Sudhir Ravula, Kevin Wise, Lyndi Strange, Zihua Zhu, Jenn Yao, Pravin S. Shinde, David J Heldebrant, Jason Edward Bara
{"title":"Tailoring Tetracationic Linkers to Improve the Physical and CO2 Gas Separation Properties of Doubly Segmented PEEK-Ionene + Ionic Liquid Composites","authors":"Sudhir Ravula, Kevin Wise, Lyndi Strange, Zihua Zhu, Jenn Yao, Pravin S. Shinde, David J Heldebrant, Jason Edward Bara","doi":"10.1039/d5py00467e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5py00467e","url":null,"abstract":"A series of doubly segmented (DS) poly(ether ether ketone)-ionenes (PEEK-ionenes) was synthesized through polycondensation via Menshutkin reaction, followed by bistriflimide [Tf2N]– anion-exchange. These newly designed tetracationic 2-methylimidazolium (C(2)-Me) linker groups employ a sequence of aromatic (p-xylyl) and aliphatic (hexylene) linkages between cations. The synthesized DS PEEK-ionenes exhibit good solubility in common organic solvents at room temperature, high number average molecular weights ranging from 123 to 159 kDa, and thermal stability up to 410 °C, which are improved compared to counterparts with C(2)-H imidazolium cations. The flexibility of the membranes depends on both the amount of free ionic liquid (IL) added to the PEEK-ionene materials and the characteristic features of the linker groups. The structure-property relationships within the series were established by comprehensively studying the physical properties and gas separation performances. All the newly developed PEEK-ionenes + IL composites have moderate CO2 permeability up to 73 barrer, and the separation performance approaches the 1991 and 2008 upper-bound for O2/N2 and CO2/H2, respectively, and with moderate selectivities for CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4. The elongated charged moieties per segment and introduction of C(2)-Me are key factors for finely tuning and maximizing the separation performance of designed materials.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"663 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144670028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Elemental sulfur utilization: Construction of a reprocessable covalent crosslinked polydisulfide with enhanced mechanical properties","authors":"Ji-Yan Chao, Tian-Jun Yue, Xiaobing Lu, Wei-Min Ren","doi":"10.1039/d5py00085h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5py00085h","url":null,"abstract":"Herein, a polydisulfide with uniformly distributed aldehyde groups was prepared through the terpolymerization of an aldehyde-containing episulfide, 2-(phenoxymethyl)thiirane, and elemental sulfur. A thermoset polydisulfide with a crosslinking network was constructed by leveraging the Schiff base reaction between amines and aldehyde groups. Compared to the linear polymers, the crosslinked polydisulfide exhibited a 2–10 °C increase in its glass transition temperature. In addition, the covalent crosslinking network enhanced the mechanical properties of the polydisulfide compared to those of the original linear polymer, and the mechanical properties could be modulated by adjusting the crosslinking density of the polymer. Moreover, the polymer exhibited processability and shape-memory properties when heated to a specific temperature.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144664613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Functional Fluoropolymers with Good Low-dielectric Properties and High Thermostability","authors":"Maowei Yang, Jiaren Hou, Zhiqiang Wang, Xiao Wu, Xiao Peng Sun, Qixin Zhuang, Jing Sun, Qiang Fang","doi":"10.1039/d5py00524h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5py00524h","url":null,"abstract":"Fluoropolymers can be utilized as dielectric substrates to ensure signal transmission speed and quality in modern communication technology. However, conventional fluoropolymer materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are constrained by limited thermal stability and inferior processability. In this paper, two monomers (<strong>DBA-FBCB</strong> and <strong>DBAF-FBCB</strong>) based on benzocyclobutene and fluorobenzene groups have been successfully synthesized via effective C-H bond activation and nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions. The monomers were thermally cross-linked to fluoropolymers (p-DBA-FBCB and p-DBAF-FBCB). Those polymers exhibited superior thermal stability with a glass transition temperature (<em>T</em><small><sub>g</sub></small>) > 370 ℃, a 5% weight loss temperature (<em>T</em><small><sub>5d</sub></small>) higher than 430 ℃, and low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 60.9 ppm /℃ from 35 ℃ to 250 ℃. p-DBAF-FBCB displayed excellent dielectric properties with a low dielectric constant (<em>D</em><small><sub>k</sub></small>) of 2.51 and dielectric loss factor (tanδ) of 2.41×10<small><sup>-3</sup></small> at a high frequency of 5 GHz, as well as an average <em>D</em><small><sub>k</sub></small> of 2.45 with an average tanδ of 1.5×10<small><sup>-3</sup></small> at the frequency from 1 to 10 MHz. The results demonstrate that those fluoropolymers are promising candidates for low-dielectric substrates or packaging materials in high-frequency communications or microelectronics industries.