This review details the extraction, characterization and utilization of seaweed-derived biopolymers for future packaging applications. The review is contextualized within the broader scope of the challenge of plastic pollution and the current urgent need for more sustainable packaging materials. Macroalgae (or seaweed) has been highlighted as a promising source of biopolymers, most commonly sodium alginate, agar and carrageenan, for reasons such as a rapid growth rate and decreased environmental impact when compared to terrestrial plant-life. Extraction methods detailed include the traditional solvent-based extraction to more sustainable developments such as ultrasound assisted extraction, microwave assisted extraction and bead milling. The review additionally presents the characterization techniques most pertinent in determining the applicability of these biopolymers in packaging applications. Properties of key importance to the development of sustainable packaging materials such as thermal properties, mechanical strength, barrier properties and biodegradability are highlighted in comparison to conventional petroleum-based plastics. This review concludes by realistically identifying the challenges faced by implementing seaweed-based biopolymers into packaging structures, such as cost-effectiveness, scalability, performance while suggesting future directions to mitigate these issues and improve the commercial viability of these materials for the packaging industry.

PVC/CNT membranes were electrospun, and subsequently characterized by thermal analyses (TGA and DSC), transmission and scanning electron microscopies (TEM and FEG) and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). TEM images show that most of the nanotubes were encapsulated, inside the fibers and oriented along them. FEG showed no significant differences in the average diameters. The CNTs caused a significant reduction (up to 20 °C) in the glass transition temperature (Tg) in relation to the resin and a positive impact on thermal stability. Nyquist plots is possible to observe a charge transfer resistance of 38 and 40 Mohm, respectively, for pure PVC and PVC/CNT 3%. It is suggested the high porosity and encapsulation of CNTs in the fibers prevents the formation of a percolation network. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of the encapsulation of CNTs in morphology, thermal and impedance spectra of electrospun composites.

The rotational correlation times of a small compact spin probe (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl in isotactic polypropylene were obtained over a wide temperature range by EPR spectra simulation taking into account anisotropic rotation as well as distribution of probe molecules by rotational mobility. The averaged values of rotational correlation times were compared with the corresponding values calculated using well-known approximated formulas based on the intensities and widths of the spectral lines. It was shown that the calculated values can be used as effective parameters to characterize rotational mobility of the spin probe in the polymer matrix in a wide range of rotational correlation times.

The research improves the strength of plastic using avocado seed starch and PLA. The effect of blending avocado seed starch and PLA was optimized using the RSM approach by using two variables: water absorption and biodegradability. Mixing them using RSM gave the best result: 1.8 g of starch and 3 g of PLA. Degradable plastic has a (tensile strength of 10.1 MPa; elongation at break of 85.8%; young modulus of 190 MPa). Infrared spectroscopy showed that the plastic had a -OH bond at 3273.20 cm-1, 3502.73 cm-1, 3647.39 cm-1, a CH2 bond at 2953.52 cm-1, 2945.30 cm-1, 2902.87 cm-1, a C=C bond at 1631.78 cm-1, and a C-O bond at 1741.72 cm-1. The plastic decomposed in soil. It was organic and hydrophilic. Thermal tests, the plastic can withstand heat well, losing weight at 356.86°C to 413.64°C, forming crystals and plastic melts at 159.10°C—the same as PLA. Melt flow test, sample melts before measurement, therefore not measurable—process conditions that affect. Water absorption of 5.763% and biodegradation rate of 37.988% decomposed for 12 days. In morphology analysis, the starch and PLA fused to form a smooth surface. RSM found value was close to 1. RSM gave the best process parameters.

This research has developed a process for producing ZnO thin film from DEZn deposited onto a PET substrate with low-pressure, high-frequency Ar + O2 plasma using a chemical vapor deposition technique. The aim is to study the film production conditions that affect electrical properties, optical properties, and thin film surfaces. This work highlights the use of plasma energy produced from a mixture of gases between Ar + O2. Plasma production is stimulated with an RF power supply to deliver high chemical energy and push ZnO atoms from the cathode inside the reactor onto the substrate through surface chemical reactions. The results showed that increasing the RF power in plasma production affected the chemical reactions on the substrate surface of film formation. The film preparation at RF power 300 W will give the thickest films. The film has a continuous columnar formation, and the surface has a granular structure. This results in the lowest electrical resistivity of 1.8 x 10-4 Ω-cm. In addition, when fabricated into a DSSC device, the device tested the PCE value and showed the highest value at 5.68%. This is due to the very rough surface nature of the ZnO film, which increases the scattering and storage of sunlight, making cells more efficient. Therefore, the benefit of this research is that it will be a highly efficient prototype of thin film production technology using a chemical process that reduces production costs and can be used in the industrial development of solar cells.

In this study, methyl/tbutyl salicylate bearing zirconium complexes (C1-C8) were prepared by reaction of zirconium (IV) propoxide/butoxide with salicylic acid, 3-methylsalicylic acid, 4-methylsalicylic acid, and 3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylic acid in alcohols, respectively. All these complexes (C1-C8) were characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, FTIR, mass spectroscopy (MS), elemental, and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). These complexes were utilized as catalysts in ring opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone and were very effective. Polycaprolactone (PCL) was characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). In this study, perhaps for the first time, the effects of electron donating substituents (Me and tBu) on ε-caprolactone polymerization reactions on salicylate ligands linked to zirconium atoms were investigated.

Recently, polyacetylene (PA) is receiving a renewed scientific attention due to its electrical properties potentially useful for energy applications (e.g., fabrication of electrodes for batteries and supercapacitors) and unique functional characteristics (e.g., flame retardant, oxygen scavenger, EMI-shielding, etc.). This chemical compound can be obtained in form of a polyacetylene-PVOH copolymers simply by chemical dehydration of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), which is a very common type of polymer, widely used in packaging and other technological areas. This very inexpensive chemical reaction for the large-scale synthesis of PA/polyvinylenes has been investigated by reacting PVOH with fuming sulfuric acid at room temperature. In this process, PVOH, shaped in form of film, is dipped in fuming sulfuric acid (i.e., H₂SO₄ at 95-97%) and, after complete chemical-dehydration, it has been mechanically removed from the liquid phase by using a nylon sieve. The reduction process leads to a substantial PVOH film conversion to PA as it has been proved by infrared spectroscopy (ATR-mode). Indeed, the ATR spectrum of the reaction product included all characteristic absorption bands of PA. The reaction product has been also characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy in order to evidence the presence in the structure of conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds of various lengths. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis have been used respectively to investigate the PA solid-state cis-trans isomerization and thermal stability in air and nitrogen, respectively.

Recently, polyacetylene (PA) is receiving a renewed scientific attention due to its electrical properties potentially useful for energy applications (e.g., fabrication of electrodes for batteries and supercapacitors) and unique functional characteristics (e.g., flame retardant, oxygen scavenger, EMI-shielding, etc.). This chemical compound can be obtained in form of a polyacetylene-PVOH copolymers simply by chemical dehydration of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), which is a very common type of polymer, widely used in packaging and other technological areas. This very inexpensive chemical reaction for the large-scale synthesis of PA/polyvinylenes has been investigated by reacting PVOH with fuming sulfuric acid at room temperature. In this process, PVOH, shaped in form of film, is dipped in fuming sulfuric acid (i.e., H₂SO₄ at 95-97%) and, after complete chemical-dehydration, it has been mechanically removed from the liquid phase by using a nylon sieve. The reduction process leads to a substantial PVOH film conversion to PA as it has been proved by infrared spectroscopy (ATR-mode). Indeed, the ATR spectrum of the reaction product included all characteristic absorption bands of PA. The reaction product has been also characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy in order to evidence the presence in the structure of conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds of various lengths. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis have been used respectively to investigate the PA solid-state cis-trans isomerization and thermal stability in air and nitrogen, respectively.

As the understanding of natural gas hydrates as a vast potential resource deepens, their importance as a future clean energy source becomes increasingly evident. However, natural gas hydrates tend to secondary generation during extraction and transportation, leading to safety issues such as pipeline blockages. Consequently, developing new and efficient natural gas hydrate inhibitors has become a focal point in hydrate research. Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors (KHIs) offer an effective solution by disrupting the nucleation and growth processes of hydrates without altering their thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. This paper systematically reviews the latest research progress and development trends of KHIs for natural gas hydrates, covering their development history, classification, and inhibition mechanisms. It particularly focuses on the chemical properties, inhibition effects, and mechanisms of polymer inhibitors such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinylcaprolactam (PVCap). Studies indicate that these polymer inhibitors provide an economical and efficient solution due to their low dosage and environmental friendliness. Additionally, this paper explores the environmental impact and biodegradability of these inhibitors, offering guidance for future research, including the development, optimization, and environmental assessment of new inhibitors. Through a comprehensive analysis of existing research, this work aims to provide a theoretical foundation and technical reference for the commercial development of natural gas hydrates, promoting their safe and efficient use as a clean energy resource.

The increasing micro and nanoplastic pollution is of immense concern. Recent studies show that biofilm substances in contact with nanoplastics play an important role in aggregation and sedimentation of nanoplastics. Consequences of these processes are changes in biofilm formation and stability and changes in transport and fate of pollutants in the environment. Having a deeper understanding of the nanoplastics-biofilm interaction would help to evaluate the risks posed by uncontrolled nanoplastic pollution. These interactions are impacted by environmental changes due to climate change, such as e.g. acidification of surface waters. We apply fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to investigate the pH-dependent aggregation tendency of non-functionalized polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles (NPs) due to intermolecular forces with model extracellular biofilm substances. Our biofilm model consists of bovine serum albumin (BSA), which serves as a representative for globular proteins, and the polysaccharide alginate, which is a main component in many biofilms, in solutions containing Na+ with ionic strength being realistic for fresh water conditions. Biomolecule concentrations ranging from 0.5 g/l up to at maximum 21 g/l are considered. We use non-functionalized polystyrene NPs as representative for mostly negatively charged nanoplastics. BSA promotes NP aggregation through adsorption onto the NPs and BSA mediated bridging. In BSA-alginate mixtures the alginate hampers this interaction, most likely due to alginate-BSA complex formation. Thus, the NP are more stable in the BSA-alginate mixtures compared to solutions containing solely BSA. In most BSA-alginate mixtures and alginate alone, other weaker attractive forces, mainly depletion forces, seem to cause NP aggregation. These forces are not electrostatic in nature and thus are less influenced by the pH-value. At high BSA contents the electrostatic BSA-BSA attraction is not sufficiently screened leading to a destabilization of the NP. This study clearly shows that it is crucial to consider correlative effects between multiple biofilm components to better understand the NP aggregation in the presence of complex biofilm substances. Single component biofilm model systems based on comparing the total organic carbon content of the extracellular biofilm substances, as usually considered, would have led to an misjudgment of the stability towards aggregation. Nevertheless, if the protein content is not too high, a simple model that only depends on polysaccharide concentration could be feasible to predict aggregation under environmental relevant conditions.

The aim of this study was to synthesize and optimize polylactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) nanoparticles loaded with rifampicin (RIF), with a given size and high loading rate, using the central composite design (CCD) method. CCD was used to investigate the influence of independent factors such as PLGA:RIF ratio, type of PLGA, type and concentration of surfactants, power and duration of homogenization, and type of organic solvent and its ratio to the aqueous phase on the dependent physicochemical characteristics of the nanoparticles. The optimized nanoparticles were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Comparative evaluation of the drug release kinetics was carried out using different pH and different setups: flow cuvette (USP 4 apparatus) and Franz diffusion cuvette. In addition, the mucoadhesive properties and mycobacterial activity of PLGA-RIF NPs were studied.

Recently, polyacetylene (PA) is receiving a renewed scientific attention due to its electrical properties potentially useful for energy applications (e.g., fabrication of electrodes for batteries and supercapacitors) and unique functional characteristics (e.g., flame retardant, oxygen scavenger, EMI-shielding, etc.). This chemical compound can be obtained in form of a polyacetylene-PVOH copolymers simply by chemical dehydration of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), which is a very common type of polymer, widely used in packaging and other technological areas. This very inexpensive chemical reaction for the large-scale synthesis of PA/polyvinylenes has been investigated by reacting PVOH with fuming sulfuric acid at room temperature. In this process, PVOH, shaped in form of film, is dipped in fuming sulfuric acid (i.e., H₂SO₄ at 95-97%) and, after complete chemical-dehydration, it has been mechanically removed from the liquid phase by using a nylon sieve. The reduction process leads to a substantial PVOH film conversion to PA as it has been proved by infrared spectroscopy (ATR-mode). Indeed, the ATR spectrum of the reaction product included all characteristic absorption bands of PA. The reaction product has been also characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy in order to evidence the presence in the structure of conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds of various lengths. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis have been used respectively to investigate the PA solid-state cis-trans isomerization and thermal stability in air and nitrogen, respectively.

