp (light intensity = 1000 W/m2) reached 1.94 kg·m−2·h−1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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16 pages, 9913 KiB  
Article
Facile Molecular Weight Determination of Polymer Brushes Grafted from One-Dimensional Diffraction Grating by SI-ATRP Using Reflective Laser System
by Jem-Kun Chen, Feng-Ping Lin, Chi-Jung Chang, Chien-Hsing Lu and Chih-Feng Huang
Polymers 2021, 13(23), 4270; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13234270 - 06 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1936
Abstract
Gelatin was immobilized selectively on the amide groups-modified bottom of a trench array of a photoresist template with 2 μm resolution by the ethyl(dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide reaction. The gelatin-immobilized line array was brominated to generate a macroinitiator for atom transfer radical polymerization. [...] Read more.
Gelatin was immobilized selectively on the amide groups-modified bottom of a trench array of a photoresist template with 2 μm resolution by the ethyl(dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide reaction. The gelatin-immobilized line array was brominated to generate a macroinitiator for atom transfer radical polymerization. Poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) brushes were grafted from the macroinitiator layer as line arrays of one-dimensional diffraction gratings (DGs) for various grafting polymerization times. A laser beam system was employed to analyze the optical feature with a characteristic diffraction effect of the PMAA DGs at a 45° incident angle along the transverse magnetic and transverse electric polarization. The growth of the PMAA brush lines increased both their heights and widths, leading to a change in the reflective diffraction intensity. The PMAA brushes under various grafting polymerization times were cleaved from the substrate by digestion of gelatin with trypsin, and their molecular weights were obtained by gel permeation chromatography. The change degree of the diffraction intensity varied linearly with the molecular weight of the PMAA brushes over a wide range, from 135 to 1475 kDa, with high correlation coefficients. Molecular weight determination of polymer brushes using the reflective diffraction intensity provides a simple method to monitor their growth in real time without polymer brush cleavage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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14 pages, 2724 KiB  
Article
Polystyrene-b-Poly(2-(Methoxyethoxy)ethyl Methacrylate) Polymerization by Different Controlled Polymerization Mechanisms
by Dragutin Nedeljkovic
Polymers 2021, 13(20), 3505; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13203505 - 12 Oct 2021
Viewed by 1605
Abstract
Functional polymers have been an important field of research in recent years. With the development of the controlled polymerization methods, block-copolymers of defined structures and properties could be obtained. In this paper, the possibility of the synthesis of the functional block-copolymer polystyrene-b-poly(2-(methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate) [...] Read more.
Functional polymers have been an important field of research in recent years. With the development of the controlled polymerization methods, block-copolymers of defined structures and properties could be obtained. In this paper, the possibility of the synthesis of the functional block-copolymer polystyrene-b-poly(2-(methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate) was tested. The target was to prepare the polymer of the number average molecular weight (Mn) of approximately 120 that would contain 20–40% of poly(2-(methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate) by mass and in which the polymer phases would be separated. The polymerization reactions were performed by three different mechanisms for the controlled polymerization—sequential anionic polymerization, atomic transfer radical polymerization and the combination of those two methods. In sequential anionic polymerization and in atomic transfer radical polymerization block-copolymers of the desired composition were obtained but with the Mn significantly lower than desired (up to 30). The polymerization of the block-copolymers of the higher Mn was unsuccessful, and the possible mechanisms for the unwanted side reactions are discussed. It is also concluded that combination of sequential anionic polymerization and atomic transfer radical polymerization is not suitable for this system as polystyrene macroinitiator cannot initiate the polymerization of poly(2-(methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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14 pages, 3937 KiB  
Article
Synthesis, Characterization of Chitosan-Aluminum Oxide Nanocomposite for Green Synthesis of Annulated Imidazopyrazol Thione Derivatives
by Abir S. Abdel-Naby, Sara Nabil, Sarah Aldulaijan, Ibtisam M. Ababutain, Azzah I. Alghamdi, Somaiah Almubayedh and Khaled D. Khalil
Polymers 2021, 13(7), 1160; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13071160 - 05 Apr 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2610
Abstract
Chitosan-aluminum oxide nanocomposite was synthesized, characterized, and used as a green heterogeneous catalyst to synthesize novel imidazopyrazolylthione derivatives. Nanocomposite polymeric material was characterized by EDS-SEM and XRD. The powerful catalytic activity, and its base character of the nanocomposite, was used to synthesize imidazopyrazolylthione [...] Read more.
