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Nanostructured Polymer-Based Materials: From Synthesis to Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2022) | Viewed by 15320

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Dr. Anna Maria Ferretti

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Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-CNR, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”- SCITEC, Sezione di Via Fantoli 16/15, 20138 Milano, Italy
Interests: transmission electron microscopy; microanalysis (STEM-EDX, EELS, EFTEM); nanoparticles synthesis; material characterization; magnetic nanomaterials

Dr. Stefania Zappia

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Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “Giulio Natta”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-CNR, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: block copolymers; semiconducting polymers; OPV; organic synthesis; advanced materials
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, polymeric nanostructured materials have attracted a great deal of interest from researchers because of the possibility of tuning their features on the basis of the chemical and structural composition.

This Special Issue focuses not only on new advances in applications in widespread fields (e.g., biomedicine, bioelectronics, and organic photovoltaics (OPVs)), but also on the development of the sustainable processing of these materials. We will attach great importance to the advanced characterization of the nanostructured materials with the aim of carefully addressing the structure–properties relationship. Topics of our interest include, but are not limited to: (i) sustainable synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles; (ii) self-assembled nanostructured films; (iii) hierarchical organization of polymer nanostructures; (iv) new materials for the synthesis of organic nanoparticles (polymers, block copolymers, etc.); (v) hybrid polymeric/inorganic nanomaterials.

All manuscripts inserted into the framework of various applications (biomedical, biosensoristic, OPV, optoelectronic, etc.) will be welcome.

Dr. Anna Maria Ferretti
Dr. Stefania Zappia
Guest Editor

Keywords

sustainable processing
polymeric nanoparticles
composites nanoparticles
nanostructured films
organic photovoltaics
optoelectronics
biomedical applications
bioelectronics
morphological characterization
physico-chemical characterization

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 1874 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biomimetic Rose Petal Structures Obtained Using UV-Nanoimprint Lithography

by Sruthi Venugopal Oopath, Avinash Baji and Mojtaba Abtahi

Polymers 2022, 14(16), 3303; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14163303 - 13 Aug 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2963

Abstract

This study aims to produce a hydrophobic polymer film by mimicking the hierarchical micro/nanostructures found on the surface of rose petals. A simple and two-step UV-based nanoimprint lithography was used to copy rose petal structures on the surface of a polyurethane acrylate (PUA) film. In the first step, the rose petal was used as a template, and its negative replica was fabricated on a commercial UV-curable polymer film. Following this, the negative replica was used as a stamp to produce rose petal mimetic structures on UV curable PUA film. The presence of these structures on PUA influenced the wettability behavior of PUA. Introducing the rose petal mimetic structures led the inherently hydrophilic material to display highly hydrophobic behavior. The neat PUA film showed a contact angle of 65°, while the PUA film with rose petal mimetic structures showed a contact angle of 138°. Similar to natural materials, PUA with rose petal mimetic structures also displayed the water pinning effect. The water droplet was shown to have adhered to the surface of PUA even when the surface was turned upside down. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Polymer-Based Materials: From Synthesis to Applications)

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21 pages, 2736 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Amphiphilic PTB7-Based Rod-Coil Block Copolymer for Water-Processable Nanoparticles as an Active Layer for Sustainable Organic Photovoltaic: A Case Study

by Marianna Diterlizzi, Anna Maria Ferretti, Guido Scavia, Roberto Sorrentino, Silvia Luzzati, Antonella Caterina Boccia, Andrea A. Scamporrino, Riccardo Po’, Eleonora Quadrivi, Stefania Zappia and Silvia Destri

Polymers 2022, 14(8), 1588; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14081588 - 13 Apr 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3281