Today, polymeric Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) appear as an interesting solution against bacterial resistance, having great advantages such as low toxicity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. In this work, two polyketones (PK) have been post-functionalized with taurinate (PKT) or sulfanilate (PKSK) and employed as biocompatible carriers for Vancomycin against bacterial infections. Mod-ified PKs were easily prepared by Paal-Knorr reaction and loaded with Vancomycin at variable pH. All polymers were characterized by FT-IR, DSC, TGA, SEM and elemental analysis. Antimicrobial activity was tested against Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and correlated to the different pH used for its loading (between 2.3 and 8.8). Distinctively, minimum inhibitory con-centrations achieved with PKT and PKSK loaded with Vancomycin are similar, 0.23μg/mL and 0.24μg/mL respectively, i.e. six times lower that Vancomycin alone. The use of post-functionalized aliphatic polyketones has thus been demonstrated to be a promising way to obtain very efficient polymeric DDS.

The main motive of this study was to find an auxiliary application of the discarded agricultural remnants and poultry waste. Rice straw and chicken feathers are disposed off as landfills or incinerated causing pollution and environmental threats after their primary consumption. In this study epoxy composites were made using varying proportions of these raw and alkali treated materials. Flexural strength of the composites decreased till 35% fiber loading, followed by an increase. Chicken feather composites showed increased impact strength with fiber addition. Alkali treatment improved the mechanical properties of rice straw composites. Alkali treated chicken feather composites showed better impact strength but no significant change in flexural strength. Hybrid composites explicated enhanced properties both before and after alkali treatment corroborating noteworthy interfacial adhesion and synergistic effect of these fibers as ascertained from SEM images. The study evinced a better option for averting environmental problems by recycling these disposed materials.

Low-frequency peaks in the Raman spectra of amorphous poly (ether ketone) (PEEK) are investigated. An amorphous sample with zero crystallinity, as confirmed by WAXRD, was used in this study. In a previous study, two peaks were observed in the low-frequency Raman spectra of crystallized samples. One of the peaks at 135 cm-1, disappeared for the amorphous sample. Furthermore, the peak at 50 cm-1 was observed for the first time in the crystallized sample. The peak at 50 cm-1, similar to the peak at 135 cm-1, disappeared in the amorphous state, and its intensity increased with increasing crystallinity. The origins of the two peaks were both associated with the Ph-CO-Ph-type intermolecular vibrational modes in the simulation. It was suggested that the Ph-CO-Ph vibrational mode observed in the low-frequency region of PEEK was strongly in-fluenced by the intermolecular order.

The growing requirements regarding the safety of using polymers and their composites are related to the emergence of more effective, sustainable, and hazardous-limited fire retardants (FR). Significant amounts of FR are usually required to effectively affect the polymer burning behavior, while the knowledge of their recycling potential is still insufficient. At the same time, concerns are related not only to the reduced effectiveness of flame retardancy but, above all, to the potential deterioration of mechanical properties caused by the degradation of temperature-affected additives under processing conditions. This study describes the impact of four-time reprocessing of bio-based polyamide 11 (PA11) modified with an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) system composed of ammonium polyphosphate (APP), melamine cyanurate (MC) and pentaerythritol (PER) and its composites containing additionally short basalt fibers (BF). Composites manufactured by twin-screw extrusion were subjected to four reprocessing cycles by injection molding, comprehensively analyzing structural, mechanical, and fire behavior changes in each cycle. The obtained results confirmed the safety of using the proposed flame-retardant system for polyamide, processed under the recommended process parameters, without the risk of significant changes in the structure despite the partial increase in flammability caused mainly by the degradation of the polymer.

Alginate-silver nanocomposites in the form of spherical beads and films were prepared using a green approach by using the aqueous extract of Ajwa dates seeds. The nanocomposites were fabricated by in situ reduction and gelation method by ionotropic crosslinking using calcium ions in solution. The rich phytochemicals of the dates seeds extract played a dual role as reducing and stabilizing agent in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The formation of silver nanoparticles was studied using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and a distinct surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 421 nm characteristic of silver nanoparticles confirmed the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The morphology of the nanocomposite beads and film was compact with even distribution of silver nanoclusters. The catalytic property of the nanocomposite beads was evaluated for the degradation of 2-nitrophenol in the presence of sodium borohydride. The degradation followed pseudo-first order kinetics with a rate constant of 1.40 ´ 10^-3 s^-1 at 23 °C with an activation energy of 18.45 kJ mol^-1. The thermodynamic parameters such as changes in enthalpy and entropy were evaluated to be 15.22 kJ mol^-1 and -197.50 J mol^-1 K^-1, respectively. The nanocomposite exhibited properties against three clinically important pathogens (Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria)

In this study, the biodegradation properties of leather treated with various finishing chemicals were evaluated in order to enhance the sustainability of leather processing. We applied advanced analytical techniques including FT-IR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Leather samples treated with different polymers, resins, bio-based materials, and traditional finishing agents were subjected to a composting process under controlled conditions to measure their biodegradability. The findings revealed that bio-based polyurethane finishes and acrylic wax exhibited biodegradability, while traditional chemical finishes like isocyanate and nitrocellulose lacquer showed moderate biodegradation levels. The results indicated significant differences in the biodegradation rates and the impact on plant germination and growth. Some materials, such as black pigment, nitrocellulose lacquer and wax, were beneficial for plant growth, while others, such as polyurethane materials, had adverse effects. These results support the use of eco-friendly finishes to reduce the environmental footprint of leather production. Overall, this study underscores the importance of selecting sustainable finishing chemicals to promote eco-friendly leather manufacturing practices.

Despite polycarbonate (PC) being a widely used engineering plastic, its notch and crack sensitivity pose challenges in critical applications. To address this, PC was blended with elastomeric polymers to explore the improvement in toughness. This study systematically investigates the toughening mechanisms of PC blended with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), copolyether ester elas-tomer (COPE), and ABS and styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride (MA). The morphology and mechanical behavior were evaluated under qua-si-static and high-speed tensile tests and Charpy impact tests using optical, electronic, and atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The morphological analysis reveals cavitation and crazing phenomena for COPE and SEBS-g-MA systems, and mostly debonding for ABS, indicating an improvement in toughening. While the addition of ABS improves the PC plastic deformation, modifying ABS with maleic anhydride enhances the elastic modulus. Blending PC with SEBS-g-MA increases the strain at break, and the addition of COPE significantly improves the deformation behavior of PC (by around 115%). This comparative study provides valuable insights into the performance of different PC-elastomer blends under similar conditions, supporting the selection of appropriate materials for given applications.

The effect of sonication on the molecular characteristics of poliacrylic acid (Carbopol® Ultrez 10) and its rheological behavior in aqueous dispersions and microgels containing 0.25 wt. % of the polymer was analyzed in this work by rheometry, weight-average molecular weight (Mw) measurements via static light scattering (SLS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and confocal microscopy. For this, the precursor dispersion and the microgels were sonicated in a commercial ultrasound bath at constant power and different times. We observed a softening of the microgel microstructure consisting of a systematic decrease in its shear modulus, yield stress and viscosity with increasing sonication time, while their overall Herschel-Bulkley (H-B) behavior was preserved. SLS measurements evidenced a reduction of Mw of polyacrylic acid with sonication time. Separately, FTIR measurements indicate that sonication produces scission in the C-C links of the Carbopol® backbone, which results in chains with the same chemistry but lower molecular weight. Finally, confocal microscopy measurements revealed a concomitant diminution of the size of the microsponge domains with sonication time, which is reflected in a softer microstructure resulting from reduction of the molecular weight of polyacrylic acid. The present results indicate that both the microstructure and the rheological behavior of Carbopol® microgels, in particular, and complex fluids in general, may be manipulated or tailored by high-power ultrasonication.

A typical halogen-free flame-retardant (HFFR) formulation for electric cables may contain polymers, various additives, and fire-retardant fillers. In this study, composites are prepared by mixing natural magnesium hydroxide (n-MDH) with linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and a few types of ethylene-octene copolymers (C₈-POE). Depending on the content of LLDPE and C₈-POE, we obtained composites with different crystallinity that affected the final mechanical properties. The nucleation effect of the n-MDH and the variations in crystallinity caused by the blending of C₈-POE/LLDPE/n-MDH were investigated. In the C₈-POE/LLDPE blend, we found a decrease in the crystallization temperature of LLPDE compared to pure LLDPE and an increase in the crystallization temperature of C₈-POE compared to pure C₈-POE. On the contrary, the addition of n-MDH led to an increase in the crystallization temperature of LLDPE. As expected, the increase in the crystallinity of the polyolefin matrix of composites led to higher elastic modulus, higher tensile strength, and lower elongation at break. Overall, these results show how to obtain the required mechanical features for halogen-free flame-retardant compounds for electric cable applications depending on the quantities of the two miscible components in the final blend.

A novel electrospun nanofiber was developed using polyamide-6 (PA) and ε-poly-L-lysine (PL). PA is a popular textile polymer having desirable mechanical and thermal properties, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. However, PA nanofibers are prone to bacterial growth and user discomfort. PL, a natural homopolyamide, is non-toxic, antimicrobial, and hydrophilic but lacks spinnability due to its low molecular weight. Given its similar backbone structure as PA, with an additional amino side chain, PL was integrated with PA to develop multifunctional nanofibers. This study explores a simple, scalable method to obtain PL nanofibers by utilizing the structurally similar PA as the base. The goal was to enhance the functionality of PA by addressing its drawbacks. The study demonstrates spinnability of varying concentrations of PL with base PA while exploring compositions with higher PL concentrations than previously reported. Electrospinning parameters were studied to optimize the nanofiber properties. The effects of PL addition on morphology, hydrophilicity, thermal stability, mechanical performance, and long-term antimicrobial activity of nanofibers were evaluated. The inclusion of PL in PA-based nanofibers resulted in super hydrophilicity, increased tensile strength, and efficient antimicrobial properties with long-term stability. These enhanced characteristics hold promise for the composite nanofiber’s application in medical and protective textiles.

The ubiquitous nature of polymers have led to a widespread demand for sustainable polymers in numerous industrial applications. However, lack of well laid out guidelines, product development pathways and certifications have resulted in a lot of commotions and confusions within the polymer value chain. Herein, a meticulous review is conducted on the topic of polymer sustainability shedding light on the standards, product declarations, biobased-biomass concepts, product carbon footprint etc. It is critical that companies significantly contribute on such sustainability efforts in lieu of market readiness and competitive advantages. Any discussion within the sustainability horizon references a couple of terms/ abbreviations/concepts. In this article, such key terminologies and concepts related to polymer sustainability are reviewed with a holistic outlook on the widespread approaches within the polymer sustainability horizon.

A microwave technique prepared a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) by grafting two hydrophilic monomers onto a polysaccharide substrate. The monomers used are acrylic acid (AA) or acrylamide (AM) to graft onto a pullulan substrate (PUL) to form PUL-g- AA (SAP1) and PUL-g- AM (SAP2), respectively. The monomers (AM/AA) graft together onto a PUL substrate to form PUL-g-(AM/AA) (SAP3). Grafting parameters such as grafting efficiency with percentage, conversion of monomer to polymer, gel content, water retention, water adsorption capacity, and swelling kinetics were determined. Additionally, the effect of environmental pH (2, 4, 7, 9, and 12) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) surfactant was evaluated, where SDBS was added by 1,2,3,4 and 5 mM to form (SAP4 to SAP8). FTIR results show that AM grafted on PUL through an aliphatic C-N bond, while AA grafting occurred through a single C-C bond. The grafting efficiency with AM is higher than with AA, as well as their gel contents. Water absorbance capacity increased with grafting of AA or AM separately, and water retention was enhanced. The highest absorbent capacity, water retention, gel content, and grafting parameters values were obtained with 3 mM SDBS content and pH7. The swelling kinetics showed that the increases in the theoretical and experimental swelling equilibriums were 72 % and 82%, respectively, at SAP6 compared to the values of these parameters in SAP3. The water absorption capacity of the hydrogel increases with increasing pH to 7 and then gradually decreases. XRD improves the crystallinity and crystalline size of the hydrogel after grafting polymerization for AM/AA into PUL, in addition to enhancing thermal stability. On the contrary, FE-SEM demonstrated that SDBS improves the porosity and pore size of the hydrogel surface in SAP6.

