Poly(lactide), PLA, suffers from brittleness and low heat deflection temperature (HDT), which limits its application as an engineering plastic. In this work, poly(L-lactide)/poly(D-lactide)/ethylene-vinyl acetate-glycidyl methacrylate random copolymer (PLLA/PDLA/EVM-GMA = 1/1/x) composites were prepared by melt blending, and the in situ formed EVM-g-PLA copolymers improved the compatibility between

The objective of this study was to improve the toughness of bio-based brittle poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF) by melt blending with bio-based polyamide11 (PA11) in the presence of a reactive multifunctional epoxy compatibilizer (Joncryl ADR®-4368). The morphological, thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of PEF/PA11 blends were investigated. Compared with neat PEF, the toughness

A series of Salen-Co(II) complexes were synthesized to study the effect of O2 on the catalytic performance of Salen-Co complexes for the copolymerization of PO/CO2. The Salen-Co(II) complexes showed low activity on the cyclo-addition of CO2 to PO with the aid of a cocatalyst such as PPNCl. Unexpectedly, with the addition of O2, the activity of Salen-Co(II) complexes was obviously increased and 100%

Polyimide (PI) synthesized from aromatic diamine and dianhydrides via two-step poly-condensation method was highly soluble in TGDDM (MY-720) and DGEBA (E-51) at desirable temperature. TGDDM-PI (M-PI) and DGEBA-PI (E-PI) composites within 0.5%-3% PI loading could be prepared without organic solvent. On the cryogenically fractured surfaces of M-PI and E-PI composites, no obvious heterogeneous phase was

The aging behaviors and mechanism of fluoroelastomer (FKM) under lubricating oil (FKM-O) and air (FKM-A, as a comparison) at elevated temperatures were studied from both physical and chemical viewpoints. The obvious changes of mechanical and swelling performances indicate that the coupling effect of lubricating oil and temperature causes more serious deterioration of FKM-O compared to that of FKM-A

In this study, wide bandgap (WBG) two-dimensional (2D) copolymer donors (DZ1, DZ2, and DZ3) based on benzodithiophene (BDT) on alkoxyphenyl conjugated side chains without and with different amounts of chlorine atoms and difluorobenzotriazole (FBTZ) are designed and synthesized successfully for efficient non-fullerene polymer solar cells (PSCs). Three polymer donors DZ1, DZ2, and DZ3 display similar

A series of polyimide (PI) films derived from pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4′-oxydianiline (ODA) were prepared with the employment of chemical pre-imidization, and the pre-imidization degree (pre-ID) was found influential on structures and properties of the films obtained. Specifically, a certain degree of chemical imidization could promote the in-plane orientation of molecular chains inside

High transparency and toughness are prerequisites for sustainable polymers if they are to find wide application as alternatives to petroleum-based polymers. However, the utility of sustainable polymers such as commercially available polylactide (PLA) is limited by their inherent brittleness and high cost. Unfortunately, toughening PLA-based materials via cost-effective blending strategies without sacrificing

The mechanism of nucleating agents (NAs) accelerating the crystallization of semi-crystalline polymers has received continuous attention due to the extreme importance in academic research and industry application. In this work, the nucleation effect and probable mechanism of 1,3:2,4-bis(3,4-dimethylbenzylidene)sorbitol (DMDBS) on promoting the crystallization of syndiotactic polypropylene (sPP) was

A convenient tape-casting method was applied to prepare high performance aromatic polyamide (PA) films based on Technora®. During the polycondensation, CaO was introduced to improve the solubility of the PA resin, and the generated halides were totally removed from the film via a simple water bath, without leaving any defects in PA films. The factors of processing temperature and immersion time had

Nanoporous polymer film with a hexagonal columnar (Colh) structure was fabricated by templated hydrogen-bonding discotic liquid crystals containing methacrylate functional group. The supramolecular hydrogen-bonded complex T3Ph-L is composed of a 1,3,5-tris(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)benzene (T3Ph) core molecule as the hydrogen-bonding acceptor and 3,4,5-tris((11-(methacryloyloxy)undecyl)oxy)benzoic acid