Abstract

We synthetized a new rod-coil block copolymer (BCP) based on the semiconducting polymerpoly({4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl}{3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl}) (PTB7) and poly-4-vinylpyridine (P4VP), tailored to produce water-processable nanoparticles (WPNPs) in blend with phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM). The copolymer PTB7-b-P4VP was completely characterized by means of two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D-NMR), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS), size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to confirm the molecular structure. The WPNPs were prepared through an adapted miniemulsion approach without any surfactants. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images reveal the nano-segregation of two active materials inside the WPNPs. The nanostructures appear spherical with a Janus-like inner morphology. PTB7 segregated to one side of the nanoparticle, while PC₇₁BM segregated to the other side. This morphology was consistent with the value of the surface energy obtained for the two active materials PTB7-b-P4VP and PC₇₁BM. The WPNPs obtained were deposited as an active layer of organic solar cells (OSCs). The films obtained were characterized by UV-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-vis), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). J-V characteristics of the WPNP-based devices were measured by obtaining a power conversion efficiency of 0.85%. Noticeably, the efficiency of the WPNP-based devices was higher than that achieved for the devices fabricated with the PTB7-based BCP dissolved in chlorinated organic solvent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Polymer-Based Materials: From Synthesis to Applications)

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17 pages, 3524 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Composite Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Based Nanofibers Embedding Differently-Shaped Gold Nanoparticles: Preparation and Characterization

by Andrea Dodero, Maila Castellano, Paola Lova, Massimo Ottonelli, Elisabetta Brunengo, Silvia Vicini and Marina Alloisio

Polymers 2021, 13(10), 1604; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13101604 - 16 May 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2777

Abstract

Poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibrous mats containing ad hoc synthesized gold nanostructures were prepared via a single-step electrospinning procedure and investigated as a novel composite platform with several potential applications. Specifically, the effect of differently shaped and sized gold nanostructures on the resulting mat physical-chemical properties was investigated. In detail, nearly spherical nanoparticles and nanorods were first synthesized through a chemical reduction of gold precursors in water by using (hexadecyl)trimethylammonium bromide as the stabilizing agent. These nanostructures were then dispersed in poly(vinyl alcohol) aqueous solutions to prepare nanofibrous mats, which were then stabilized via a humble thermal treatment able to enhance their thermal stability and water resistance. Remarkably, the nanostructure type was proven to influence the mesh morphology, with the small spherical nanoparticles and the large nanorods leading to thinner well defined or bigger defect-rich nanofibers, respectively. Finally, the good mechanical properties shown by the prepared composite mats suggest their ease of handleability thereby opening new perspective applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Polymer-Based Materials: From Synthesis to Applications)

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10 pages, 2181 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Some Guidelines for the Synthesis and Melting Characterization of Azide Poly(ethylene glycol) Derivatives

by Daniel González-Fernández, Mercedes Torneiro and Massimo Lazzari

Polymers 2020, 12(6), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12061269 - 2 Jun 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4886

Abstract

We provide fundamental guidelines in the form of a tutorial to be taken into account for the preparation and characterization of a specific class of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) derivatives, namely azide-terminated PEGs. Special attention is given to the effect of these chain end groups and their precursors on properties affecting the PEGylation of proteins, nanoparticles and nanostructured surfaces. Notwithstanding the presence of ¹³C satellite peaks, we show that ¹H NMR enables not only the routine quantitative determination of chain-end substitution, but is also a unique method to calculate the absolute number average molecular weight of PEG derivatives. In the use of size exclusion chromatography to get molecular weight distributions, we highlight the importance of distinguishing between eventual secondary reactions involving molecular weight changes and the formation of PEG complexes due to residual amounts of metal cations from reactants. Finally, we show that azide end groups affect PEG melting behavior. In contrast to oxygen-containing end groups, azides do not interact with PEG segments, thus inducing defect formation in the crystal lattice and the reduction of crystal sizes. Melting temperature and degree of crystallinity decrease become especially relevant for PEGs with very low molecular weight, and its comprehension is particularly important for solid-state applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Polymer-Based Materials: From Synthesis to Applications)

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