Recently, polyacetylene (PA) and polyenes (polyvinylenes) are receiving renewed scientific attention due to their unique physical properties potentially useful also for a number of non-electrical applications (e.g., hydrogen storage, drug delivery, adsorbent of organic compounds in aqueous systems, gas and liquid separation, oxygen absorbent in gas analysis, etc.). These chemical compounds can be obtained in form of a polyacetylene-PVOH copolymers simply by chemical dehydration of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), which is a very common type of polymer, widely used in different technological areas. This very inexpensive chemical reaction for the large-scale synthesis of PA/polyvinylenes has been investigated by reacting PVOH with fuming sulfuric acid at room temperature. In this process, PVOH, shaped in form of film, is dipped in fuming sulfuric acid (i.e., H₂SO₄ at 95-97%) and, after complete chemical-dehydration, it has been mechanically removed from the liquid phase by using a nylon sieve. The reduction process leads to a substantial PVOH film conversion to PA as it has been proved by infrared spectroscopy (ATR-mode). Indeed, the ATR spectrum of the reaction product included all characteristic absorption bands of PA. The reaction product has been also characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and absorption optical spectroscopy (UV-Vis) in order to evidence respectively its solid-state thermal isomerization (cis-PA conversion to trans-PA) and presence in the structure of conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds of various extensions.

This paper addresses the capability to alter the wettability characteristics of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) polymer films doped with glycerol. Films of PVA and glycerol-choline chloride (GCC) blends have been prepared by solution casting method with different glycerol dopants ranging from 0% to 10% (wt %). The results show that as the dopant content increases from 0% to 10%, the wettability increases and hence increases the surface energy of the solid film. The wettability changes are observed by identifying the contact angle of 10 µL deionized water droplet which altered from 55o to 28o as dopant content changed from 0% to 10% per PVA solution weight. The results show that the roughness of film surfaces increases as the content of dopant (GCC) increases in the film which indicates that roughness has a strong influence on the wettability of the casted films.

Microplastic pollution (MP) in marine environments around the globe is severe and enough precautions have not been taken so far for its prevention. The focus of this study is to quantify MPs from beach sediment and seawater samples and to identify their distribution and types along the western coast of Sri Lanka from the Kelani River estuary to the Mahaoya estuary. Nine sites along this 42 km stretch were selected and random sampling was employed to collect a minimum of 8 sediment samples from each site between October and December 2021. Water samples were also collected, parallel to the sediments, from the ocean surface. FTIR analysis revealed that most of the MPs found were polyethylene(PE), polypropylene(PP), polystyrene(PS), polyethylene terephthalate(PET), and phenol formaldehyde resin. The mean abundance of MPs varied from 2.0 ± 0.6 items/L to 161.0 ± 15.7 items/L in water samples and, from 3.0 ± 0.3 items/m2 to 656.0 ± 34.5 items/m2 in sediment samples. The MPs found were identified in different shapes as fragments (80.2%), pellets (14.9%), fibers (2.7%) and foams (2.5%). Analysis revealed that the beach sediments were contaminated with PS, phenol formaldehyde resin, PET, PP and PE, while surface seawater is dominated by phenol formaldehyde resin, PS, PP and PE.

Novel functionalized and/or grafted crosslinked chitosan adsorbents were synthesized and used to remove several toxic heavy metal ions from contaminated water efficiently and selectively. The chitosan biopolymer was functionalized by maleic anhydride (CS_MA), which also acted as a crosslinking agent. Separately, Glutaraldehyde-crosslinked chitosan (CS_GA) was grafted with poly(methyl methacrylate) (CS_MMA). The synthesized adsorbents were used to adsorb and remove heavy metal ions from contaminated water. The metal ions were nickel, lead, chromium, and cadmium. The adsorption capacity of the adsorbents was analyzed under various conditions of contact time, adsorbent dose, initial concertation, temperature, and pH and evaluated against those of pure chitosan (CS) and the crosslinked one (CS_GA). The ultimate conditions for the ions removal were 0.5g/100ml adsorbent dose, an initial metal ion concentration of 50 ppm, a temperature of 45oC, and a pH 9. CS_MMA, which had the highest removal percentages for all metal ions, ranging from 92% to 94%. The adsorption was demonstrated to fit a pseudo-first-order model that followed a Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The results highlight the capacity of the synthesized polymers to efficiently remove major toxic contaminants at low cost from contaminated water, present especially in low-income areas, without harming the environment.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) waste poses a significant environmental challenge due to its non-biodegradable nature and the vast quantities generated annually. However, conventional recycling methods are energy-intensive and often yield low-quality products. Herein, HDPE waste is upcycled into anti-aging superhydrophobic thin films suitable for outdoor applications. A two-layer spin-casting method combined with heating-induced crosslinking is utilized to produce an exceptionally rough superhydrophobic surface, featuring a root mean square (RMS) roughness of 50 nm, an average crest height of 222 nm, an average trough depth of –264 nm, and a contact angle (CA) of 148°. To assess durability, weathering tests were conducted, revealing the films' susceptibility to degradation under harsh conditions. The films' resistance to environmental factors is improved by incorporating a UV absorber, maintaining their hydrophobic properties and mechanical strength. Our research demonstrates a sustainable method for upcycling waste into high-performance, weather-resistant superhydrophobic films.

Recently, polyacetylene (PA) and polyenes (polyvinylenes) are receiving renewed scientific attention due to their unique physical properties potentially useful also for a number of non-electrical applications (e.g., hydrogen storage, drug delivery, adsorbent of organic compounds in aqueous systems, gas and liquid separation, oxygen absorbent in gas analysis, etc.). These chemical compounds can be obtained in form of a polyacetylene-PVOH copolymers simply by chemical dehydration of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH), which is a very common type of polymer, widely used in different technological areas. This simple chemical reaction for the large-scale synthesis of PA/polyvinylenes has been investigated by reacting PVOH with fuming sulfuric acid at room temperature. In this process, PVOH, shaped in form of film, is dipped in fuming sulfuric acid (i.e., H₂SO₄ at 95-97%) and, after complete chemical-dehydration, it has been mechanically removed from the liquid phase by using a nylon sieve. This reduction process leads to a substantial PVOH film conversion to PA as it has been proved by infrared spectroscopy (ATR-mode). Indeed, the ATR spectrum of the reaction product included all characteristic absorption bands of PA. The reaction product has been also characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and absorption optical spectroscopy (UV-Vis) in order to evidence respectively its solid-state thermal isomerization (cis-PA conversion to trans-PA) and presence in the structure of conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds of various extensions.

Extruded polystyrene (XPS) is frequently used in the construction of many different structures. It is therefore necessary to appropriately characterize its mechanical properties to ensure the safety of said structures. Among the available characterization tests, static bending tests are simple and easy to perform; owing to these characteristics, they should be performed more frequently than other tests. However, in static bending tests on XPS, there are several challenges owing to the high flexibility of XPS, and the chosen testing method and sample configuration affect the accuracy of characterization. In this study, three bending properties (Young’s modulus, proportional limit stress, and bending strength) of samples cut from an XPS panel were determined using three-point bending (TPB), four-point bending (FPB), and compression bending (CB) tests with varying sample span/depth ratios, and statistical analyses were performed to determine the relevance of the tests. The experimental results suggest that the TPB and CB tests were more feasible than the FPB test when the span/depth ratio was appropriately determined. However, clear differences were observed in the sample bending properties determined in these tests. In light of these findings, further studies should be conducted to elucidate these differences.

There are various approaches to managing polyethylene terephthalate waste, including methods for recycling PET. However, at present, only the cleanest wastes that can already be efficiently recycled using known methods are considered in the scientific literature. The study aims to look at other forms of polyethylene terephthalate waste that pose a challenge: low quality PET flakes, polyester tire cord, PET dust and prepolymer waste. The waste was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, viscosimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, laser diffraction and sieve analysis. The findings describe the composition and properties of various forms of polyethylene terephthalate waste. Low quality PET flake waste and polyethylene terephthalate dust have been shown to be suitable for all chemical recycling methods. When recycling waste polyester tire cord, it is difficult to completely separate the rubber, so its presence in the final product must be taken into account. The most promising way to process a prepolymer is its depolymerization by hydrolysis, alcoholysis or glycolysis to produce monomers for the synthesis of PET, similar in properties to the primary one.

Several series of new polymers were synthesized: binary copolyesters of vanillic (VA) and hydroxybiphenylcarboxylic (HBCA) acids, as well as ternary copolyesters additionally containing hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) and obtained via three different ways (in solution, in melt and in solid state). The high values of logarithmic intrinsic viscosities and insolubility of several samples proved its high molecular weights. It has been shown that the use of vanillic acid leads to the production of copolyesters with a relatively high glass transition temperature (about 130°C). Thermogravimetric analysis revealed onset of weight loss temperatures of ternary copolyesters occurred at 330-350 °C, the temperature of 5% mass loss is in the range of 390-410 °C. Two-stage thermal destruction is observed for all aromatic copolyester of vanillic acid: decomposition begins with VA units at 420-480 °C, and then decomposition of more heat-resistant units demonstrated above 520 °C. The copolyesters are thermotropic and exhibit a typical nematic type of liquid crystalline order. Mechanical characteristics of copolyesters are close to those for semi-aromatic copolyesters, but are much lower than typical values for fully aromatic thermotropic polymers. Thus, vanillic acid is a mesogenic monomer suitable for the synthesis of thermotropic fully aromatic and semi-aromatic copolyester, but resulting processing temperature must not exceed 280°C.

The leather industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world due to the large amounts of waste following the raw hides processing, but also due to the high content of chemicals present in their composition. The main problem of chromium-tanned leather solid waste is related to their storage, because of the ability of chromium to leach in soil or water, and also owing to the high ability of trivalent chromium to oxidize to its toxic form, hexavalent chromium. The purpose of this study is to present the latest methods for extracting trivalent chromium from the composition of solid leather wastes. The extraction methods identified in the present study are based on acid/basic/enzymatic hydrolysis and substitution with the help of organic chelators (organic acids and organic acid salts). In addition, the study includes a comparative analysis between the advantages and disadvantages of each identified extraction method. At the same time, the study also presentes alternative chromium extraction methods based on the combination of conventional extraction methods and ultrasound-assisted extraction.

Microfiltration membranes derived from semi-crystalline polymers face various challenges when synthesized through the extrusion–casting technique, including the use of large quantities of polymer, long casting times, and the generation of substantial waste. This study focuses on synthesizing these membranes using spin-casting followed by stretch-induced pore formation. Recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and virgin polyethylene powder, combined with a calcium carbonate filler, were used as the source materials for the membranes. The influence of the polymer-filler ratio with and without stretching on the morphology, tensile strength, and water flow rate was investigated. Optimal conditions were determined, emphasizing a balance between pore structure and mechanical integrity. The permeable membrane possessed a mean pore diameter of 500 nm, exhibited a tensile strength measuring 32 MPa, allowed water to flow at a rate of 19 ml/min, and had a water contact angle of 126°. These membranes effectively eliminated suspended particles from water, with their performance evaluated against that of commercially available membranes. This research outlines a synthesis route for microfiltration membranes tailored to semi-crystalline polymers and their plastic forms, utilizing the spin-casting technique.

Recently, polyacetylene (PA) is receiving a renewed scientific attention because of its unique properties potentially useful also for non-electrical applications (e.g., hydrogen storage, drug delivery, adsorbent of organic compounds in aqueous systems, gas and liquid separation, oxygen absorbent in gas analysis, etc.). Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) is a very common type of polymer, widely exploited in different technological areas, and it can be used as a precursor for the PA synthesis. Here, a new scheme for a large-scale chemical synthesis of PA, based on a simple and low-cost PVOH dehydration reaction by absolute sulfuric acid, has been developed. In this process, PVOH, shaped in form of film, is dipped in absolute sulfuric acid (i.e., H₂SO₄ at 95-97%) and, after complete chemical-dehydration at room temperature, it is mechanically removed from the liquid phase by using a plastic sieve. This reaction leads to a complete PVOH film conversion to PA as it has been proved by infrared spectroscopy (ATR-mode). Indeed, the ATR spectrum of the reaction product included all characteristic absorption bands of PA. To the best of our knowledge, this very easy and effective PA synthesis method based on the PVOH chemical-dehydration reaction by absolute sulfuric acid has never been described in the literature.

In a previous study we could show a change of membrane morphology and gas separation performance by varying the recipe of a casting solution based on polysulfone in a determined solvent system. Although all results were very reproducible, all used solvents were harmful and not sustainable. In this study therefore, the solvents tetrahydrofuran (THF) and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) are replaced by the more sustainable solvents 2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran (2M-THF), N-butyl pyrrolidinone (NBP) and cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME). The gas permeation performance and for the first time morphology of the membranes before and after solvent replacement were determined and compared by single gas permeation measurements and SEM microscopy. It is shown, that THF can be replaced by 2M-THF and NBP without decreasing the gas permeation performance. With CPME replacing THF no membranes were formed. Best gas permeation results showed systems with 2M-THF as THF alternative. Permeances for the tested gases oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) were 2.66·10-4, 3.89·10-5, 1.53·10-3 and 4.52·10-5 mL(STP)/cm²·min·bar, respectively. permselectivities of those membranes for the gas pairs O2/N2, CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 were 6.7, 38.3 and 34.0, respectively. When additionally replacing DMAc in the solvent system no or only porous membranes were obtained, even if the precipitation procedure was adjusted. These findings indicate that a complete replacement of the solvent system without affecting the membrane morphology or gas permeation performance is not possible. By varying the temperature of the precipitation bath an easy adjustment to mechanically stable PSU membranes is possible, if just THF was replaced by 2M-THF.