The crystalline and amorphous regions were alternately arranged in the hard elastic polypropylene (PP) films with row-nucleated lamellae. In this work, their structure evolution during stretching and recovery at room temperature was followed and the elastic recovery mechanism was discussed by twice cyclic tensile experiment. During the first stretching to 100%, the lamellae crystals are parallel separated

In this work, the formation of cocontinuous structure in immiscible high density polyethylene/isotactic polypropylene (HDPE/iPP) blends was investigated for various olefin-based compatibilizers of distinct molecular architectures, including ternary random copolymer EPDM, olefin block copolymer (OBC), polypropylene-based OBC (PP-OBC), ethylene/a-olefin copolymer (POE), bottlebrush polymer poly(1-dodecene)

Electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofiber web has been widely utilized as a functional material in various flexible sensors and generators due to its high piezoelectricity, ease processability, and low cost. Among all the crystalline phases of PVDF, β-phase is a key property for PVDF nanofiber web, because the content of β-phase is directly proportional to piezoelectric performance of

This study aims to disclose the thermo-oxidative degradation behaviors and kinetics of a carbon fiber reinforced polyimide (CFRPI) composite for modeling of the long-term degradation process. The degradation behaviors were revealed through off-gas products analysis, and the overall kinetic interpretation was achieved from study of the mass-loss curves recorded under dynamic conditions. It was found

In this contribution, we reported the preparation of vitrimers by using commodity thermoplastics via post crosslinking with hindered urea bonds (HUBs). First, three hindered urea diisocyanates (HUDIs) were synthesized via the reactions of N,N’-di-tert-butylethylenediamine, N,N’-diethylethylenediamine, and piperazine with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). Thereafter, these HUDIs were used as the crosslinking

In order to explore new substitutes for 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) or poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF) and try to develop more ideal bio-based polyesters, several thiophene-aromatic polyesters (PETH, PPTH, PBTH, and PHTH) were synthesized from dimethyl thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylate (DMTD) and different diols, including ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, and 1,6-hexanediol

Two new ionic porous organic polymers (iPOPs) with different counter anions were successfully fabricated via well-known pyrylium mediated transformation into pyridinium. 13C solid-state NMR, XPS, and FTIR were analyzed and confirmed the formation of pyridinium in the network. Containing charged and aromatic networks, both iPOPs exhibit a high affinity towards toxic hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) ions.

Stereoblock polypropylenes bearing isotactic, atactic, and syndiotactic polypropylene segments were successfully prepared by dry methyl aluminoxane activated binary catalysts system, Ph2CFluCpZrCl2 and {Me2Si(2,5-Me2-3-(2-MePh)-cyclopento[2,3-b]thiophen-6-yl)2}ZrCl2, in the presence of iBu3Al as a chain shuttling agent. By studying the catalyst activity, chain transfer efficiency, and reversibility

The Theological property evolution of polyamide 1012 (PA1012) in the isothermal process in molten state has been investigated. The results show that the viscosity increases and crosslinking reaction occurs simultaneously together with the increase of temperature, thus causing the variation of storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) in the repeated frequency sweeps with residual time. This research

It remains a significant challenge to fabricate self-healing aerogels with excellent flame retardancy. Herein, we develop a class of biomass aerogels by electrostatically assembling chitosan (CS), phytic acid (PA), and itaconic acid (IA). The electrostatic interaction between CS and IA is weak and dynamic, so freeze-drying the solution of CS and IA enables the formation of continuous aerogel skeleton

The substantial increase in the efficiency of organic solar cells achieved in recent years would not have been possible without work on the synthesis of new materials and understanding the relationship between the morphology and performance of organic photovoltaic devices. The structure of solvent-cast active layers is a result of phase separation in mixtures of donor and acceptor components. To a

The activation and deactivation of the chain-transfer agent were achieved by oxygen initiation and regulation with triethylborane under ambient temperature and atmosphere. The autoxidation of triethylborane overcame the oxygen inhibition and produced initiating radicals that selectively activate the chain-transfer agent for the chain growth or deactivate the active chain-end of polymer in controlled