Chitosan-aluminum oxide nanocomposite was synthesized, characterized, and used as a green heterogeneous catalyst to synthesize novel imidazopyrazolylthione derivatives. Nanocomposite polymeric material was characterized by EDS-SEM and XRD. The powerful catalytic activity, and its base character of the nanocomposite, was used to synthesize imidazopyrazolylthione (1) in a good yield compared to traditional cyclocondensation synthesis. Using the nanocomposite catalyst, substitution of the thiol group (1) afforded the corresponding thiourea (2) and the corresponding ester (3). The efficiency of the nanocomposite over the traditional base organic catalyst, Et3N and NaOH, makes it an effective, economic, and reproducible nontoxic catalyst. Moreover, the heterogeneous nanocomposite polymeric film was easily isolated from the reaction medium, and recycled up to four times, without a significant loss of its catalytic activity. The newly synthesized derivatives were screened as antibacterial agents and showed high potency. Molecular docking was also performed for a more in-depth investigation. The results of the docking studies have demonstrated that the docked compounds have strong interaction energies with both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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14 pages, 4819 KiB  
Article
Mesoporous Properties of Bioactive Glass Synthesized by Spray Pyrolysis with Various Polyethylene Glycol and Acid Additions
by Tzu-Yu Peng, Pei-Yun Tsai, May-Show Chen, Yuichi Mine, Shan-Hua Wu, Chin-Yi Chen, Dan-Jae Lin and Chung-Kwei Lin
Polymers 2021, 13(4), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13040618 - 18 Feb 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2634
Abstract
Mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) has a high specific surface area, promoting the reaction area, thereby improving the bioactivity; thus, MBG is currently gaining popularity in the biomaterial field. Spray pyrolysis (SP) is a one-pot process that has the advantages of shorter process time [...] Read more.
Mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) has a high specific surface area, promoting the reaction area, thereby improving the bioactivity; thus, MBG is currently gaining popularity in the biomaterial field. Spray pyrolysis (SP) is a one-pot process that has the advantages of shorter process time and better particle bioactivity, therefore, MBG was prepared by SP process with various polyethylene glycol (PEG, molecular weight ranged from 2000–12,000) and acid (HCl and CH3COOH) additions. In vitro bioactivity and mesoporous properties of the so-obtained MBG were investigated. The experimental results showed that all the MBG exhibited amorphous and mesoporous structure. Increasing the molecular weight of PEG can improve the mesoporous structure and bioactivity of MBG. Whereas optimized MBG was prepared with suitable concentration of PEG and CH3COOH. In the present work, MBG synthesized via spray pyrolysis by adding 5 g of PEG with a molecular weight of 12,000 and 50 mL of CH3COOH exhibited the best in vitro bioactivity and mesoporous structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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14 pages, 6229 KiB  
Article
Effect of Storage Conditions on the Thermal Stability and Crystallization Behaviors of Poly(L-Lactide)/Poly(D-Lactide)
by Tien-Wei Shyr, Huan-Chieh Ko, Tzong-Ming Wu and Meifang Zhu
Polymers 2021, 13(2), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13020238 - 12 Jan 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2344
Abstract
Polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic polyester. The thermal stability and crystallization behavior of PLA are extremely sensitive to storage, processing, and usage conditions. This work systematically studied the thermal stability and crystallization behavior of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), poly(D-lactide) (PDLA), and a PLLA/PDLA [...] Read more.
Polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic polyester. The thermal stability and crystallization behavior of PLA are extremely sensitive to storage, processing, and usage conditions. This work systematically studied the thermal stability and crystallization behavior of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), poly(D-lactide) (PDLA), and a PLLA/PDLA (LD) blend, which were stored under two sets of laboratory storage conditions: (1) stored in a vacuum-free desiccator and (2) stored in vacuum-sealed bags. Both were stored at room temperature for 3 years. Gel permeation chromatography results revealed that the PLLA, PDLA, and LD samples hydrolyzed slowly when stored in vacuum-sealed bags and degraded significantly when stored in a vacuum-free desiccator; this process significantly reduced the thermal stability of the samples stored in the vacuum-free desiccator. Owing to hydrolysis, the levorotation and dextrorotation (L- and D-) molecular chains were shortened; consequently, more nuclei were formed, and this caused the melting points of the PLLA, PDLA, and LD samples to decrease and the melting enthalpy of the crystals in these samples to increase. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that when the L- and D- molecular chains were packed side by side to form stereocomplex crystals and the randomly arranged L- and D- molecular chains were easy hydrolyzed and degraded, this interfered with the formation of homocrystals in LD. When PLLA, PDLA, and LD samples are stored in a vacuum-free desiccator, they will be significantly hydrolyzed, resulting in the formation of only stereocomplex crystals, and no homocrystals are observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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13 pages, 4659 KiB  
Article
Studies of the Sulfonated Hydrogenated Styrene–Isoprene–Styrene Block Copolymer and Its Surface Properties, Cytotoxicity, and Platelet-Contacting Characteristics
by Bin-Hong Tsai, Tse-An Lin, Chi-Hui Cheng and Jui-Che Lin
Polymers 2021, 13(2), 235; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13020235 - 12 Jan 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3205
Abstract
Styrenic thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) consist of styrenic blocks. They are connected with other soft segments by a covalent linkage and are widely used in human life. However, in biomedical applications, TPEs need to be chemically hydrogenated in advance to enhance their properties such [...] Read more.