The rebound behaviors of rubber balls based on ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) / chlorinated butyl rubber (CIIR) blends were investigated systematically. A novel method was proposed to characterize the damping capacity of the EPDM/CIIR blends. The damping capacity can be represented by the rebound height of rubber balls, and lower rebound height corresponds to better damping capacity. A mathematical model expressed by an equation obtained through theoretical derivation has been proposed to predict the rebound height of the rubber balls. The energy dissipation rate (EDR) defined by the ratio of the height loss to the rebound time was proposed to further characterize the damping capacity. The EDR value shows the highest for the pure CIIR and lowest for the pure EPDM, showing a decrease trend with the increase of EPDM content in the rubber blends. By comparison one can obtain that the damping capacity of the EPDM/CIIR blends decreases with the decrease of external excitation, the conclusion of which plays a key role in the formulation design of viscoelastic damping rubber materials.

Linear polyamides, known as nylons, are a class of synthetic polymers with a wide range of applications due to their outstanding properties, such as chemical and thermal resistance or mechanical strength. These polymers have been used in various fields: from common and domestic applications, such as socks and fishing nets, to industrial gears or water purification membranes. By their durability, flexibility and wear resistance nylons have been started to be used in addictive manufacturing technology as a good material choice to get sophisticated devices with precise and complex geometric shapes. Furthermore, the emergence of triboelectric nanogenerators and the development of biomaterials have highlighted the versatility and utility of these materials. In order to enhance the triboelectric performance and the range of applications, nylons show a potential use as tribo-positive materials. Because of the easy control of their shape they can be subsequently integrated into nanogenerators. The use of nylons has also extended into the field of biomaterials, where their biocompatibility, mechanical strength and versatility have paved the way for groundbreaking advances in medical devices as dental implants, catheters and non-absorbable surgical sutures. By means 3D bioprinting nylons have been used to develop scaffolds, joint implants and drug carriers with tailored properties for various biomedical applications. The present paper aims to collect these recently specific applications of nylons by reviewing the literature produced in the last decades, with a special focus on the newer technologies in the field of energy harvesting and biomedicine.

In this study, we successfully synthesized a novel branched polyamide 6 with ε-caprolactam(CPL) and α-Amino-ε-caprolactam(ACL) through hydrolytic ring-open co-polymerization. The NMR characterization and rheological test result proved the existence of branched chain structure additionally. The branched chain structure caused a remarkable enhancement in the rheological properties. The met index(MFR),zero shear rate viscosity and storage modulus at low frequency region had a remarkable increase.The shear thinning phenomenon became more obvious. The thermal properties test determined by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) showed that the melting point and crystallinity of co-polymers decreased with the increase of ACL addition.However, the crystal structure of the samples remained unchanged. The appropriate addition amount of ACL can improve the tensile mechanical properties of the co-polymers. When the amount of ACL was 1%, the tensile strength and fracture elongation rate of the co-polymers had the most significant increase.

The development of photocurable compositions is in high demand for the manufacture of func-tional materials for electronics, optics, medicine, energy, etc. The properties of the final pho-to-cured material are primarily determined by the initial mixture, which needs to be tuned for each application. In this study we propose to use simple systems based on di(meth)acrylate, polyimide and photoinitiator for the preparation of new photo-curable compositions. It was es-tablished that a fluorinated cardo copolymide (FCPI) based on 2,2-bis-(3,4-dicarboxydiphenyl)hexafluoropropane dianhydride, 9,9-bis-(4-aminophenyl)fluorene and 2,2-bis-(4-aminophenyl)hexafluoropropane (1.00:0.75:0.25 mol) has excellent solubility in di(met)acrylates. This made it possible to prepare solutions of FCPI in such monomers, to study the effect of FCPI on the kinetics of their photopolymerization in situ and the properties of the resulting polymers. According to the obtained data, the solutions of FCPI (23 wt.%) in 1,4-butanediol diacrylate (BDDA) and FCPI (15 wt.%) in tetraethylene glycol diacrylate were tested for the formation of the primary protective coatings of the silica optical fibers. It was found that the new coating of poly(BDDA–FCPI23%) can withstand prolonged annealing at 200°C (72 h), which is comparable or superior to the known most thermally stable photo-curable coatings. The proposed approach can be applied to obtain other functional materials.

Lignin is insoluble in water, limiting its use in the synthesis of adhesives. Therefore, in order to increase the amount of lignin raw materials used in the synthesis of adhesives, a kind of aminated lignin compounds was prepared through lignin amination reaction, and conducting structural analysis in this paper. The particle size of the amino lignin is about 100 nm, with the weight average molecular weight of 57,627 g/mol and a water solubility of 0.45g/100ml. The reaction mechanisms were proposed that the phenolic hydroxyl groups of lignin react with ammonia molecules, and thereby successfully introducing amino groups to generate the aminated lignin compounds. Therefore, this article enriches the scientific theory of lignin reactions and provides reference for the widespread application of lignin raw materials in the field of adhesives.

The processability of conductive polymers such as polyaniline (PANI) still poses a challenge due to their properties. The use of stabilizers, compatible and able to interact with PANI, to obtain dispersible and stable colloids is described in this work. To this aim, potato starch has been used as a steric stabilizer for the preparation of polyaniline (emeraldine salt, ES)/starch biocomposites, by exploiting oxidative polymerization of aniline in aqueous solutions containing different ratios of aniline and starch (% w/w). The polyaniline/starch biocomposites were subjected to structural and spectroscopic analyses, thermal analysis, morphological analysis and electrochemical analysis. The samples were then tested for their dispersibility/solubility in various organic solvents. The results showed the formation of PANI/starch biocomposites with an overall smaller size than starch particles, with improved aqueous dispersion and solubility in organic solvents. Although X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry analyses indicated a loss of crystallinity in the biocomposites, the cyclic voltammetry tests showed that all PANI ES/starch biocomposites display improved redox exchange properties.

This study represents a significant stride in advancing furan chemistry, presenting the synthesis of high-molecular-weight polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) resin (Mw = 118,959 g/mol) from furfuryl alcohol (FA) using a co-catalytic system as against the conventional single-catalytic methods. The resulting PFA resin is fully characterised, and we conclude that it exhibits good shelf life and potential in diverse applications, serving as a standalone moulded material or contributing to composites, coatings, adhesives, and nanostructured carbons.

This study develops a vitamin C controlled-release system trackable via color changes as a function of vitamin C release. The system is composed of coaxial microfibers prepared via coaxial electrospinning, with a core of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) incorporating vitamin C, and a shell composed of polycaprolactone (PCL) containing polydiacetylene (PDA) as the color-changing material. The shell thickness was controlled by adjusting the amount of PCL ejected during electrospinning, allowing the regulation of the release rate of vitamin C. When vitamin C added to PEO penetrated the PCL layer, the color of PDA changed from blue to red, indicating a color change. The results of this study can be applied to devices that require immediate detection of vitamin C release levels.

Dielectric elastomers, such as thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), are widely used as dielectric layer, emulation layer and substrate of flexible and stretchable devices. To construct capacitors and actuators that work stably upon deformation, it has become an urgent need to investigate the evolution of dielectricity under stress and strain. However, the lack of effective methods for estimating the dielectric constant of elastomers under strain poses a big challenge. This article reports a device for in-situ measuring the dielectric constant of TPU under strain. It is found that upon stretching TPU to a strain of 400%, its dielectric constant decreases from 8.47 to 2.94. In addition, combined Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray scattering technique, and atomic force microscopy have been utilized to characterize the evolution of microstructure under strain. The investigation under tensile strain reveals that a decreased density and average size of polarized hard domains, along with a tendency of the molecular chains to align in parallel with the tensile stress. The evolution of the microstructures results in a reduction of the dielectric constant parallel to the electric field in TPU. Our work provides valuable experimental reference for improving the stability of flexible sensors and actuators based on dielectric elastomers.

This study evaluated the stability of the Poly-(sorbitol-co-citrate adipate) with potential applica-tion in the biomedical area. Thus, the physical, chemical and microbiological stability of this was investigated. First, the chemical stability in alkaline phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) was evaluated for 5 days. In aqueous solution, the copolymer acidified the medium indicating the presence of residual citric acid. In the moisture absorption test the results obtained followed the pH, reinforcing the presence of citric acid. In the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity the results indicate that the copolymer did not allow the growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as the only source of carbon. However, in the cell lysis phase and due to the restriction of access to nutrients in the culture medium, the copolymer showed a loss of mass due to its use by the microorganism. Thus, it presented biodegradability property under extreme conditions of cell culture.

Polystyrene (PS) is an extremely stable polymer with relatively high molecular weight and a strong hydrophobic character that makes it highly resistant to biodegradation. In this study, PS was subjected to biodegradation tests by Tenebrio Molitor (T. Molitor) and Zophobas Morio (Z. Morio) larvae. Specifically, six different experimental diets were compared: (i) T. Molitor fed with bran; (ii) T. Molitor fed only PS; (iii) T. Molitor fed only PS treated with H2O2; (iv) Z. Morio fed with bran; (v) Z. Morio fed only PS and (vi) Z. Morio fed only PS treated with H2O2. Therefore, the mass change of the larvae and the survival rate were measured periodically, while the frass collected after 15 and 30 days were analyzed by different analyses, such as spectroscopy (FTIR), spectrometry (molecular weight and polydispersity), and microscopy (scanning electron microscopy observations). The obtained results suggest that in the case of T. Molitor larvae, larvae feeding on bran showed the highest survival rate of ~94 % at 30 days, while in the case of the Z. Morio larvae, the highest survival rate was exhibited by larvae eating PS-H2O2. Although not strongly pronounced, the Mw and Mn of PS frass of both T. Molitor and Z. Morio larvae decreased over 30 days, suggesting the Ps biodegradation. Finally, the morphological analysis shows that PS samples isolated from the frass of T. Molitor and Z. Morio larvae showed completely different, rough and irregularly carved surface structures, in comparison to PS before biodegradation.

Non-isocyanate polyurethane synthesis by non-Sn catalysis is an essential challenge toward green polyurethane synthesis. Bismuth compounds are attractive candidates due to their low cost, low toxicity, and availability to urethane chemistry. We applied various Bi catalysts to the self-polycondensation of a bishydroxyurethane monomer and found BiCl3 to be an excellent catalyst through optimization. The catalytic activity and price of BiCl3 are comparable to those of Bu2SnO, while its toxicity is significantly low. BiCl3 is, therefore, a promising alternative to Sn-based catalysts in non-isocyanate polyurethane synthesis.

As a widely used plastic, the aging and degradation of polyethylene (PE) are inevitable problems, whether the goal is to prolong the life of PE products or address the issue of white pollution. Molecular simulation is a vital scientific tool in elucidating the mechanisms and processes of chemical reactions. To obtain the distribution and evolution process of PE's thermal oxidation products, this work employs the self-consistent charge density functional tight binding (SCC-DFTB) method to perform molecular simulations of the thermal oxidation of PE with different crystallinity and branched structures. We discovered that crystallinity does not affect the thermal oxidation mechanism of PE, but higher crystallinity makes PE more susceptible to cross-linking and carbon chain growth, reducing the degree of PE carbon chain breakage. The branched structure of PE results in differences in pore size between the carbon chains, with larger pores leading to a concentrated distribution of O2 and free radicals subsequently formed. The breakdown of PE is slowed down when free radicals are localized in low-density regions of the carbon chain. The specifics and mechanism of PE's thermal oxidation are clearly revealed in this paper, which is essential for understanding the process in-depth and for the development of anti-aging PE products.

Novolac phenol-formaldehyde resins have gained extensive commercial utilization across diverse applications due to their exceptional mechanical, thermal, and chemical resistance properties. In this investigation, we successfully synthesized a traditional novolac, and a biobased novolac phenol-formaldehyde resin by partially substituting phenol with a bio-oil obtained from the organic phase resulting from the fast pyrolysis of pinewood biomass. Despite extensive investigations into the curing behavior of novolac resins crosslinked with hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) through numerous model-fitting cure kinetic studies, a comprehensive model for predicting the crosslinking of bio-based phenol-formaldehyde resins in the presence of HMTA has not yet been studied. The primary objective of this research was to compare and apply several commonly used kinetic models to predict the degree of curing and cure rate of the synthesized resins, using DSC dynamic measurements. Our results demonstrated that the autocatalytic model exhibited excellent fitting for the traditional novolac resin and HMTA mixture, while the Kamal model showed better fitting with the experimental data obtained for the bio-based phenol-formaldehyde resin and HMTA system. In addition, the results evidenced a significant drop in the curing temperature by partially replacing phenol with bio-oil. Additionally, the results revealed a notable reduction in curing temperature when phenol was partially substituted with bio-oil. This substitution not only offers environmental benefits but also promotes energy efficiency and enhances production safety. The data collected in this study is pivotal for our subsequent research endeavors, which aim to develop environmentally sustainable materials optimized for use in 3D printing manufacturing processes.