In order to promote the thermostability of α-diimine nickel complex by ligand backbone structure, a series of α-diimine nickel complexes with substituents on acenaphthequinone backbone were synthesized and used as catalysts for ethylene polymerization. When the hydroxyethyl phenoxyl group was introduced to the acenaphthequinone-backbone, the thermal stability and activity of the catalyst could be significantly

Converting renewable cellulose into glucose via cellulase catalysis for further production of biofuel has been recognized as one of the most promising ways for solving energy crisis. However, the hydrolysis performance of immobilized cellulase was not satisfactory for practical application due to the reduced catalytic efficiency and lack of β-glucosidase (BG) component in cellulase. Here, a facile

In this work, we designed and synthesized a novel naphthalenediimide-based n-type conjugated polymer PNDICI, which bears asymmetric backbone containing a 3-chlorothiophene unit. The asymmetric structure associated with steric effects of the chlorine atom imparts remarkable solubility to PNDICI in various organic solvents, enabling the fabrication of all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) by using an environmentally

Low dielectric interlayer films have become an important element to ensure the development of the microelectronics industry. A kind of flexible interlayer dielectrics, polyarylene ether nitrile/bisphenol A cyanate ester (PEN/BADCy) film, with good thermal stability and low frequency dependence, has been developed by solution casting method. Herein, materials were designed to incorporate bisphenol A

Static charges on optical anti-counterfeiting membranes may lead to materials structural changes, dust stain aggravation, and misreading of optical information. Incorporating conductive particles is a common way to transfer accumulative charges, but the key issue is how to achieve high dispersion and effective distribution of particles. According to the strategy of assembly-induced structural colors

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a minimally invasive treatment that kills cancer cells by converting photon energy into heat. The past few decades have witnessed the booming development of photothermal materials, mainly focusing on precious metal nanomaterials and carbon nanomaterials, such as nanogold and silver and nanocarbon materials for near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered PTT. As precious metals

Yolk-shell nanostructures have recently attracted tremendous research interests in various areas because of their unique structural merits. Currently, there is an urgent need for developing porous shells with multifunctional features to enhance their performance in various applications. Herein, advanced yolk-shell nanospheres have been facilely prepared by encapsulating silver nanoparticles with porous

Development of degradable polyester elastomers plays an important role in the applications of soft mateirals. Noncrystalline polymenthides (PMs) from menthol derived lactone monomers are excellent soft segments for preparing degradable polyester elastomers. By using cyclic trimeric phosphazene base (CTPB) as an organocatalyst, we successfully synthesized PMs with different molecular weights (8.2 kDa

Nanocomposites of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) modified with 0.2 phr graphene-zinc oxide (GN-ZnO) exhibited optimal mechanical properties and thermal stability. Two other nano-materials—GN and nano-ZnO—were also used to compare them with GN-ZnO. Increasing the content of GN-ZnO gradually enhanced the antibacterial and barrier properties, but the addition of 0.3 phr GN-ZnO led to agglomeration that

The demand for high thermal stability and high strength agents is growing steadily as a result of their increasing application in advanced materials. A series of sulfonated poly(m-phenyleneisophthalamide) (SPMIA) copolymers with superior thermal stability and good mechanical properties have been prepared via low temperature polycondensation method. Then the structures of SPMIA copolymers with different

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound with extensive biological effects, such as anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. However, the application of OA in chemotherapy is hampered by its poor solubility and severe adverse effects. To solve the problems, we developed a self-assembled nanoparticle platform based on amphiphilic oleanolic acid polyprodrug, poly[oligo(ethylene

The silicone rubber composites present remarkable mechanical properties due to the double network structure constructed with molecular network of matrix and filler network of silica. Nevertheless, the filler network structure and corresponding reinforcement mechanism are still under debate and need to be further probed with the aid of applicative advanced analysis techniques. Herein, small-angle neutron