Styrenic thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) consist of styrenic blocks. They are connected with other soft segments by a covalent linkage and are widely used in human life. However, in biomedical applications, TPEs need to be chemically hydrogenated in advance to enhance their properties such as strong UV/ozone resistance and thermal-oxidative stability. In this study, films composed of sulfonated hydrogenated TPEs were evaluated. Hydrogenated tert-butyl styrene–styrene–isoprene block copolymers were synthesized and selectively sulfonated to different degrees by reaction with acetyl sulfate. By controlling the ratio of the hydrogenated tert-butyl styrene–styrene–isoprene block copolymer and acetyl sulfate, sulfonated films were optimized to demonstrate sufficient mechanical integrity in water as well as good biocompatibility. The thermal plastic sulfonated films were found to be free of cytotoxicity and platelet-compatible and could be potential candidates in biomedical film applications such as wound dressings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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19 pages, 3680 KiB  
Article
Single-Source Thermal Evaporation Growth and the Tuning Surface Passivation Layer Thickness Effect in Enhanced Amplified Spontaneous Emission Properties of CsPb(Br0.5Cl0.5)3 Perovskite Films
by Saif M. H. Qaid, Hamid M. Ghaithan, Bandar Ali Al-Asbahi and Abdullah S. Aldwayyan
Polymers 2020, 12(12), 2953; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12122953 - 10 Dec 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6761
Abstract
High-quality inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite CsPb(Br0.5Cl0.5)3 thin films were successfully achieved through evaporation of the precursors and deposition sequentially by a single-source thermal evaporation system. The different melting points of the precursors were enabled us to evaporate [...] Read more.
High-quality inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite CsPb(Br0.5Cl0.5)3 thin films were successfully achieved through evaporation of the precursors and deposition sequentially by a single-source thermal evaporation system. The different melting points of the precursors were enabled us to evaporate precursors one by one in one trip. The resulting films through its fabrication were smooth and pinhole-free. Furthermore, this technique enabled complete surface coverage by high-quality perovskite crystallization and more moisture stability oppositely of that produce by solution-processed. Then the perovskite films were encapsulated by evaporated a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polymer as a specialized surface passivation approach with various thicknesses. The blue emission, high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), stable, and low threshold of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) properties of CsPb(Br0.5Cl0.5)3 films in the bulk structure at room temperature were achieved. The effects of the surface-passivation layer and its thickness on the optical response were examined. Detailed analysis of the dependence of ASE properties on the surface passivation layer thickness was performed, and it was determined this achieves performance optimization. The ASE characteristics of bare perovskite thin film were influenced by the incorporation of the PMMA with various thicknesses. The improvement to the surface layer of perovskite thin films compared to that of the bare perovskite thin film was attributed to the combination of thermal evaporation deposition and surface encapsulation. The best results were achieved when using a low PMMA thickness up to 100 nm and reducing the ASE threshold by ~11 μJ/cm2 when compared with free-encapsulation and by ~13 μJ/cm2 when encapsulation occurs at 200 nm or thicker. Compared to the bare CsPb(Br0.5Cl0.5)3, ASE reduced 1.1 times when the PMMA thickness was 100 nm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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Review

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18 pages, 1131 KiB  
Review
Superabsorbent Polymers as a Soil Amendment for Increasing Agriculture Production with Reducing Water Losses under Water Stress Condition
by Shweta Malik, Kautilya Chaudhary, Anurag Malik, Himani Punia, Meena Sewhag, Neelam Berkesia, Mehak Nagora, Sonika Kalia, Kamla Malik, Deepak Kumar, Pardeep Kumar, Ekta Kamboj, Vishal Ahlawat, Abhishek Kumar and Kavita Boora
Polymers 2023, 15(1), 161; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15010161 - 29 Dec 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5287
Abstract
With an increasing population, world agriculture is facing many challenges, such as climate change, urbanization, the use of natural resources in a sustainable manner, runoff losses, and the accumulation of pesticides and fertilizers. The global water shortage is a crisis for agriculture, because [...] Read more.
