Highly porous poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) scaffolds were fabricated using non-solvent-induced phase separation with chloroform as the solvent and tetrahydrofuran as the non-solvent. The microporosity, nanofiber morphology, and mechanical strength of the scaffolds were adjusted by varying the fabrication parameters, such as the polymer concentration and solvent composition. The influence of these

We study the configuration behaviors of non-spherical lens-shaped particles at a fluid-fluid interface. The attachment energies of truncated spheres and biconvex particles are calculated numerically to determine the thermodynamically stable configuration of the particles at the interface. When the particle is rotated 180° perpendicular to the interface, two energy minima are observed in the attachment

Thin films of polymer blends consisting of a crystalline small-molecular semiconductor, 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C8-BTBT), and an amorphous polymer semiconductor, poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] (PTAA), are studied and applied to organic electrolyte-gated transistors (OEGTs). The compositions can be easily controlled by adjusting the mixing ratios of the solutions

Silk fibroin (SF) with the anti-bacterial property can be used in many fields including medical applications. However, the preparation of SF into a desired form is difficult due to its brittleness and compatibility. The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize hydrogel containing SF and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) crosslinked with dialdehyde starch (DAS) without the need for a conventional

High-mobility low-hysteresis electrolyte-gated thin-film transistors were successfully fabricated using a diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and benzotriazole (BTz) copolymer semiconductor and high-capacitance ion gels based on 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([EMI][TFSI]) and tetraoctyl phosphonium ([P8888]) [TFSI]. The DPP-BTz transistors gated with both ion gels operated

Here, we systematically investigated the effects of different carbon numbers or alkyl chain lengths of organic SAM interlayers on electrical properties of poly (dioctyl-quaterthiophenedioctyl-bithiazole) (PDQDB) organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Although the end-group functionalities of organic interlayers were chemically identical, the phase state and structural ordering of polymeric chains

Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocker widely used for the treatment of blood pressure related diseases such as angina, hypertension and Raynaud. However, since the drug after the administration reaches the highest blood concentration between 30 min and 2 h, its insolubility may expose the patient to various side effects. In this study, nifedipine was prepared as a solid dispersion using a water-soluble

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrogels containing various CMC concentration of 2 to 10 wt% are prepared using cyclic freezing/thawing and subsequent γ-ray irradiation to evaluate the effect of CMC content on cell growth rate of the hydrogels. A 3-D porous network structure is successfully formed via physical and chemical crosslinking. The pore size and the metronidazole drug

Branched polyamides (BPAs) were prepared through a polycondensation method and then blended with poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN; 3:1) to construct the nanocomposite membranes having various concentrations of graphene oxide (GO) (2 and 5 wt%). The BPA/PAN and BPA/PAN/GO membranes were applied for selective removal of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (Cl-VOCs) from water by pervaporation. Impacts of

The gas barrier properties of polymers can be improved by reducing gas diffusivity and solubility by using graphene oxide (GO) of various lateral sizes (~3, ~25, ~45 µm). By using GO, the gas diffusion path of the polymer was effectively increased. To reduce the solubility, alkylated GO (AGO) was synthesized by an SN2 reaction between octyl amine and GO. The hydrophobicity of AGO was confirmed through

In this work, the effects of 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) grafted epoxidized soybean oil (ESO-G-DOPO) on mechanical properties and flame retardant of rice husk silica filled epoxy based composite were investigated detail. The silica was extracted from rice husk before using as reinforcement for epoxy resin. While the epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) was synthesized from soybean

A novel polymer-semiconductor nanocomposites of polyvinyl alcoholoxovanadium chloride (PVA-VOCl) films have been successfully synthesized by the simple solution casting technique. XRD analysis of the prepared films confirms the formation of VOCl nanocrystals with different particle sizes distributed in the PVA polymer resulting in the increment in the crystalline phase of the whole structure of PVA-VOCl

Figure 3 should be corrected as follows:

The preparation of expended polypropylene (EPP) by a bead foam processing is of great significance for their potential applications, but the development of a facile method adopting the actual manufacturing process remains a great challenge. In this study, a new bead foam processing based on the actual manufacturing process was successfully developed to produce high quality EPP. Suitable processing

In this study, sulfonated polyketone (SPK) cation exchange fibers were prepared by direct sulfonation with various concentration of sulfonating agent and sulfonation time. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum analysis was performed to confirm the structure of the sulfonated polyketone cation exchange fibers. The degree of sulfonation (DOS) and water uptake (W.U) of SPK cation exchange fibers

Amphiphilic triblock copolymers, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) as a hydrophobic block and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a hydrophilic block, were successfully synthesized, with an aim to broaden the potential application of PHBV in biomedical areas. Isophorone diisocyanate having two different reactive isocyanate groups was used as the coupling agent. Telechelic hydroxylated