Cyclic polymers exhibit fascinating crystallization behaviors owing to the absence of chain ends and more compact conformations. In the current simulation, dynamic Monte Carlo simulations were performed to reveal the underlying mechanism of the effect of chain topology and chain length on crystallization of polymer in solutions containing one-dimensional nanofiller. Simulation results suggested that

Polyesters, as a class of high-performance and versatile polymer materials, often suffer from some drawbacks, such as hydrophobicity and brittleness due to their single structure nature. Thus, modifications have attracted much attention for enhancing their desirable properties, of which one efficient way is incorporating the aliphatic polyether segment into the main chain of the polyester. However

Deformation-induced phase transition of Form II to Form I in polybutene-1 (PB-1) has been investigated by time-resolved Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy over a wide temperature range from 25 °C to 105 °C. The initial film sample containing orientated lamellae is prepared by pre-stretching of PB-1 melt followed by solidification. This is to realize a homogeneity of subsequent deformation

The structure and properties of functional nanoparticles are important for stabilizing Pickering emulsion polymerization. Recently, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are increasingly favored as a bio-based stabilizer for Pickering emulsions. In this study, we reported a novel functionalized polyphosphoester-grafted CNCs for the stabilization of oil-in-water Pickering emulsions and the emulsion polymerization

An acidic solution based method towards flexible lithium ion battery (LIB) cathodes is developed in this work with perylene diimide (PDI) as the electroactive component and carbon cloth (CC) as the current collector. In this approach, PDI is firstly dispersed in concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and then deposited on CC substrate after the dilution of H2S04, which provides an organic solvent-free

PEDOT, or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), is among the most successful conducting polymer products because of its stable conductivity, colloidal processability, and rich assembly behavior. Since the very first patents on PEDOT filed in 1988, the material has been widely explored for decades in many applications. In this review, a comprehensive summary on the synthesis, processing and post-treatment

Natural biopolymers feature natural abundance, diverse chemical compositions, tunable properties, easy processability, excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, as well as nontoxicity, providing new opportunities for the development of flexible sensing and energy devices. Generally, biopolymers are utilized as the passive and active building blocks to endow the flexible devices with mechanical

Redox-active organic electrode materials are highly desirable in realizing next-generation all-in-one bendable electronic systems. Herein, a novel flexible supercapacitors (SCs) electrode is fabricated from poly(anthraquinonyl sulfide) (PAQS) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) suspension by a simple vacuum filtration and named as PAQS-SWCNTs. The PAQS-SWCNTs electrode offered an initial capacitance

An electrochemically stable two-dimensional covalent organic framework, PI-COF, has been synthesized by a scalable solvothermal method. PI-COF possesses a highly crystalline structure, well-defined pores, high specific surface area, and cluster macrostructure. Thanks to these features, PI-COF can work as electrode materials in organic supercapacitors, exhibiting a specific capacitance of 163 F/g at

In principle, conjugated polymers can work as electron donors and thus as low-cost p-type organic semiconductors to transport holes in photovoltaic devices. With the booming interests in high-efficiency and low-cost solar cells to tackle global climate change and energy shortage, hole transporting materials (HTMs) based on conjugated polymers have received increasing attention in the past decade. In

Fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSSCs) show great potential in portable and wearable electronics due to their unique advantages of high safety, environmental friendliness, high performances, outstanding flexibility and integrability. They can directly act as the power sources or be easily integrated with other flexible devices to constitute self-powered and sustainable energy suppliers, providing excellent

Ionic liquids (ILs) have appeared as the most promising electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries, owing to their unique high ionic conductivity, chemical stability and thermal stability properties. Poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) with both IL-like characteristic and polymer structure are emerging as an alternative of traditional electrolyte. In this review, recent progresses on the applications of IL/PIL-based

The development of lightweight, flexible, and stretchable energy storage systems is essential for state-of-the-art electronic devices. We propose a new and broad strategy to fabricate a stretchable and conductive GO/CNTs-TPU fiber electrode by direct wet spinning, from which a flexible fibrous supercapacitor is fabricated. The fibrous electrode exhibits a high strength of 11.68 MPa, high conductivity

