Abstract The diverse structures and unique properties of hydrogels have attracted significant attentions in recent years. Compared to chemically cross-linked hydrogels, natural polymer-based hydrogels cross-linked with physical interactions are environmentally friendly owning to the free of chemical cross-linking agents and exhibit many advantages as diverse reversible non-covalent bonds. This review

Abstract Nanofibers have attracted significant interest due to their unique properties such as high specific surface area, high aspect ratio, and spatial interconnectivity. Nanofibers can exhibit multifunctional properties and unique opportunities for promising applications in a wide variety of fields. Hierarchical design strategies are being used to prescribe the internal structure of nanofibers,

Abstract Research on polymer-based dielectric materials with low energy loss and high power density for dielectric capacitors can promote the development of advanced energy storage devices and effectively solve energy storage problems. In recent years, all-organic polymer dielectrics have received extensive attention due to the excellent properties and have shown broad development prospects in the

Abstract This review highlights the ongoing developments on the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide (LA) and caprolactone (CL) using mononuclear and dinuclear β-diketiminate- and β-ketoiminate-substituted metal complexes. The resulting aliphatic polyesters are of great interest as sustainable replacements to petrochemicals-based polymers with potential applications in tissue engineering, bio-medical

Abstract The need for achieving sustainable technologies has encouraged research on renewable and biodegradable materials for novel products that are clean, green, and environmentally friendly. Nanocellulose (NC) has many attractive properties such as high mechanical strength and flexibility, large specific surface area, in addition to possessing good wet stability and resistance to tough chemical

Abstract Vaccine development is among the critical issues for ceasing the COVID-19 pandemic. This review discusses the current usage of biomaterials in vaccine development and provides brief descriptions of the vaccine types and their working mechanisms. New types of vaccine platforms (next-generation vaccines and DNA- or mRNA-based vaccines) are discussed in detail. The mRNA vaccine encoding the spike

Abstract To date, numerous strategies have been developed to remove hazardous gaseous components like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the airstream. Adsorption technology has been used as an effective approach for the abatement of VOCs for over 30 years. Hyper-cross-linked polymers (HCPs) with permanent porosity, adjustable surface functional groups, and desired physical/chemical properties

Abstract The superior biocompatibility and biodegradability of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) compared to man-made biopolymers such as polylactic acid promise huge potential in biomedical applications, especially tissue engineering (TE). Textile fiber-based TE scaffolds offer unique opportunities to imitate the anisotropic, hierarchical, or strain-stiffening properties of native tissues. A combination

Abstract The output of bio-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has been growing rapidly with a substantial increase of developments both in academic and industrial research areas in the past decade, which is due to its water solubility, plasticity, and degradability. However, PVA is highly flammable with a limiting oxygen index of only 19% owning to its inherent macromolecular structure composed of carbon

Abstract Advances in stretchable and flexible sensors are responding to the emerging demand of wearable and portable smart electronics. A core component of these electronics are tactile sensing devices which detect external stimuli and obtain in-time information from the surroundings. A fusion of electronics, physics and materials science, tactile sensors have great potential in robots, biomedicine

Abstract Electrospinning is a unique and versatile technique to produce fine submicrometric fibers and nanofibrous membranes from polymer solution or melt. In the last decade, fluorinated polymers (particularly polyvinylidene fluoride, PVDF, VDF copolymers and polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE) have attracted significant attention in electrospinning processes. Fluoropolymers are extraordinary specialty

Abstract Use of X-rays and γ-rays have become inevitable in medical sectors like radiology, interventional cardiology and diagnostic imaging, radiation physics laboratories, nuclear reactors and accelerator facilities. As radiation exposures above permitted levels pose potential risk to personnel working in close proximity to these facilities, protective measures aimed at reducing the exposure for

Abstract Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a natural biopolymer metabolized by Gram-negative bacteria strains in carbon- and nitrogen-rich media. Due to its natural purity, biodegradability, biocompatibility and outstanding mechanical properties, it is considered to be an exceptional biomaterial with versatile scientific and commercial applications. The current review presents data concerning the assembly

Abstract Continuous interests in stimuli-responsive macromolecules significantly impacted new developments in polymeric coatings. Responsiveness to bacterial attacks, ice or fog formation, anti-fouling properties, autonomous self-cleaning and self-healing, or drug delivery systems, are just a few examples of modern functions of macromolecules and other components utilized in polymeric coatings. These

Abstract The development of flame retardant polymer materials has two roots, one in materials design, and the other in materials processing. Over recent decades, different types and classes of flame retardant polymer materials have been commercialized to meet safety requirements in the construction, automotive, and coatings industries. In the vast majority of cases, the design and fabrication of new