Targeted drug delivery to cancerous tissues using nanomaterials is a challenging task that is fast gaining attention. Here, we report the fabrication of ZnO quantum dots (QDs) encapsulated in the biodegradable copolymer poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles using an electrohydrodynamic atomization process to enhance cytotoxicity against the metastatic cancer A549 cell line. The encapsulation

Hydrogels that mimic the composition and properties of the extracellular matrix have attracted great attention as potential polymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. In this study, an injectable hydrogel composed of hyaluronic acid and gelatin was developed via the oxidative coupling reaction using horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The hydrogel was prepared by mixing two phenol-conjugated

Dielectric materials with self-healing property after the occurrence of detrimental events such as tearing or scratch are highly desired, which guarantees reliability and lifetime of the electric and electronic systems. Here, a self-healing covalently bonded titanium dioxide/polyurethane (TiO2/PU) nanocomposite with enhanced dielectric constant was prepared by in-situ polymerization based upon Diels-Alder

The functional conjugations with natural polyphenols could be a working strategy for accomplishing the degradation resistance of hyaluronic acids (HA). Herein, a series of HA conjugates with four different polyphenols with wide ranges in the degree of substitution were systematically prepared. The degradation rate could be retarded in a wide range without crosslinking: The conjugates having polyphenolic

In the present study, the selection and combination of the water-absorbing agent to blend with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for the preparation of a high-performance CO2-separation membrane were examined by evaluating the separation performance of the resulting membrane. The separation performance of a two-layer membrane prepared by stacking and a single-layer membrane prepared by blending were also compared

Since the management of infections becomes prior global healthcare issue, the “post antibiotic era” requires innovative and interdisciplinary approach. As an alternative to widespread and, nowdays mostly uneffective, antibiotic treatment of infections, the series of hydrogels were developed and further investigated as novel antibacterial biomaterials. The hydrogels based on 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate

Polyolefin is a good candidate for a blood bag material alternative to the poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) blood bag that contains di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). However, polyolefin readily adsorbs some plasma proteins and platelets. To prevent these undesired adsorption, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) — hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) — lauryl methacrylate (LMA) copolymers with varying

In the present work, poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/functionalized silica hybrids were prepared via reactive extrusion and their thermal, rheological, and degradation properties were investigated. The PLA was blended through reactive extrusion with functionalized silica, where silica network was formed by grafting-condensation reaction with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and (3-glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxy-silane

Background The incidence of neoplasm has significantly increased around the world over the last decades, resulting in use of anti-neoplastic drugs and the potential for occupational exposure to these drugs. One of the most commonly used chemotherapeutic drugs for treatment of malignancies is 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Objectives In this study, in order to develop an appropriate adsorbent for selective

Fabricating composite films by dispersing clay in a polymer can provide functionalities such as antibiotic action and chemical adsorption. In this study, the effects of the shape and surface treatment of clay on the gas barrier properties, mechanical properties, thermal properties, and processing characteristics of polymer/clay composite films were investigated. Halloysites (HNTs) and vermiculites

Abstract A new copper(II) chloride/tris(2-piridylmethyl)amine (1/1) catalysed “Activators Regenerated by Electron Transfer” “Atom Transfer Radical Polymerisation” (ARGET ATRP) process for the polymerisation of styrene is described. The salient features of the method are the simultaneous use of ascorbic acid (reducing agent) and Na2CO3 (basic agent), the employment of a bifunctional initiator (ethyl

Abstract Experimental and computational techniques have been applied to investigate the influence of Li0.5La0.5TiO3 nanoparticles on the ionic conductivity of the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/LiClO4 nanocomposite solid polymer electrolyte. The theoretical evidence facilitated to suggest a plausible mechanism for Li-ion conduction across the PVDF/LiClO4/Li0.5La0.5TiO3 based solid polymer electrolytes

Abstract The four-arm star copolymers poly(methacrylic acid)-poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-disulfide~)-poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (4AS-PMAAx-(PHEMA-SS~)y-PPEGMAz) with four different block ratios were synthesized and could self-assembled into cross-linked polymer micelles for the exploration of the structure-property relationship. The cross-linked polymer micelles in aqueous

Abstract The solution-processed gas barrier film was fabricated and used for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Organic-inorganic hybrid sol-gel materials and cyclic transparent optical polymer (CYTOP) were used as the bottom and top layers of the barrier films, respectively, to effectively protect against gas permeation through the barrier films. The organic-inorganic hybrid material includes

Abstract Three types of tail-to-tail (PDCBTTT), head-to-tail (PDCBTHT), and head-to-head (PDCBTHH) regioisomeric polythiophene copolymers were synthesized by modification of the substitution positions of their alkoxycarbonyl side-chains. Chain conformation, and optical, electrochemical, morphological, and charge-transport characteristics of the polymers were significantly influenced by their regiochemistry