The aim of this work is research dedicated to the search for new bactericidal systems for use in cosmetic formulations, dermocosmetics, or the production of wound dressings. Over the last two decades chitosan due to its special biological activity, has become a highly indispensable biopolymer with very wide application possibilities. Literature reports on the antibacterial effects of chitosan are very diverse, but our research has shown that they can be successfully improved through chemical modification. Therefore, in this study, results on the synthesis of new Schiff bases chitosan – dCsSB-SFD and dCsSB-PCA obtained using two aldehydes: sodium 4-formylbenzene-1,3-disulfonate (SFD) and 2-pyridine carboxaldehyde (PCA) respectively. Chitosan derivatives synthesized in this way demonstrate stronger antimicrobial activity. Carrying out the procedure of grafting chitosan with a caproyl chain allowed obtaining compatible blends of chitosan derivatives with κ-carrageenan, which are stable hydrogels with a high swelling coefficient. Furthermore, covalently bounded PCL improved the solubility of obtained polymers in organic solvents. With this respect, the Schiff base-containing polymers obtained in this study, with special hydrogel and antimicrobial properties are very promising materials for the potential use as a controlled-release formulation of both, hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs in cosmetic products for skin health.

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a rather new technology in the production of personalized dosage forms. Melting and printing of polymer–active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) – mixtures can be used to produce oral dosage forms with different dosage as well as release behavior. This process is utilized to increase the bioavailability of pharmaceutically relevant active ingredients that are poorly soluble in physiological medium by transforming them into solid amorphous dispersions (ASD). Release from such ASDs is expected to be faster and higher compared to the raw materials and thus enhance bioavailability. Printing directly from powder while forming ASDs was realized. Different techniques to change release patterns as well as a non-destructive way for determination of API distribution were shown. By measuring the melt viscosities of mixtures printed a rheological model for the printer used is proposed.

The relationship between the structure characteristics and performances of coal based hydrogenation isomeric base oil (CTL) and metallocene catalyzed coal based polyalphaolefin (mPAO) base oil was clarified here. CTL and mPAO were compared with typical petroleum based and natural gas based commercial API Class III and IV base oils. Pressurized differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC), Rotary Bomb Oxidation Test (RBOT) and four-balls friction tester were used to evaluate the oxidation stability and lubrication performance of base oils under different working conditions. The sensitivity of different base oils to typical antioxidants and extreme pressure antiwear agents was compared. Specially, the composition and structure of CTL base oil are obviously different from GTL and mineral base oil. The coal-based CTL and mPAO base oils exhibit commendable viscosity-temperature properties, characteristics, coupled with low-temperature fluidity, fire safety, and minimal evaporation loss. The lubricating properties, oxidation stability and the sensitivity to extreme pressure antiwear agents of CTL are close to those of similar base oils. But the sensitivity of CTL to typical antioxidants is relatively poor. Besides, compared with commercial PAO base oil, mPAO has lower isomerization degree and fewer isomerization types. The oxidation stability and sensitivity to typical antioxidants of mPAO base oil are comparable with those of commercial PAO base oil, while its lubrication performance and sensitivity to typical extreme pressure antiwear agents are significantly better than those of commercial PAO base oil.

In this study a material based on Polyethylene (PE) and Microcrystalline Cellulose (MC) was developed as a breathable packaging film. Surface functionalization of MC with 3 aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) shows to be an efficient alternative to tailor their properties and increase opportunities for the application of MC on the reinforcement of polymers such polyethylene (PE). Functionalization of MC with mentioned silane derivative was achieved using a green method and later used on the development of composites with PE in three percentages (1, 3 and 5%). All the materials were prepared by melt blending and characterized, in terms of structural properties (ATR-FTIR and FTIR in transmittance, EDX, SEM), thermal properties (DSC and TGA), thermomechanical properties (DMA), contact angle measurements and permeability to oxygen and water vapor. The materials demonstrated to have potential to be used as breathable film packaging of fresh products.

Shape-shifting polymers are widely used in various fields such as intelligent switches, soft robots and sensors, which require both multiple stimulus response functions and qualified mechanical strength. In this study, a novel near infrared light (NIR) responsible shape-shifting hydrogel system was designed and fabricated, through embedding vinylsilane modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into particle-double network (P-DN) hydrogels by micellar copolymerization. The dispersed brittle Poly(sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonate) (PNaAMPS) network of the microgels can serves as sacrificial bonds to toughen the hydrogels, and the CNTs endow it NIR photothermal conversion ability. The results show that the CNTs embedded P-DN hydrogels present excellent mechanical strength, i. e. fracture strength of 312 kPa and fracture strain of 357%. Moreover, an asymmetric bilayer hydrogel, where the active layer contains CNTs, can achieve 0°–110° bending deformation within 10 min under NIR irradiation and can realise complex deformation movement. This study provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the design and manufacture of photoresponsive soft actuators.

Poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAC) is a ubiquitous polymer in various industrial applications, including paints and adhesives. While extensive research has focused on understanding the degradation mechanisms of PVAC-based paint, under different environmental conditions, limited attention has been paid to the long-term stability of PVAC-based white glues, especially when used in artworks. This study investigates the accelerated degradation of a commercial PVAC-based white glue considered as representive of this class of materials as used in contemporary artworks, to predict its durability and assess its behavior in art objects. Through accelerated aging experiments and comparison with natural aging observed in artworks, the study reveals the formation of chromophores and the release of plasticizer as key degradation processes. Despite minimal structural modifications in PVAC, the loss of plasticizer leads to an increase in glass transition temperature, affecting the adhesive's cohesive strength and contributing to detachment of materials in artworks. The findings underscore the importance of preventive conservation measures to mitigate degradation issues in PVAC-based artworks.

The aim of this study was utilization of ground tea waste (GT) left after brewing the black tea as a biofiller of natural rubber (NR) composites. Ionic liquids (ILs), i.e., 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium lactate and 1-benzyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, often used to extract phytochemicals from tea, were applied to improve the dispersibility of GT particles in elastomeric matrix. The influence of GT loading and ILs on curing characteristics, crosslink density, mechanical properties, thermal stability and resistance of NR composites to thermo-oxidative aging was investigated. The amount of GT did not significantly affect curing characteristics and crosslink density of NR composites, but had serious impact on tensile properties. Applying 10 phr of GT improved the tensile strength by 40% compared to unfilled NR. Further increasing in GT content worsened the tensile strength due to the agglomeration of biofiller in elastomer matrix. ILs significantly improved the dispersion of GT particles in elastomer and increased the crosslink density by 20% compared to the benchmark. Owing to the poor thermal stability of pure GT, it reduced the thermal stability of vulcanizates compared to unfilled NR. Most importantly, GT-filled vulcanizates showed improved resistance to thermo-oxidative aging, since the aging factor increased by 25% compared to the unfilled vulcanizate.

Rubber compounds based on styrene-butadiene rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer rubber and the combinations of both rubbers were cured with different sulfur and peroxide curing systems. In sulfur curing systems, two type of accelerators, namely N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazole sulfenamide, tetramethylthiuram disulfide and combinations of both accelerators were used. In peroxide curing systems, dicumyl peroxide, and combination of dicumyl peroxide with zinc diacrylate or zinc dimethacrylate, respectively were applied. The work was focused on investigation of the curing system composition as well as type of the rubber or rubbers combinations on curing process, cross-link density and physical-mechanical properties of vulcanizates. The dynamic-mechanical properties on the selected vulcanizates were examined, too. The result revealed correlation between the cross-link density and physical-mechanical properties. Similarly, there was recorded certain correlation between cross-linking degree and glass transition temperature. The tensile strength of vulcanizates based on rubbers combinations was higher when compared to that based on pure rubbers, which points out the fact that by rubbers combination, not only the features of both elastomers can be combined, but also improved tensile characteristics can be achieved. When compared to vulcanizates cured with dicumyl peroxide, materials cured with sulfur system exhibited higher tensile strength. By application of co-agents in peroxide vulcanization, the tensile strength overcame the tensile behavior of sulfur cured vulcanizates.

Biopolymers are of growing interest, but to improve some of their poor properties and performance, it is required the formulation of bio-based blends and/or adding of nanoparticles. For this purpose, in this work, two different metal oxides, such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2), at different concentrations (0.5, 1 and 2 %wt.) have been added in polylactic acid (PLA) and polylactic acid/polyamide 11 (PLA/PA11) blends to establish their effects on solid-state properties, morphology, melt behaviour, and photo-oxidation resistance. It seems that the addition of ZnO in PLA leads to a significant reduction of its rigidity probably due to an inefficient dispersion in the melt state, while the addition of TiO2 does not penalise PLA rigidity. Interestingly, the addition of both ZnO and TiO2 in PLA/PA11 blend has a positive effect on the rigidity because of blend morphology refinement and leads to a slight increase in film hydrophobicity. The photo-oxidation resistance of neat PLA and PLA/PA11 blend is significantly reduced due to the presence of both metal oxides, and this must be considered when designing the potential applications. The last results suggest that both metal oxides could be considered as photo-sensitive degradant agents for biopolymer and biopolymer blends.

PVC items are environmentally friendly as, unlike polyolefins, they are mainly based on chlorine, one of the most abundant elements on earth. However, in the eco-design context, articles' durability plays the crucial role, contributing to the enhancement of their sustainability. In this framework the research on additives capable of increasing the weatherability of outdoor articles is essential. The theory section of the paper reviews the mechanisms of weathering leading to PVC degradation that undermine the durability of items such as window frames or roller shutters. The weathering of PVC items is a complex phenomenon involving photo-chemical and secondary chemical reactions, that yields the formation of conjugated polyene sequences underskin in absence of oxygen and carbonyls in the surface. Here the chain scission of the polymer backbone occurs, bringing the disintegration of the surface of the item and causing the typical discoloration called chalking, especially evident in dark-colored articles. In the experimental section of the paper the effect of different acid scavengers on the item weathering has been studied with natural outdoor and two accelerated exposures, xenon-arc and Q-UV testing devices. Results confirm that some acid scavengers are efficient in preventing chalking, but some are ineffective or even detrimental. Thus, the PVC formulations of durable articles upon weathering still depend on a complex choice of the appropriate ingredients, and several outdoor and indoor accelerated weathering tests are needed to predict the articles' lifetime.

Two polyurethanes (PUs) were similarly synthesized by reacting a cycloaliphatic isocyanate with 1,4 butanediol and two polyols of different nature (polyester, polycarbonate diol) with molecular weights of 1000 Da. The PU made with polycarbonate diol polyol (YCD) was the only showing intrinsic self-healing at 20 °C. For assessing the mechanism of intrinsic self-healing of YCD, a structural characterization by molecular weights determination, infrared and X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopies, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis was carried out. It was concluded that the self-healing at 20 °C of YCD was due to non-covalent dynamic exchange interactions among the carbonate groups of the soft segments. Therefore, the chemical nature of the polyol played a key role in developing PUs with intrinsic self-healing at 20 °C.

Water recycling and reuse are corner stones in the water management that may be compromised by the presence of pollutants. Among them, pharmaceuticals can overcome the standard water treatments and require sophisticated approaches to remove them. Sorption is an economically affordable alternative limited by the need of sorbents that exhibit sorption coefficient (Kd) higher than 500 L/kg to be useful in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). We report that th cross-linking of dextrin (Dx) with divinyl sulfone (DVS) in presence of 1 mmol or 5 mmol of ibuprofen (IBU) yields the insoluble polymers pDx1 and pDx5 with improved affinity for IBU, Kd higher than 600 L/kg for ciprofloxacin (CIP) and ofloxacin and an outstanding Kd higher than 4000 L/kg for erythromycin (ERY), when assayed against a cocktail of 6 drugs. The characterization of the polymers by XRPD, TGA and SEM reveals that both pDx1 and pDx5 share similar features, with an ERY Kd of 13 x 103 for pDx1 and 6.4 x 103 for pDx5. The facts that new affinities and improvements in Kd can be achieved by cross-linking Dx in presence of other molecules that promote a pre-organization, broaden the applications of DVS cross-linked polysaccharide as sustainable and eco-friendly sorbents.