Abstract Recently, the demands of biodegradable plastic for mulching application have vastly increased due to environmental concern, conservation of soil health and ease of residue management after growing season. The raise in demands also reflected by the increased number of studies related to biodegradable plastic mulch in the past 10 years. Biodegradable plastic mulch film has emerged as a promising

Abstract Learning from nature and promoting original design concept is a significant way to develop functional materials with outstanding performance. Even since the discovery of the role of DOPA residues in the strong adhesion ability of mussel foot-byssus proteins (Mfps), numerous efforts have been devoted into the design of mussel-inspired polymers and many outstanding results have been achieved

Abstract The global environmental issues caused by plastic incineration are continuously increasing, along with the demand for polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—27 million metric tons of PET was demanded in 2020. Therefore, PET recycling has emerged as the core of the global circular economy. In particular, PET recycling methods are categorized into two pathways: mechanical and chemical recycling, wherein

Abstract Chirality and chiral structures are ubiquitous in nature, and play vital and essential roles in organisms. Polymer particles have attracted substantial interest because of their wide and significant practical applications. Combining fascinating chirality and the advantages of polymer particles in one entity will open up a great number of advanced functional chiral particles. In spite of the

Abstract This review article provides an overview of the latest developments in polymer electrolytes, the ion conducting membrane and ionomeric binder, specially tailored for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells that operate at temperatures exceeding 100 °C without the assistance of humidification. This particular type of fuel cell have the added advantages of high CO tolerance

Abstract High performance polymer fibers, such as polyester, aliphatic and aromatic polyamides, are well established in several technical applications, including personal protection equipment, sport, automotive or aerospace. This is due to their excellent thermal, mechanical and chemical properties. In the emerging field of textile based high performance composites and intelligent textiles, polymer

Abstract Advances in synthetic chemistry have enabled abiotic, sequence defined polymers to imitate the structures and functions once exclusive to DNA. Indeed, the vast library of accessible backbones and pendant-group functionalities afford synthetic polymers an advantage over DNA in emerging applications as they can be tailored for stability or performance. Moreover, novel methodologies for sequencing

Abstract Since their first synthesis in 1884, thermosetting and amorphous urea–formaldehyde (UF) resins have mainly been used as wood adhesives yet are known to be responsible for the release of formaldehyde, which contaminates indoor air and causes sick building syndrome. An easy and efficient way of reducing formaldehyde emissions is to synthesize UF resins with a low formaldehyde-to-urea (F/U) molar

Abstract During the last decades, thermoplastic packaging market has rapidly grown thanks to the rapid increase of global consumption, globalization and the unbeatable compromise between properties and large availability of relatively cheap commodity polymers. Recent awareness of the urgency of dealing with environmental concerns has stimulated the R&D on green materials such as biobased and biodegradable

Abstract A variety of chemicals are used in various stages of oil exploitation to ensure the normal progress of exploitation and improve the efficiency of oil recovery. However, most of the conventional petroleum-based chemicals are non-biodegradable, which will remain as wastes after applying, leading to serious environmental menace. In recent years, cellulose nanomaterials have attracted extensive

Abstract With increasing ecological and environmental concerns, the development of materials and products from renewable and sustainable resources is of great public value. Due to the renewability, abundance, and biodegradability, etc., nanocellulose have proven to be one of the most attractive and promising sustainable alternatives of modern and future times. Many exciting applications of nanocellulose

Abstract Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is among the most abundant plastics worldwide. Phthalates and other plasticizers—small molecules added to PVC to impart flexibility—have raised numerous health concerns due to their tendency to migrate out of PVC, where they can be ingested or contaminate the environment. Internal plasticization, in which a plasticizer is covalently bound to the PVC backbone, offers

Abstract The homopolymer of 2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline (iPrOx) and iPrOx copolymers are extensively studied in recent years, and the interest on them is still growing. Poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) (PiPrOx), known as thermoresponsive pseudopeptide, exhibits a phase transition in aqueous solution at a temperature near human body temperature and is nontoxic to many cell lines. These facts make this polymer

Abstract The ongoing demand for the development of intelligent devices has greatly inspired the development of metallic nanostructure incorporated composite electrospun mats. The astounding characteristics of the metallic nanoparticle-loaded hybrid assemblies, such as antimicrobial, charge transfer, energy storage, etc., have been known to precisely contribute to the target applications with enhanced

Abstract Recent progress on branched polymer membranes as electrolyte materials for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications has attracted interest due to the limitations of commercially available Nafion® membranes. Branched polymer membranes have shown improved chemical stability, proton conductivity, and good solubility. The branching degree and the structure of the branching agent