Abstract The new donor-acceptor copolymer with triethylsilylethynylanthradithiophene as donor and bithiazole as acceptor, poly(triethylsilylethynylanthradithiophene-bithiazole) (PTesADT-BTz), was synthesized through stille coupling. The structure of obtained polymer was characterized by H NMR and FT-IR. The number average molecular weight (Mn) and weight average molecular weight (Mw) were measured

Abstract Conductive multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposites were prepared via solution method and their conductive micro-patterns were made using the doctor blade technique. The prepared patterns were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltam-metry, and four-point probe conductivity meter. SEM images of the cross-sections of micro-patterns

Abstract The photocatalytic polymer mixed matrix membrane (MMM) has been widely used for the separation and purification process. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of structural TiO2 (synthetic TiO2 (ST), flower-like TiO2-100 (FLT-100), and flower-like TiO2-600 (FLT-600)) based on the total surface area for the efficient self-cleaning antifouling property. The asymmetric MMMs

Abstract Fossil-based PC, bisphenol-A polycarbonate (BPA-PC), is polymerized using bisphenol-A, which is derived from fossil-fuel based chemicals. Bio-based polycarbonate (bio-based PC) is polymerized using isosorbide, which is taken from plants. Accordingly, bio-based PC does not contain toxic polymerization chemicals. The rheological characteristics of fossil-based PC and bio-based PC samples, including

Abstract The chromatic detecting system for neomycin was fabricated using the diacetylene compound. Three kinds of the diacetylene compounds were used in this study. Among these compounds, only the compound which has an amino group showed the chromatic activity for the aminoglycoside antibiotics. Because this system did not get the response to glucose and glucosamine which get the similar molecular

Abstract Fiber reinforcement leads to an improvement in mechanical properties of composites. In particular, long fiber thermoplastics (LFT) show more remarkable enhancement in the properties than short fiber thermoplastics (SFT). In this study, different fiber lengths, fiber loadings, and processing methods were considered to understand their effects on the physical properties more in-depth. It was

Abstract Cathode interfacial layers (CIL) have been applied in organic solar cells (OSCs) for the enhancement of photovoltaic characteristics. Most of them are employed in either conventional organic solar cells (COSCs) or inverted organic solar cells (IOSCs) only. Herein, we have designed and synthesized two cathode interfacial materials, namely, 3-(4,6-bis(4-bromophenoxy)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-2,6

Abstract Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/nano-silica (nano-SiO2) nanocom-posite film with 256 layers containing different amounts of nano-SiO2 was manufactured by a new type of micro-nano multilayer co-extrusion technology. The structure, morphology and mechanical properties of PMMA/nano-SiO2 nanocomposite films were investigated through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron

Abstract Oxidative stress is caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and is related to skin cancer and aging. Although anthocyanin is an effective antioxidant, has poor skin permeability and is vulnerable to temperature and pH, a suitable formulation is required. We prepared a pH-gradient loading method to prepare anthocyanin-loaded liposomes because liposomes prepared by the remote loading method

Abstract Among the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts, Cobalt catalysts are currently attracting a lot of research interests due to their high activity and high selectivity. But the dispersion and reducibility of cobalt catalysts with moderate interaction between cobalt and support are still a challenge. A novel amino-ended hyperbranched polyamide (AEHPA) was used to modify SBA-15 and then was

Abstract In this study, based on three-dimensional (3D) framework architecture built-up with two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon such as graphene, we have prepared a mechanically robust polymer composite without exhibiting notable deterioration of electrical conductivity under mechanical deformation. In constructing 3D framework comprising of graphitic carbons, two sophisticated methodologies, direct

Abstract In this study, spirobiindane-based poly(arylene ether sulfone)s with quaternary ammonium-functionalized side chains were synthesized as alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) electrode binding materials. A series of novel AEMFC electrode ionomers with different main-chain structures were prepared. Three-dimensional spirobiindane structures were introduced to improve the gas permeability

Abstract Peptides have attracted great interests due to their potential for versatile application in preparation of drug carriers because of their specific targeting capability to desired tissues and bioresponsiveness toward various biological molecules such as enzymes for selective cleavage or bio-responsive folding into specific conformation. Therefore, the introduction of peptides as a gatekeeper

Abstract We synthesized 3–16 armed methyl-β-cyclodextrin-poly(l-lactide) (MCD-PLLA) polymers, and then blended them with PLLA. The addition of MCD-PLLA with 9 or 12 arms to PLLA dramatically increased the elongation at break (E) and toughness (UT) of PLLA with little affecting its Tg and tensile strength. The highest E and UT were obtained to be 127% and 6.85 GJ/m3, respectively, for PLLA blends containing