The combustion of PVC cables in fires results in the release of hydrogen chloride gas. In the European Union, Regulation (EU) No 305/2011, in force since 2017, requires the classification of cables permanently installed in buildings for reaction to fire, smoke, flaming droplets, and acidity. The additional classification for acidity is evaluated through EN 60754-2, involving pH and conductivity measurements. This study focuses on the essential research and development of low-smoke acidity PVC compounds for cables, mainly aiming to meet the stringent additional classifications for acidity, a1 or a2, which cannot be achieved with traditional PVC cables. Understanding the chemistry of thermal decomposition and combustion, especially in the presence of hydrogen chloride scavengers, is crucial for meeting the best acidity classification. The article reviews the current tube furnace tests used in the European Union for cable halogen and acidity assessments. It discusses the limitations of the existing method (EN 60754-2) and highlights the potential of emerging tests such as IEC EN 60754-3, which employs ion chromatography for improved sensitivity and specificity. In the experimental part of the article, various standard and low-smoke acidity cable compounds are tested using tube furnace experiments with different heating regimes. The concentrations of cations and anions in solution are measured through ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry. This detailed analysis aims to identify the species influencing pH and conductivity, which is crucial for designing effective acid scavengers that do not impact conductivity. The conclusive results emphasize that HCl from PVC thermal decomposition is the primary driver of pH and conductivity, and the contribution from the decomposition of additives and byproducts from combustion is found to be negligible in most of the tested PVC compounds for cables. The findings underscore the importance of understanding the thermal decomposition of PVC compounds to design acid scavengers capable of trapping hydrogen chloride without adversely impacting conductivity.

Polymer-based composites are widely used in the automotive, security, aeronautical and space industries, to mention a few. This is because of their good mechanical properties, which are similar to those of metals but with the attraction of being lightweight. Kevlar® as a reinforcement is extensively used in the security industry owing to its good ballistic properties. This investigation presents the mechanical characterization based on in-plane quasi-static tensile testing of Kevlar® composite using a universal testing system. The methodology developed for the preparation of coupons is based on pressure, temperature and time. As a result of this work, elastic moduli (EL and ET), Poisson’s ratio (νLT), shear modulus (GLT) and strengths (XT, YT, S) were obtained. It is worth mentioning that there is scarce or no characterization of this material in the literature, and those studies that do characterize it do not present the coupon thermoforming conditions or the reasons of the specimen dimensions (width, length and thickness).

Two polyurethanes (PUs) were similarly synthesized by reacting a cycloaliphatic isocyanate with 1,4 butanediol and two polyols of different nature (polyester, polycarbonate diol) with molecular weights of 1000 Da. The PU made with polycarbonate diol polyol (YCD) was the only showing intrinsic self-healing at 20 °C. For assessing the mechanism of intrinsic self-healing of YCD, a structural characterization by molecular weights determination, infrared and X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopies, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis was carried out. It was concluded that the self-healing at 20 °C of YCD was due to non-covalent dynamic exchange interactions among the carbonate groups of the soft segments. Therefore, the chemical nature of the polyol played a key role in developing PUs with intrinsic self-healing at 20 °C.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the debonding behavior of the interface between continuously and discontinuously fiber reinforced thermoplastics using the climbing drum peel test. The study emphasizes the importance of considering different climatic boundary conditions due to the properties of thermoplastics. Specimens with varying moisture contents are prepared and tested. It is observed that an increase in moisture content initially results in a higher fracture surface energy being required to separate the two materials, but a further increase results in a decrease of the required energy. The study presents an explanatory model of increasing plasticization of the polymer due to increased polymer chain mobility, which results in more deformation energy being required to propagate the crack. The experiment is also modeled numerically for the first time with cohesive surfaces, which successfully reproduces the force-displacement curve in the experiment.

Detecting the presence of explosives is important to protect human lives in military conflicts and peacetime. Gas-phase detection of explosives can make use of the change of material properties, which can be sensitive to environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. This paper describes a remote-controlled automatic shutter method for environmental impact assessment of photoluminescence (PL) sensors under near-open conditions. Utilizing the remote-sensing method, we obtained environmental effects without being exposed to sensing vapor molecules, and explained how PL intensity was influenced by the temperature, humidity, and exposure time. We also developed a theoretical model including the effect of exciton diffusion for PL quenching, which worked well under limited molecular diffusions. Incomplete recovery of PL intensity, or degradation effect, was considered as an additional factor in the model.

Reverse engineering is applied to identify optimum polymerization conditions for the synthesis of polymer with pre-defined properties. The proposed approach uses multi-objective optimization (MOO) and provides multiple candidate polymerization procedures to reach the targeted polymer property. The objectives for optimization include maximal similarity of molar mass distributions (MMD) compared to the target MMD, minimal reaction time, and maximal monomer conversion. The method is tested for vinyl acetate radical polymerizations and can be adopted to other monomers. The data for the optimization procedure is generated by an in-house developed kinetic Monte-Carlo (kMC) simulator for a selected recipe search space. The proposed reverse engineering algorithm comprises several steps: kMC simulations for the selected recipe search space to derive initial data, performing MOO for a targeted MMD, and identification of the Pareto optimal space. The last step uses a weighted sum optimization function to calculate the weighted score of each candidate polymerization conditions. To decrease the execution time clustering of the search space based on MMDs is applied. The performance of the proposed approach was tested for various target MMDs. The suggested MOO-based reverse engineering provides multiple recipe candidates depending on competing objectives.

UV-digital printing belongs to the commonly used method for custom large-area substrate decoration. Despite low surface energy and adhesion, transparent polymer materials, such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC), represent an ideal substrate for such purposes. The diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) in a novel compact configuration was used for substrate activation to improve ink adhesion to the polymer surface. This industrially applicable version of DCSBD was prepared, tested, and successfully implemented for the UV-digital printing process. Furthermore, wettability and surface free energy measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force and scanning electron microscopy evaluated the surface chemistry and morphology changes. The changes in adhesion of the surface and of ink were analyzed by a peel-force and a crosscut test, respectively. A short plasma treatment (1-5 s) enhanced the substrate's properties of PMMA and PC while providing the pre-treatment suitable for further in-line UV-digital printing. Furthermore, we did not observe damage or significant change of roughness affecting the substrate's initial transparency.

This paper summarizes some works exploiting the ate-type addition of electron-withdrawing monomers to hydrogenosiloxane groups so as to generate new silicone materials. Two types of monomers were oligomerized onto silicone backbones, namely unsaturated phosphonate and sulfone monomers. Phosphonated silicones are thermally more resistant than conventional silicones and can be transformed into amphiphilic polymers after selective ester hydrolysis. Sulfoned silicones generate solid supramolecular elastomers thanks to the strong pseudo-ionic interactions in play between sulfone groups. Rheology and modulated DSC show a solid/viscoelastic transition around 175°C, which allows using these thermoplastic materials on a larger scale than conventional silicone urea copolymers. These results open new avenues in the generation of silicone block- and grafted-copolymers with unique functionality and properties.

The increasing global concern over plastic waste and its environmental impact has led to a growing interest in the development of sustainable packaging alternatives. This study focuses on the innovative use of expired dairy products as a potential resource for producing edible packaging materials. Expired dairy products, which are typically discarded, contribute to food waste and environmental pollution. By modifying these products to packaging materials, a dual-purpose solution addressing both waste reduction and sustainable packaging is evaluated. Expired milk and yogurt were selected as the primary raw materials due to their protein and carbohydrate content. The extracted casein was combined with various concentrations of chitosan while in some cases glycerol was used. The materials were characterized with attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray analysis (XRD) to examine the interactions between the components of the formed binary blend. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to evaluate the surface morphology of the blends, while dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile experiments were conducted to study the thermomechanical properties of the materials. Barrier properties, including water vapor transmission (WVTR) and oxygen permeability (OTR), were measured to assess the materials' potential to preserve food freshness. The findings reveal that expired dairy-based edible packaging materials exhibit promising mechanical properties, comparable to conventional plastic packaging. The barrier properties and especially the zero oxygen permeability of the membranes, indicate that these materials have the potential to effectively protect food products from external factors that could compromise quality and shelf life. The materials show encouraging signs of eco-friendliness, with a notable reduction in environmental persistence compared to conventional plastic packaging.

Three types of the composites were tested for electromagnetic interference (EMI) absorption shielding effectiveness, curing process and physical-mechanical properties. In the first type of composites, manganese-zinc ferrite, nickel-zinc ferrite, and both fillers in their mutual combinations were incorporated into acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber. The overall content of the filler, or fillers combinations was kept on 200 phr. Then, carbon black, or carbon fibres, respectively were incorporated into each rubber formulation in constant loading - 25 phr, while the content of magnetic fillers was unchanged - 200 phr. The work was focused on the understanding of correlation among electromagnetic shielding parameters and electrical conductivity of composites in relation to their EMI absorption shielding effectiveness. The absorption shielding ability of materials was evaluated within the frequency range from 1 MHz to 6 GHz. The study revealed good correlation among permittivity, conductivity, and EMI absorption effectiveness. Although, the absorption shielding efficiency of composites filled only with ferrites seems to be the highest, the absorption maxima of those composites were reached over 6 GHz. The application of carbon based fillers resulted in higher electrical conductivity and higher permittivity of composites, which was reflected in their lower absorption shielding performance. Though, the composites with filled with ferrites and carbon based fillers absorbed electromagnetic radiation within the desired frequency range. The presence of carbon based fillers caused the improvement in tensile behavior of composites. The study also demonstrated that the higher was the ratio of nickel-zinc ferrite in magnetic fillers combinations, the higher was the absorption shielding performance.

There have been many researches on the surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors for detecting sulfur-containing toxic or harmful gases. This paper aims to give an overview of the current state of the polymer films used in SAW sensors for detecting deleterious gases. By covering most of the important polymer materials, the structures and types of polymers are summarized, and a variety of devices with different frequency, such as delay lines and array sensors for detecting mustard gas, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide are introduced. The preparation method of polymer films, the sensitivity of the SAW gas sensor, the limit of detection, the influence of temperature and humidity, and the anti-interference ability are discussed in detail. The advantages and disadvantages of the films are also analyzed, and the potential application of polymer films in the future is also forecasted.

To obtain a cost-effective and high-performance composite material of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate (PBAT), for this study we selected microcrystalline cellulose, which is inexpensive and easily available, as the reinforcing medium. Hexadecyl trimethoxysilane (HDTMS) containing a long carbon chain was chosen to silanize the microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) to obtain silanized cellulose (SG). Three types of SGs with different degrees of silanization were obtained by controlling the reaction ratio. Characterization of these three types of SGs was conducted using FTIR, TEM, and water absorption analysis. Subsequently, PBAT/SG composites were prepared through a sol-gel method, and the effects of these three types of SGs on the thermal stability, compatibility, mechanical properties, and dynamic thermomechanical properties of PBAT were evaluated. Furthermore, the mechanism behind enhancing the mechanical properties of the composite was analyzed. The results demonstrated successful synthesis of SG. As the reaction ratio between HDTMS and MCC increased, the nanoparticle size increased, while the water absorption decreased significantly. After SG was added to the PBAT composites, the yield stress increased while maintaining good thermal stability. Both the SEM and DMA results indicated good compatibility of the PBAT/SG composites. Analysis of the mechanical properties revealed that the tensile strength initially increased and then decreased with increasing blending ratio for all three composites tested; among them, the PBAT/SG2 composites exhibit superior performance, with a maximum tensile strength reaching 22 MPa at an 85/15 blending ratio—nearly 30% higher than that of pure PBAT alone. The addition of SG significantly improved the strength of the PBAT, and we speculated as to the underlying mechanism involved. This study provides a new idea for the industrial-scale development of degradable polyesters with low cost and good mechanical properties.

Recent development for synthesis of bio-based long chain aliphatic polyesters by acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization of α,ω-dienes, derived from plant oils and bio-based chemicals, like bis(10-undecenoate) with isosorbide, using ruthenium-carbene catalysts have been reviewed. Development of subsequent (one-pot) tandem hydrogenation afforded saturated polyesters under mild conditions. The polymerizations under bulk (without solvent, 80-90 ºC) or in ionic liquids (50 ºC) under vacuum conditions enabled synthesis of high molar mass polymers (Mn >30,000 g/mol). The polymerization by molybdenum-alkylidene catalyst afforded the highest molecular weight polyesters (44000‒49400 g/mol, in toluene at 25 ºC) exhibiting promising tensile properties (strength and elongation at break) beyond polyethylene, polypropylene. Depolymerizations of these polyesters including closed loop chemical recycling were also demonstrated. Catalyst developments (more active, under mild conditions) play a key role for the efficient synthesis.