Abstract Electrospun nanofibrous membranes offer superior properties over other polymeric membranes not only due to their high membrane porosity but also due to their high surface-to-volume ratio. A plethora of available polymers and post-modification methods allow the incorporation of "smart" responsiveness in fiber membranes. The pH-responsive property is achieved using polymers from the class of

Abstract The interest in porous organic materials derived from norbornenes is driven by versatile chemistry of norbornenes, fine-tunable structure of these polymers, high accessible surface area, and large free volume of polynorbornenes for technical applications in adsorption, membrane separation, gas storage, and heterogeneous catalysis. This comprehensive review surveys recent research trends in

Abstract This review provides a detailed overview of the latest developments using nanoscale strategies in the field of polymeric and polymer nanocomposite materials for emerging dielectric capacitor-based energy storage applications. Among the various energy storage devices, solid-state dielectric capacitors possess the advantage of high-power density which makes them highly attractive for pulsed

Abstract Reactive additives allow to adapt the properties of thermoplastic polymers during processing and for their later use. The chemical modification using multifunctional epoxide styrene-acrylic chain extenders (CE) in reactive processes is by now an established method to prevent degradation and to improve the process ability as well as the final properties of thermoplastics. One of the most common

Abstract This review presents the current state-of-knowledge concerning thermoresponsive copolymers containing 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The thermoresponsive copolymers based on HEMA, HEMA derivatives, and copolymers with modified HEMA units in the chain studied so far are presented. Information about their transition temperature in dilute water or buffer solution and the influence of various

Abstract Organic rubbers, comprising carbon–carbon links in their polymer backbone, are an essential part of modern everyday life. Tough, their unique properties are mainly governed by reinforcing fillers such as carbon black and silica. However, the reinforcing power is not only driven by the chemical nature of fillers but also by their particle size, shape, distribution and dispersion. In order to

Abstract This manuscript summarizes the extensive research and new advancements on gelatin and gelatin-based nanocomposites. In the first part, various modifications including physical, chemical, and enzymatic modifications of gelatin were summarized, with an emphasis on the effect of these modifications on their structures and properties. Recently, many gelatin-based nanocomposites have been prepared

Abstract This paper provides a review of recent developments in the rapidly changing and advancing field of textile-based flexible pressure sensors. It summarizes the basic principles and approaches employed when building textile-based pressure sensors as well as the most commonly used materials and techniques. The textile pressure sensor is a promising candidate for the next-generation sensing platform

Abstract In this review, the recent developments on centrifugal spinning and characteristics of centrifugally-spun fibers are reviewed. In recent years, there have been great efforts to develop high performance materials for different applications including energy storage, tissue engineering, drug delivery and aerosol filtration. The performance of these materials is greatly influenced by the material

Abstract Typically, polymeric materials experience material degradation and damage over time in harsh environments. Improved understanding of the physical and chemical processes associated with possible damage modes intended in high-pressure hydrogen gas exposed atmospheres will help to select and develop materials well suited for applications fulfilling future energy demands in hydrogen as an energy

Abstract Elastomer foams have been widely used in many applications and have shown potential in some advanced fields because of their excellent flexibility. Elastomers foamed with a physical blowing agent solve the problems of traditional chemical foaming, endow elastomer foams with advantages of environmental-friendly features, uniform cell structure, adjustable material properties, and high processing

Abstract In recent decades, the role of poly(dopamine) in governing mussel adhesion has been gradually understood and exploited as a novel bio-mimicking adhesion concept. In parallel, the polysaccharide materials present a broad class of functional materials ranging from macro- to nanoscale components with broad variety in chemical structure, morphology and reactivity. The cross-over between both research

Abstract Bacterial cellulose (BC), associated with hydroxyapatite (HA), is a hybrid scaffold that shows promise for use in bone tissue engineering, owing to its osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and osteogenic properties. The hybrid material, constituted of organic and inorganic phases, can be produced by in situ or ex situ routes via three main processes: biomimetic, immersion cycles, and chemical

Abstract With very fast polymerization in mild reaction conditions and unique characteristic of double bonds in its synthesized polymer skeleton for further modification and functionalization, ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) becomes one typical processing method to obtain anion exchange membrane (AEM) for fuel cells. In this paper, AEMs prepared by ROMP are reviewed. Polycyclooctene and

Abstract With the development of electronic communication technology, the issues of electromagnetic (EM) wave pollution have become increasingly prominent, and the requirements for EM wave absorbing materials are rising. Polypyrrole (PPy), an important type of conductive polymers, has attracted increasing attention in the applications of EM wave absorbing due to their facile synthesis process, low