The wearable demand of modern electronic devices makes flexible and stretchable energy storage device urgently needed. Stretchable and flexible supercapacitors (SCs) are energy storage devices that provide ultrahigh power density while having long-term durability, high security, and electrochemical stability. Among different SCs electrode materials, CNTs and graphene-based materials exhibit great potential

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries, especially Zn-MnO2 battery, have attracted intensive attention owing to their unique features of high capacity, environmental friendliness, and safety. However, the problem of Mn dissolution hinders the development of zinc-ion batteries with long-term usage and high-rate performance. In this work, a novel preparation method for the polyaniline (PANI)-coated composite aerogel

Graphene derivatives, such as graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO), have been widely used as promising two-dimensional nanoscale building blocks due to their fascinating properties, cost-effective production, and good processability. Understanding the intrinsic self-assembling, colloidal, and rheological features of graphene derivatives is of critical importance to establish the fo

Two reported three-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (3D-COFs), COF-300 and COF-301, which have hierarchical porous structures and large pore volumes, were synthesized and employed as host materials for lithium-sulfur batteries. Owing to possessing excellent porosities as well as abundant hydroxyl groups in the pore walls, COF-301 can not only trap lithium polysulfides (PSs) via physical adsorption

Highly branched poly(β-amino ester)s (HPAEs) have emerged as one type of the most viable non-viral gene delivery vectors, both in vitro and in vivo. However, the effects of different branching strategies on the gene transfection performance have not yet been explored. Here, using triacrylate (B3) and diamine (B4) as the branching monomers, a series of HPAEs were synthesized via the “A2 + B3 + C2” and

This study aims to experiment with the mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP)/thermoplastic elastomer/nano-silica/compatibilizer nanocomposite using the melt mixing method. The addition of polyolefin elastomers has proved to be an approachable solution for low impact strength of PP, while it would also reduce the Young’s modulus and tensile strength. That is why reinforcement would be applied

We utilized two structurally different long chains (linear and branched ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) to reveal the dependence of flow-induced crystallization on long chain architecture, and prepared two bi-disperse systems of 98 wt% short chain and 2 wt% long chain. A flow field was applied to the bi-disperse polyethylene melt by a modified injection-molding machine, known as oscillation

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging class of photoactive materials, solely composed of light elements. Their ordered structure, crystallinity, and high porosity led to enormous worldwide attention in many research fields. The extensive π-electron conjugation, light-harvesting and charge transport characteristics make them a fascinating polymer for photocatalytic systems. Versatile selection

A series of novel quinolinyl imidazolidin-2-imine nickel complexes with different substituents on the imidazolidin-2-imine ligand were synthesized and characterized. The complexes in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO) as a cocatalyst catalyzed the copolymerization of norbornene (N) and styrene (S) or para-chlorostyrene (CS) with high activity (up to 1070 kg·mol−1·h−1). The installation of sterically

A tetrahedral polyelectrolyte brush in the presence of trivalent counterions is researched under the condition of good solution by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Grafting density and charge fraction are varied to generate a series of surface patterns. Lateral microphase separation happens and various interesting pinned patches appear at appropriate charge fraction and grafting density. Through

Poly(butylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PBN) is a crystallizable linear polyester containing a rigid naphthalene unit and flexible methylene spacer in the chemical repeat unit. Polymeric materials made of PBN exhibit excellent anti-abrasion and low friction properties, superior chemical resistance, and outstanding gas barrier characteristics. Many of the properties rely on the presence of crystals and the

Abstract Vinyl-containing titanium-silphenylene-siloxane oligomers (O1, O2, O3, and O4) with different molar ratios of titanium to silicon were successfully synthesized in high yields by nonhydrolytic sol-gel reaction, and the obtained four oligomers were further crosslinked with methylphenyl hydro-silicone oil (4) to form corresponding polymers (P1, P2, P3, and P4) by hydrosilylation reaction. Their