The accumulation of waste plastics has a severe impact on the environment, and therefore, the development of efficient chemical recycling methods has become an extremely important task. In this regard, a new strategy of degradation product-promoted depolymerization process was proposed. Using N,N'-dimethyl-ethylenediamine (DMEDA) as depolymerization reagent, an efficient chemical recycling of poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (BPA-PC) material was achieved under mild conditions. The degradation product 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI) was proven to be the critical factor in facilitating the depolymerization process. This strategy does not require catalysts or auxiliary solvents, which is truly green process. This method improves the recycling efficiency of BPA-PC and promotes the development of plastic reutilization.

Temperature-responsive separation membranes can significantly change their permeability and separation properties in response to changes in their surrounding temperature, improving efficiency and reducing membrane costs. This study focuses on the modification of commercial polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with amphiphilic temperature-responsive copolymer and inorganic nanoparticles. We prepared an amphiphilic temperature-responsive copolymer which the hydrophilic poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm) was side-linked to a hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) skeleton. Subsequently, PVDF-g-NIPAAm polymer and graphene oxide (GO) blended with PVDF to prepare temperature-responsive separation membranes. The results showed that temperature-responsive polymers with different NIPAAm grafting ratios were successfully prepared by adjusting the material ratio of PVDF to NIPAAm. PVDF-g-NIPAAm was blended with PVDF with different grafting ratios to obtain separate membranes with different temperature responses. GO and PVDF-g-NIPAAm formed a relatively stable hydrogen bond network, which improved the internal structure and mechanical properties of the membrane without affecting the temperature response, thus extending the service life of the membrane.

The manufacturing method influences the properties of the produced components. This work investigates the influence of manufacturing methods such as fused filament fabrication (3D printing) and injection molding on water absorption, mechanical and thermal properties of the specimens produced from neat biobased poly(lactic acid) (PLA) polymer and poly(lactic acid)/wood composites. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) acts as the reference material due to its low water absorption and good functional properties. The printing layer thickness is one of the factors that affects the properties of a 3D printed specimen. The investigation includes two different layer thicknesses (0.2 mm and 0.3 mm) while maintaining uniform overall thickness of the specimens across two manufacturing methods. 3D printed specimens absorb significantly higher amounts of water than the injection molded specimens, and the increase in the layer thickness of the 3D printed specimens contributes to further increased water absorption. However, the swelling due to water absorption in 3D printed specimens decreases on increased layer thickness. Tensile, flexural and impact properties of all the specimens decrease after water absorption while the properties improve on decreasing the layer thickness. Higher porosity on increasing the layer thickness is the predominant factor. The results from dynamic mechanical analysis and microscopy validate the outcomes.

In this study, various diamine monomers were used to synthesize aramid polymer films via a low-temperature solution condensation reaction with diacid chloride. For diamines with relatively high basicity, the reaction system became opaque because amine salt formation inhibited polymer synthesis. Meanwhile, low-basicity diamines with strong electron-withdrawing groups, such as CF3 and sulfone, were smoothly polymerized without amine salt formation to provide highly viscous solutions. The acid byproduct HCl generated during polymerization was removed by adding propylene oxide to the reaction vessel and converting the acid into highly volatile inert substances. The resulting solutions were used as varnishes without any additional purification, and polymer films with an excellent appearance were easily obtained through a conventional casting and convection drying process. The films neither tore nor broke when pulled or bent by hand; furthermore, even when heated up to 400°C, they did not decompose or melt. Moreover, polymers prepared from 2,2-bis (trifluoromethyl) benzidine (TFMB) and bis (4-aminophenyl) sulfone (pAPS) did not exhibit glass transition until decomposition. The prepared polymer films showed a high elastic modulus of more than 4.1 GPa and a high tensile strength of more than 52 MPa. In particular, TFMB-, pAPS-, and 2,2-bis (4-aminophenyl) hexafluoropropane-based polymer films were colorless and transparent, with very high light transmittances of 95%, 96%, and 91%, respectively, at 420 nm and low yellow indexes of 2.4, 1.9, and 4.3, respectively.

One of the most widely available and extensively produced varieties of industrial hemp, which generates a substantial amount of consumer-increasing waste in the form of hemp cellulose. In this study, recycling with a compressed and high-speed method that combines crushing and alkali treatment effectively converts leftover hemp fiber into ultrafine powder. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), AFM (Atomic Force Microscope), FTIR (Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy), and XRD (X-ray Diffraction) examined the original morphology of hemp fiber treated with alkali, fiber heated to 200 ℃, and crushed powder. Particle size, crystallinity, fiber surface, and strength increased and decreased. It became apparent that fiber strength decreased and fiber roughness significantly increased after alkali treatment. Fiber increased significantly, and crystallinity decreased after crushing. It was simple and effective for converting the leftover hemp fiber into micron-sized powder. In about 3 to 5 minutes, approximately 1 kg of dry ultrafine powder with a particle size of 10.44 μm was produced. This production method will significantly enhance future industrial applications of waste hemp fiber.

Quality-changed behavior of ultraviolet light absorber (UVA: UV-326) in polymers (PP, HDPE, LDPE, PLA and PS) over time during degradation was studied with an enhanced degradation method (EDM) using sulfate ion radical in seawater. EDM was employed to homogeneously degrade the entire polymer samples containing the UVA. The PP and PS samples containing 5-phr UVA films whitened rapidly due to formation of numerous grooves or crushed particles. The UVA loss rate of PS with the higher Tg was much slower. The crystalline polymers, with the exception of PS, were similar in the behavior of the change in UVA loss rate with respect to degradation time. The significant increase in initial loss rate observed during EDM degradation was due to microplasticization. A similar increase in microplasticization rate occurred with the PS, but the intermolecular interaction between UVA and PS did not result in as pronounced its increase in loss rate as with other polymers. The UVA chemical structure was not altered by EDM degradation. These results revealed that the UVA leaching from the polymer matrix was the primary cause of the loss.

The product of ozonolysis, Glycero-(9,10-trioxolane)-trioleate (ozonide of oleic acid triglyceride, [OTOA]), was incorporated into polylactic acid/polycaprolactone (PLA/PCL) blend films in the amount of 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40% w/w. The morphological, mechanical, thermal and antibacterial properties of the biodegradable blend after the OTOA addition were studied. According to DSC and XRD data, the crystallinity degree of PLA/PCL+OTOA films tended to decrease with increase in OTOA content that could be explained by its plasticizing effect. Morphological analysis showed that the structure of the films with the OTOA concentration above 20% drastically changed. Specifically, the interface between the PLA/PCL matrix and OTOA was formed, thereby forming a capsule with the embedded antibacterial agent. The moisture permeability of the resulting PLA/PCL+OTOA films decreased due to the formation of uniformly distributed hydrophobic amorphous zones that prevents water penetration. This architecture affects the tensile characteristics of the films: strength decreases to 5.6 MPa, elastic modulus E by 40%. The behavior of film elasticity is associated with the redistribution of amorphous regions in the matrix. Additionally, PLA/PCL+OTOA films with 20, 30 and 40% of OTOA showed good antibacterial properties on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Raoultella terrigena (Klebsiella terrigena) and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Developed PLA/PCL+OTOA films could be used as packaging materials and wound dressings. By variation of the OTOA content, it is possible to tailor the physical-chemical and antibacterial properties of the developed films for various applications.

Increased CO2 emissions and air pollution impact the environment and human health. In this manner, new functionalized polyaminal-based polymers are synthesized via a one-pot polycondensation reaction of melamine with aldehyde monomers 2-bromo-1-naphthaldehyde and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde to yield bromine- hydroxyl- functionalized polymer networks PAN-BrNA and PAN-HNA, respectively. The polyaminals porosity parameters were investigated and applied as an adsorbent for CO2 capture. FTIR, solid-state 13C NMR, and X-ray diffraction verified the PANs structure development. A scanning electron microscope and N2 adsorption-desorption methods were utilized to identify the porous properties of the polymers at 77 K. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of PAN-BrNA and PAN-HNA is (16.6990 m2/g) and (716.7568 m2/g), respectively. At 273 K, PAN-BrNA and PAN-HNA can take CO2 gas up to (4.42786 cm3/g) and (47.55 cm3/g), respectively. The findings show that inserting functional groups has a significant impact on surface area and porosity parameters, as well as CO2 uptake.

A series of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based block copolymers with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as sacrificial bock were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization and used as precursors for the synthesis of porous carbons. The carbons enriched with O- and S-containing groups, introduced by controlled oxidation and sulphuration, respectively, were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, and their surface textural properties were measured by a volumetric analyzer. We observed that the presence of sulphur tends to modify the structure of the carbons, from microporous to mesoporous, while the use of copolymers with a range of molar composition PAN/PMMA between 10/90 to 47/53 allows the obtainment of carbons with different degrees of porosity. The amount of sacrificial block only affects the morphology of carbons stabilized in oxygen, inducing their nanostructuration, but has not effect on their chemical composition. We also demonstrated their suitability for separating a typical N2/CO2 post-combustion stream.

Star copolymer films were studied for confirming the role of film morphology in antimicrobial activity previously reported. With this scope, films of a two-branches copolymer, namely m-PEG-(MMA-ran-DMAEMA)2, containing ≈ 40 % in mol of non-quaternized 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate, were produced by using spin-coating, drop-casting and casting deposition techniques, thus obtaining ultra-thin, thin and thick films, respectively. The morphology is generally flat for thin and thick films, but it becomes substrate dependent for ultra-thin films where the film planarization effect is not efficient. Mechanical properties of such films were investigated by Force Volume Maps in both air and liquid. In air, ultra-thin films are in the substrate-dominated zone and thus the elastic modulus E is overestimated, while E reaches its bulk value for thin and thick films. In liquid (water), E follows an exponential decay for all films with a minimum soaked time t0 of 0.37 and 2.65 h for ultra-thin and thin and thick films, respectively. After this time, E saturates to a value in average 92 % smaller than that measured in air due to films swelling. Such results confirm the role of morphology envisaged in literature, suggesting also an additional role of mechanical properties in the antimicrobial activity.

Modification the biodegradable matrix was carried by graft-copolymerization polylactide with methacrylic acid of various concentrations. Ultraviolet irradiation with different exposure times to the samples was chosen as the initiator of copolymerization. In the experiment the effect of ultraviolet light on polylactide and graft copolymerization was investigated: the resulting samples were studied by viscosimetry, gravimetry, FTIR, static cation- exchange capacity analysis . The conditions for obtaining grafted copolymers and the dependence of the characteristics on the reaction conditions are established.

Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations are employed to investigate spatiotemporal evolution of vesicles (polymersomes) via self-assembly of randomly distributed amphiphilic diblock copolymers in water. Vesiculation pathway consists of several intermediate structures such as spherical/rodlike aggregates, wormlike micelles, lamellae, and cavities. Lamella to vesicle transition occurs at a constant aggregation number and is accompanied by a reduction in the solvent accessible surface area. Simulation predictions are in qualitative agreement with the mechanism of vesicle formation in which the unfavorable hydrophobic interactions between water molecules and polymer segments along the edge of the lamella are eliminated at the expense of gaining curvature energy. However, rod-lamella-vesicle transition is accompanied by an increase in copolymer packing density. Hence, the change in the surface area accompanying vesiculation predicted by the simulations is significantly lower than theoretical estimates. Changes in information entropy, quantified by the expectation of the logarithm of the probability distribution function of the segmental stretch parameter s, defined as the difference between the maximum and instantaneous segmental extension, are statistically insignificant along the vesiculation pathway. For rods, lamellae and polymersomes, s follows a log normal distribution. This is explained based on the configurational dynamics of a single diblock chain in water.

Development of load-bearing polymer composite constructions in civil engineering, such as industrial chimneys and gas ducts, requires filling some research gaps. These gaps are related to long-term behavior under mechanical and temperature loads, cyclic ones as well. Such conditions mean that viscoelasticity should be considered. First of all, viscoelastic parameters should be calculated, based on the used inner structure model. Then, due to the high working temperatures, thermal aging should be considered as well. This research is devoted to effects of thermal aging on viscoelastic behavior of polymers. Two sets of experiments were conducted: creep tensile tests and cyclic heating in constrained state. The Kelvin-Voigt viscoelasticity model was used to determine the rheological parameters of binder from experimental creep curves. Thermally-aged binder turned out to lose its viscous properties and became elastic. Cyclic heating was used to compare the behavior of normal and thermally-aged binder and to evaluate the possibility of temperature stress accumulation. Similar to creep tests, cyclic heating showed that aged binder lost viscosity and worked almost perfectly elastic. Non-aged binder was prone to stress accumulation much more. As a result, the rheological behavior of aged and non-aged binder was compared and showed a significant difference. In addition, the influence of temperature stress accumulation on stress—strain state was evaluated and turned out to be significant as well. The obtained results can be further used to predict the mechanical behavior of structures made of polymer composites operating for a long time at elevated temperatures, including those exceeding the glass transition temperature.