Shear thickening (ST) refers to a non-Newtonian behavior of concentrated colloidal suspensions, which exhibits significant viscosity increments at high shear stress or high shear rate. A shear thickening fluid (STF) consists of well-dispersed solid particles in a liquid medium. Silica particles are often used as components of STFs due to the abundance of hydroxyl groups on their surfaces. Polystyrene

In this study, polyketone anion exchange fibers were synthesized by the amination of polyketone via a Paal-Knorr reaction and a quaternization reaction. The amination reaction proceeded at different reaction times and amine N,N-dimethylethylene diamine (DME) concentrations. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) and water uptake (W.U.) increased with increasing amination reaction time and DME concentration

Fibers of long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (LFT) pellets are longer than those of short-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (SFT) pellets produced by extrusion. To overcome the fiber length limitations of the SFT pellets, LFT pellets were prepared by a pultrusion process using continuous fibers, which afforded longer fibers. Currently, long glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene (LGF-PP) materials, which

In Part I of the paper, we have focused on the synthesis, characterization and solubility of three chain-extended bismaleimides containing aryl-ether-imide and phthalide cardo skeleton with different molecular weight (MPEIBMI-2.0, MPEIBMI-1.5 and MPEIBMI-1.25) and the thermal stability and thermal mechanical properties of their cured resins. In Part II of the paper, their high-temperature static viscoelasticity

The lifetime of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) encapsulants used in underwater acoustic sensor (UAS) was predicted using accelerated life testing (ALT). The TPU specimens for tensile and tear strength tests were aged at six different temperatures, and the strengths of the aged specimens were then measured. The measured tensile and tear strengths as a function of aging temperature were used as ALT

Relaxation behavior of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites exists in both solid and molten state and profoundly affects the control and optimization of processing parameters and dimensional accuracy of final products. The aim of this study was to establish an experimental estimating method to characterize relaxation behavior of polymer composite with traditional torque rheometer and investigate

The polyaniline/reduced graphene oxide (PANI/RGO) modified interdigital electrode (IDE) has been successfully fabricated by in situ electrochemical reduction and electrochemical polymerization through cyclic voltammetry. The morphology and topography of PANI/RGO characterized by SEM and AFM display intercross-linked dendritic structure in three dimensions, and it is favorable for the detection of nitrite

Omeprazole (OM), typically used for patients with gastric problems, is a proton pump inhibitor, which reduces the amount of stomach acid production effectively by regulating the proton pump. However, the main side effect of OM is the calcium indigestion, which may cause the calcium deficiency in the long term. Seaweeds are abundant in calcium (approximately 560–1200 mg per 100 g) and nutrients such

In this study, the effect of ionic liquid cation on the long-term stability of membranes was investigated using 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (MOIM+BF4-). The initial permeance of the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)/AgBF4/MOIM+BF4-membrane was 17 gas permeation unit (GPU), but after 100 hours of gas permeation experiment, it showed a low permeance of 5.3 GPU. Uv-vis spectra also showed that

To introduce the para-position of phenol or aniline moiety into the cross-linked network of polybenzoxazine and improve its thermal stability, benzoxazine based on eugenol and 4,4’-diaminodiphenylmethane (e-ddm) was copolymerized with bisphenol A-aniline-based benzoxazine (b-a) or phenol-aniline-based benzoxazine (p-a). The differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The anticorrosion properties of epoxy-silane hybrid coated aluminium (Al) alloy were investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) in natural seawater. The resistances of charge transfer (Rct) and the film (Rf) of 7075 aluminum alloy had higher values at 1 day, which decreased slowly over the testing time. The release of Al3+ ion into

Non-planar-ring epoxies together with non-planar-ring hardeners could achieve thermosets combining ultra-high shape recovery speed and excellent thermal properties. High shape recovery speed reflected high efficiency, and could decrease the energy consumption and the harmful effect of external stimuli on the materials, while it often conflicts with the thermal properties of shape memory polymers. In

Stimuli-response materials have attracted considerable attention due to their potential applications in sensoring, smart coatings, and intelligent devices. Herein a novel thermo-photo staged response shape memory poly(aryl ether ketone) bearing flexible alkyl segments and azobenzene groups was successfully designed and synthesized. Its chemical structure, thermostability and mechanical properties were

The reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon nanotube (CNT) components and their derivatives grafted with the irregioregular poly(3-dodecyl thio-phene) (rGO-g-PDDT and CNT-g-PDDT) and regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (CNT-g-P3HT and CNT-g-P3HT) polymers were used to improve the morphological, optical, and photovoltaic features of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells. The type of carbonic material (CNT

New methods are needed for covalent functionalization of nanoparticles-surface with organic polymer coronas to generate polymeric nanocomposite in a controlled manner. Here we report the use of a surface-initiated polymerization approach, mediated by titanium (IV) catalysis, to grow poly(n-hexylisocyanate) chains from silica surface. Two pathways were used to generate the interfacing in these nano-hybrids