With an increasing population, world agriculture is facing many challenges, such as climate change, urbanization, the use of natural resources in a sustainable manner, runoff losses, and the accumulation of pesticides and fertilizers. The global water shortage is a crisis for agriculture, because drought is one of the natural disasters that affect the farmers as well as their country’s social, economic, and environmental status. The application of soil amendments is a strategy to mitigate the adverse impact of drought stress. The development of agronomic strategies enabling the reduction in drought stress in cultivated crops is, therefore, a crucial priority. Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) can be used as an amendment for soil health improvement, ultimately improving water holding capacity and plant available water. These are eco-friendly and non-toxic materials, which have incredible water absorption ability and water holding capacity in the soil because of their unique biochemical and structural properties. Polymers can retain water more than their weight in water and achieve approximately 95% water release. SAP improve the soil like porosity (0.26–6.91%), water holding capacity (5.68–17.90%), and reduce nitrogen leaching losses from soil by up to 45%. This review focuses on the economic assessment of the adoption of superabsorbent polymers and brings out the discrepancies associated with the influence of SAPs application in the context of different textured soil, presence of drought, and their adoption by farmers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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40 pages, 7450 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Synthesis, Modification, Characterization, and Applications of Carbon Dots
by Arul Pundi and Chi-Jung Chang
Polymers 2022, 14(11), 2153; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14112153 - 25 May 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4120
Abstract
Although there is significant progress in the research of carbon dots (CDs), some challenges such as difficulty in large-scale synthesis, complicated purification, low quantum yield, ambiguity in structure-property correlation, electronic structures, and photophysics are still major obstacles that hinder the commercial use of [...] Read more.
Although there is significant progress in the research of carbon dots (CDs), some challenges such as difficulty in large-scale synthesis, complicated purification, low quantum yield, ambiguity in structure-property correlation, electronic structures, and photophysics are still major obstacles that hinder the commercial use of CDs. Recent advances in synthesis, modification, characterization, and applications of CDs are summarized in this review. We illustrate some examples to correlate process parameters, structures, compositions, properties, and performances of CDs-based materials. The advances in the synthesis approach, purification methods, and modification/doping methods for the synthesis of CDs are also presented. Moreover, some examples of the kilogram-scale fabrication of CDs are given. The properties and performance of CDs can be tuned by some synthesis parameters, such as the incubation time and precursor ratio, the laser pulse width, and the average molar mass of the polymeric precursor. Surface passivation also has a significant influence on the particle sizes of CDs. Moreover, some factors affect the properties and performance of CDs, such as the polarity-sensitive fluorescence effect and concentration-dependent multicolor luminescence, together with the size and surface states of CDs. The synchrotron near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) test has been proved to be a useful tool to explore the correlation among structural features, photophysics, and emission performance of CDs. Recent advances of CDs in bioimaging, sensing, therapy, energy, fertilizer, separation, security authentication, food packing, flame retardant, and co-catalyst for environmental remediation applications were reviewed in this article. Furthermore, the roles of CDs, doped CDs, and their composites in these applications were also demonstrated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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29 pages, 6914 KiB  
Review
A Review of the Polymer for Cryogenic Application: Methods, Mechanisms and Perspectives
by Duo Chen, Juanzi Li, Yuhuan Yuan, Chang Gao, Yunguang Cui, Shichao Li, Xin Liu, Hongyu Wang, Cong Peng and Zhanjun Wu
Polymers 2021, 13(3), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13030320 - 20 Jan 2021
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 6990
Abstract
Recently, the application of polymer-based composites at cryogenic conditions has become a hot topic, especially in aerospace fields. At cryogenic temperature, the polymer becomes more brittle, and the adverse effect of thermal stress induced by temperature is more remarkable. In this paper, the [...] Read more.
Recently, the application of polymer-based composites at cryogenic conditions has become a hot topic, especially in aerospace fields. At cryogenic temperature, the polymer becomes more brittle, and the adverse effect of thermal stress induced by temperature is more remarkable. In this paper, the research development of thermoset and thermoplastic polymers for cryogenic applications are all reviewed. This review considers the literature concerning: (a) the cryogenic performance of modified thermoset polymers and the improving mechanisms of the reported modification methods; (b) the cryogenic application potential of some commercial thermoplastic polymers and the cryogenic performance of modified thermoplastic polymers; (c) the recent advance in the use of polymer for special cryogenic environment-liquid oxygen. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the research development of the polymer for cryogenic application. Moreover, future research directions have been proposed to facilitate its practical applications in aerospace. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Polymers: Interaction, Surface, Processing and Applications)
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