The design of binders plays a pivotal role in achieving enduring high power in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and extending their overall lifespan. This review underscores the indispensable characteristics that a binder must possess when utilized in LIBs, considering factors such as electrochemical, thermal, and dispersion stability, compatibility with electrolytes, solubility in solvents, mechanical properties, and conductivity. In the case of anode materials, binders with robust mechanical properties and elasticity are imperative to uphold electrode integrity, par-ticularly in materials experiencing substantial volume changes. For cathode materials, the se-lection of a binder hinges on the crystal structure of the cathode material. Other vital consid-erations in binder design encompass cost-effectiveness, adhesion, processability, and envi-ronmental friendliness. Incorporating low-cost, eco-friendly, and biodegradable polymers can contribute significantly to sustainable battery development. This review serves as an invaluable resource for comprehending the prerequisites of binder design in high-performance LIBs and offers insights into binder selection for diverse electrode materials. The findings and principles articulated in this review can be extrapolated to other advanced battery systems, charting a course for the development of next-generation batteries characterized by enhanced perfor-mance and sustainability.

Bottlebrush (BB) elastomers with water-soluble side chains and tissue-mimetic mechanical properties are promising for biomedical applications like tissue implants and drug depots. This work investigates the microstructure and phase transitions of BB elastomers with crystallizable polyethylene oxide (PEO) side chains by real-time synchrotron X-ray scattering. In the melt, the elastomers exhibit the characteristic BB peak corresponding to the backbone-to-backbone correlation. Upon crystallization of the side chains, the intensity of the peak decays linearly with crystallinity, and eventually vanishes due to BB packing disordering within intercrystalline amorphous gaps. This behavior of the bottlebrush peak differs from an earlier study of BBs with poly(ε-caprolactone) side chains, explained by stronger backbone confinement in the case of PEO, a high-crystallinity polymer. Microstructural models based on 1D SAXS correlation function analysis suggest crystalline lamellae of PEO side chains separated by amorphous gaps of monolayer-like BB backbones.

A soluble biopolymer (SBP) was obtained by hydrolysis in pH 13 water at 60 °C. The dry product was re-dissolved in plain water at pH 10 and used as control against the same solution added with hydrogen peroxide at 0.1-3 H2O2 moles per SBP carbon mole. The control and test solutions were kept at room temperature, in the dark or in a climatic chamber under irradiation with simulated solar light, until the solutions pH remained constant. Afterwards, the solutions were processed to recover and analyze the crude soluble products. For the control solution, the results indicated significant production of CO2, production of organic carboxyl functional groups and de-polymerization of the pristine SBP organic matter. These findings demonstrate the oxidation of SBP by water, which could only occur through the production of O and OH radicals catalyzed by SBP. The present work reports the results obtained from the control solution and for the test solution treated in the presence and absence of H2O2, with and without pH control, in the dark and under irradiation with simulated solar light. The paper discusses the perspectives of further implementation of the autocatalytic properties of SBP for the realization of a municipal biowaste-based biorefinery producing value added bio-products for consumer’s use.

Polymer-based (nano)composite foams, especially those having a microcellular structure, containing suitable conductive (nano)fillers, have been shown to act as good shielding materials, hence coming as promising to act as shields in electronic devices, limiting/avoiding electromagnetic interference (EMI) pollution. Nevertheless, due to their high (micro)structural complexity, related to their multiphase nature, there is still a lot of unawareness behind the shielding mechanisms acting in these materials, coming as a necessity to study their microstructure-cellular/porous structure-properties relations, especially in terms of their electrical conductivity and EMI shielding efficiency (EMI SE). To target and control the electrical conductivity through a controlled distribution/dispersion of conductive nanofillers, single or combined (nanohybrids), as there is a direct relation between electrical conductivity and EMI SE, as well as the main EMI shielding mechanisms working on the developed microcellular structure of the foams, which are expected to be absorption-dominated or absorption/multiple reflection-based, are two of the main objectives when combining polymer foaming with the addition of conductive nanofillers. The present review work considers the recent developments and trends on polymer-based foams containing conductive nanofillers, especially carbon-based such as carbon nanotubes or graphene-based materials, as well as similar porous structures created using trending technologies such as 3D printing, for EMI shielding applications. It is divided in different sections, starting with the strategy of microcellular foaming to develop polymer-based foams with enhanced EMI shielding characteristics, especially focusing on technologies and methods using supercritical CO2 (sCO2); continuing with the use of polymer foams as templates to synthesize carbon foams with improved EMI shielding performance for high use temperature applications; the recent strategy of combining different functional (nano)fillers to create hybrid nanofillers/nanohybrids to be used at lower amounts as conductive fillers in polymer foams; the control and selective distribution of the nanofillers in terms of favoring the formation of a more effective conductive network and hence promote the enhancement of the EMI SE; the very recent use of computational approaches to tailor the EMI shielding properties of composite foams; and the very trending possibility of creating cellular components with varied porous structures from these materials using 3D printing; to finish, some future perspectives are discussed.

Currently, active and intelligent packaging have been developed to solve the spoilage problem for rich protein foods during storage, especially by adding anthocyanin extracts. In such film system, the antioxidant and antibacterial properties were dramatically increased by adding anthocyanins. The physicochemical properties were enhanced through interactions between active groups in anthocyanins and reactive groups in polymer chains. Additionally, active and intelligent film could monitor the spoilage of rich protein foods in response to pH change. Therefore, this film could monitor the sensory acceptance, and extending the shelf life of rich protein foods simultaneously. In this paper, the structure and functional properties of anthocyanins, the composite actions of anthocyanin extracts and biomass materials, and their reinforced properties of active and intelligent film were discussed. Also, the applications of this film in quality maintenance, shelf-life extension and quality monitoring for fresh meat, aquatic product and milk were summarized. The film that achieves high stability and continuous release of anthocyanins on demand will become an underlying trend in packaging applications for rich protein foods.

The article describes the use of microwave irradiation in the synthesis of bis(cyclo carbonate) compounds (BCC) in bulk (without solvent) from carbon dioxide capture using an epoxidized compound - a commercial epoxy resin, and compares this process to the conventional method. CO2 cycloaddition to epoxides is an ecological and efficient method for the formation of bis(cyclic carbonates). Moreover, the introduction of gas into the reaction mixture was carried out at atmospheric pressure with a controlled flow rate, which is advantageous from an economic point of view. Progressive structural changes and the presence of characteristic chemical groups were monitored using attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform. The obtained crude products were purified to obtain three fractions, which were subjected to detailed structural analysis using FT-IR and 13CNMR. The formation of the main product with two cyclic carbonates was confirmed. The presence of monomers, dimers and trimers in individual fractions as well as their thermal stability were determined, and the molecular masses in individual fractions were determined using gel permeation chromatography (GPC).

Plastics have recently become an indispensable part of everyone's daily life due to their versatility, durability, light weight and low production costs. The increasing production and use of plastics poses a great danger due to the very long period of degradation, but also the negative impact on living organisms. Decomposing plastics lead to the formation of microplastics, which accumulate in the environment and living organisms becoming part of the food chain. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) contamination of soil and water seriously threatens ecosystems around the world. The durability and low weight make microplastic particles easily transported with water or air and end up in the soil. Thus, the problem of microplastic pollution affects the entire ecosystem. Since microplastics are commonly found in both drinking and bottled water, humans are also exposed to the harmful effects of microplastics. Because of the existing risks associated with PVC microplastic contamination of the ecosystem, intensive research is underway to develop methods to clean and eliminate it from the environment. Pollution of the environment with plastic, especially microplastic, results in the reduction of both water and soil resources used for agricultural and utility purposes. This review provides an overview of PVC's environmental impact and disposal options.

High-performance properties of interpenetration polymer network (IPN) hydrogels, based on physically crosslinked chitosan (CS) and chemically crosslinked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAM), have been successfully developed. The IPN of CS/PNiPAM is proposed to overcome the limited mechanical properties of the single CS network. In this study, the viscoelastic behaviors of prepared materials in both solution and gel states have been extensively examined, considering the UV exposure time and crosslinker concentration as key factors. The effect of these factors on gel formation, hydrogel structures, thermal stabilities of networks, and HeLa cell adhesion were studied sequentially. The sol-gel transition was effectively demonstrated through the scaling law, which agrees well with Winter and Chambon's theory. By subjecting the CS hydrogel to the process operation in an ethanol solution, its properties can be significantly enhanced with increased crosslinker concentration, including the shear modulus, crosslinking degree, gel strength, and thermal stability in its swollen state. The IPN samples exhibit a smooth and dense surface with irregular pores, allowing for much water absorption. The HeLa cells were adhered to and killed using the CS surface cationic derivative, then released through hydrolysis by utilizing the hydrophilic/hydrophobic switchable property or thermo-reversible gelation of the PNiPAM network. The results demonstrated that IPN is a highly attractive candidate for anti-fouling materials.

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) based on conducting polymers have attracted significant attention in the field of biosensors. PEDOT:PSS and polyaniline (PANI) are representative conducting polymers used for OECTs. While there are many studies on PEDOT:PSS, there are not so many reports on PANI-based OECTs, and a detailed study to compare these two polymers has been desired. In this study, we investigated the fabrication conditions to produce the best performance in the OECTs using the above-mentioned two types of conducting polymers. Two main parameters were film thickness and film surface roughness. For PEDOT:PSS, the optimal conditions for fabricating thin films were a spin-coating rate of 3000 rpm and DI water immersion time of 18 hours. For PANI, the optimal conditions were a spin-coating rate of 3000 rpm and DI water immersion time of 5 seconds, and adding dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) was found to provide better OECT performances. The OECT performances based on PEDOT:PSS were superior to those based on PANI in terms of conductivity and transconductance, but PANI showed excellence in terms of film thickness and surface smoothness, leading to the good reproducibility of OECT performances.

Advancements in 3D printing technologies have led to new implementations in rapid prototyping, microfluidics, tooling, dentistry, biomedical devices, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. Stereolithography techniques, which are photopolymerization-based processes, contribute to the optical, chemical, and mechanical properties of 3D printed materials using versatile polymer chemistry. This study used potassium titanate powder (K2Ti8O17) as an additive to enhance the mechanical strength of photocurable resins. PEG was selected as the stabilizer to optimize the dispersion and precipitation of potassium titanate. The flexural strength, hardness, and tensile strength were compared to assess the mechanical strength of the 3D printing resin. The flexural strengths of the printed specimens were in the range of 15–39 N/mm2. The measured surface hardness and tensile strength were 41–80 HV and 2.3–15 N/mm2, respectively. The output resolution of the potassium titanate/acrylate resin was tested using a line-pattern structure. 3D printing resin without stabilizers produced lines with a thickness of 0.3 mm, whereas 3D printing resin containing a stabilizer produced lines with a thickness of 0.2 mm. The flexural strength and pattern thickness results suggest that the potassium titanate/acrylate resin can be utilized as a 3D printer resin, suggesting new possibilities for potassium titanate materials.

Nanocomposites of cyanate ester resin (CER) filled with three different reactive amino-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) were synthesized and characterized. The addition of a small quantity (0.1 wt.%) of amino-POSS chemically grafted to the CER network led to increasing thermal stability of CER matrix. A significant increase of the glass transition temperature, Tg (DSC data), and the temperature of α relaxation, Tα (DMTA data), by 45-55 оС of CER matrix with loading of nanofillers was evidenced. CER/POSS films exhibited a higher storage modulus than that of neat CER in the temperature range investigated. It was evidenced that CER/aminopropylisobutyl (APIB)-POSS, CER/N-phenylaminopropyl (NPAP)-POSS, and CER/aminoethyl aminopropylisobutyl (AEAPIB)-POSS nanocomposites induced a more homogenous α relaxation phenomenon with higher Tα values and an enhanced nanocomposite elastic behavior. Furthermore, CER/amino-POSS nanocomposites possessed higher specific surface area, gas permeability (CO2, He), and diffusion coefficients (CO2) values than those for neat CER, due to increasing free volume of the nanocomposites studied that is very important for their gas transport properties. Permeability grew respectively by about 2 (He) and 3.5-4 times (СО2), and diffusion coefficient of CO2 increased approximately twice for CER/amino-POSS nanocomposites in comparison with the neat CER network. The efficiency of amino-functionalized POSS in improving the thermal and transport properties of the CER/amino-POSS nanocomposites increased in a raw of reactive POSS containing one primary (APIB-POSS) < eight secondary (NPAP-POSS) < one secondary and one primary (AEAPIB-POSS) amino groups. APIB-POSS had the least strongly pronounced effect, since it could form covalent bonds with the CER network only by reaction of one –NH2 group, while AEAPIB-POSS displayed the most highly marked effect, since it could easily be incorporated into the CER network via reaction of –NH2 and –NH– groups with –O–C≡N groups from CER.