Abstract Conducting polyaniline (PANI) brings together the electrical conductivity of metals with intriguing properties of plastics including facile processing as well as controllable chemical and physical properties. The nanoscaled PANI has attracted intense interest in various fields owing to the great physicochemical features including high conductivity, facile preparation, and fascinating redox

Abstract Conducting polyaniline (PANI) brings together the electrical conductivity of metals with intriguing properties of plastics including facile processing as well as controllable chemical and physical properties. The nanoscaled PANI has attracted intense interest in various fields owing to the great physicochemical features including high conductivity, facile preparation, and fascinating redox

Abstract Polyamides (PAs) are repeatedly exposed to environments of varying humidity throughout their service life. Due to their hygroscopic nature, moisture diffusion can alter the polymer properties, sometimes irreversibly. It has been previously found that the effect of transport of water on the structure, morphology, and physical properties of polymers is not negligibly small. In certain semi-crystalline

Abstract The ongoing interest of researchers in bioderived polylactide (PLA) is due to the current tendency to replace petroleum-based plastics with polymers from renewable resources. Polylactide fits this trend because of its mechanical properties resembling those of some petroleum-based polymers commonly applied in daily life and because of its degradability. Added value is the excellent biocompatibility

Abstract During the past ten years, the performance of polymeric field-effect transistors has been largely improved, not only in mobility but also in durability. Among the factors contributed to such improvements, side-chain engineering plays an important role. Various techniques, such as branch point adjustment, hydrogen-bonding introduction and the incorporation of other functional groups in the

Abstract During the past ten years, the performance of polymeric field-effect transistors has been largely improved, not only in mobility but also in durability. Among the factors contributed to such improvements, side-chain engineering plays an important role. Various techniques, such as branch point adjustment, hydrogen-bonding introduction and the incorporation of other functional groups in the

Abstract Poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) are biodegradable, compostable, and biocompatible polymers that can be produced from annually renewable resources. These properties made them popular in environmentally friendly applications, and their industrial usage and production have grown in the latest years. However, both polymers have a few drawbacks that have limited so

Abstract The synergistic effects of the combination of hyperthermia and chemotherapy have implicated the critical role of hyperthermia temperatures in clinical practice. Temperature sensitive polymers, which are capable of exhibiting controllable shapes under various temperature actuations, have attracted considerable interests for designing intelligent medical devices. While shape memory performances

Abstract Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) are a new type of polymer material with unique microporous structure and have been widely applied in gas separation. In recent years, PIMs have also experienced rapid growth in liquid separation and purification; however, so far, no review is reported on the application of PIMs in this field. This paper reports a comprehensive and critical review

Abstract Increasing demands in minimization of fire risks and meeting fire safety requirements by polymers require advances in knowledge of flame-retardant materials suitable for use in fire-retardancy applications. The present work represents the seminal review of alginate/polymer-based materials as flame retardants. Alginates are suitable for this application as they represent alternatives to petroleum-based

Abstract Main-chain metallopolymers are synthesized by olefin metathesis polymerizations. These polymers are mainly produced through acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). The special metal moieties, metal-binding motifs, and unsaturated macromolecular backbone endow the metallopolymers with unique properties. This review highlights recent

The past few decades have seen a significant interest in the fumarate-based polymers for biomedical applications. Poly(caprolactone fumarate) (PCLF) and oligo[poly(ethylene glycol) fumarate] (OPF) are derivatives of polycaprolactone and polyethylene glycol respectively, which are rendered cross-linkable, biodegradable, and possess tunable mechanical properties by the introduction of unsaturated fumarate

The past few decades have seen a significant interest in the fumarate-based polymers for biomedical applications. Poly(caprolactone fumarate) (PCLF) and oligo[poly(ethylene glycol) fumarate] (OPF) are derivatives of polycaprolactone and polyethylene glycol respectively, which are rendered cross-linkable, biodegradable, and possess tunable mechanical properties by the introduction of unsaturated fumarate

In last two decades, acid doped polybenzimidazole as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) has been widely recognized and envisioned as “ideal” proton conducting materials for application in high temperature PEM fuel cell (HT-PEMFC). The majority of research and developmental work is mainly focused on poly (2,2´-m-phenylene-5,5´-bibenzimidazole), However, it is neither easy-processed nor inexpensive component

Abstract The outstanding performance of conventional thermosets arising from their covalently cross-linked networks directly results in a limited recyclability. The available commercial or close-to-commercial techniques facing this challenge can be divided into mechanical, thermal, and chemical processing. However, these methods typically require a high energy input and do not take the recycling of