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144664617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Immunostimulatory pH-responsive Nanogels Derived from Poly(oxanorbornene) Precursor Polymers","authors":"Johannes Kockelmann, Lutz Nuhn","doi":"10.1039/d5py00542f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5py00542f","url":null,"abstract":"Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) provides access to well-defined poly(oxanorbornene) block copolymers that can be converted into micellar-derived immunoactive nanogels. We report on the synthesis of such immunoactive nanogels based on oxanorbornene-derived post-polymerization modification strategy. The key precursor, an oxanorbornene pentafluorophenyl ester (ONB-PFP) monomer, was synthesized and polymerized using living ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) facilitated by a third-generation Grubbs catalyst (G3) for efficient living-type block copolymerization. This approach yielded well-defined block copolymers by incorporating an active ester monomer with a hydrophilic triethylene glycol-functionalized oxanorbornene, establishing a robust platform for subsequent post-polymerization modifications. Nanogels were formed by aqueous self-assembly of the block copolymers, with various crosslinking agents employed to generate both acid-labile (D-NG) and non-degradable (ND-NG) nanogels, while without crosslinkers fully hydrophilic single polymer chains were obtained as controls. The covalent attachment of the Toll-like receptor 7/8 agonist IMDQ, an immunomodulatory imidazoquinoline agent, to the nanogels produced immunoactive nanogels, whose immunostimulatory efficacy was evaluated in vitro using a RAW-Blue macrophage reporter cell line. Flow cytometry confirmed efficient cellular uptake of only the intact nanogels by the macrophages resulting in a receptor activation and thus providing a strategy to safely control the delivery of the highly potent TLR7/8 agonist.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"95 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144652649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zilong Yang, Di Wu, Caiyun Ren, Jianfeng Ban, Lulu Pan, Jiaping Zhu, Kai Liu
{"title":"Synthesis and Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Photo-Thermal Responsive Liquid Crystal Shape Memory Polymers with Dynamic Diselenide Bonds","authors":"Zilong Yang, Di Wu, Caiyun Ren, Jianfeng Ban, Lulu Pan, Jiaping Zhu, Kai Liu","doi":"10.1039/d5py00386e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5py00386e","url":null,"abstract":"To overcome the limitations of conventional shape memory polymers (SMPs) in terms of single-stimulus responsiveness and insufficient deformation diversity, this study designed and synthesized a series of liquid crystal SMPs (B-LCEn) integrated with dynamic diselenide bonds, achieving photo-thermal dual-responsive and optically controlled deformation manipulation. The structural and thermal properties of B-LCEn were meticulously investigated. Additionally, its thermogenic and photogenic shape memory were studied. The results demonstrate that, B-LCEn exhibited superior shape memory recovery properties under both heating and UV irradiation, maintaining its responsiveness over multiple cycles. This consistent performance simplifies the programming setups. Beyond empirical studies, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to forecast the impact of molecular weight on the mechanical properties and the volume-temperature correlation of B-LCEn. These simulations are instrumental in enhancing the design and synthesis of multifunctional B-LCEn. The research underscores the substantial promise of B-LCEn, particularly under gentle stimulation conditions and with its persistent dynamic exchange ability, for the development and utilization of soft actuators and intelligent materials.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144640648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biobased triblock thermoplastic elastomer with Betulin- or Carvacryl-methacrylate end-blocks by RAFT polymerization","authors":"Aniello Vittore, Pauline Shamraienko, Ilka Hermes, Qiong Li, Brigitte Voit, Lorella Izzo","doi":"10.1039/d5py00540j","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5py00540j","url":null,"abstract":"In this work, fully biobased acrylic ABA triblock copolymers were synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain‐transfer (RAFT) polymerization using VISIOMER® Terra C13 (ET13) as the “soft” midblock and two terpenoid‐derived methacrylates, betulin methacrylate (BetuMA) and carvacryl methacrylate (CaMA), as the glassy blocks. An “R-linked” bifunctional chain transfer agent (bis-CTA) enabled the formation of ET13 macro‐CTAs with controlled molecular weights and narrow dispersity (Mₙ = 84–229 kg mol⁻¹, Đ ≈ 1.1). RAFT homo‐polymerizations of BetuMA and CaMA yielded well‐defined homopolymers (Mₙ = 20–33 kg mol⁻¹, Đ < 1.4) with selective methacrylate reactivity. Chain extension of ET13 macro‐CTAs produced a series of ABA triblocks featuring 8–39 mol% glassy content. GPC confirmed molecular weights in the range Mₙ = 97–415 kg mol⁻¹ (Đ < 1.7), while DSC and TGA analyses showed distinct glass transitions for soft block, close to –50 °C, and good thermal stability. AFM evidenced clear microphase separation. Mechanical testing revealed that BetuMA based copolymers (BEB series) achieved tensile strengths up to 3.9 MPa and elongations up to 760%, outperforming CaMA based analogs (CEC series: σ ≤ 1.2 MPa, ε ≤ 710%). These results demonstrate the efficacy of RAFT polymerization of terpenoid methacrylates in producing high‐performance, sustainable thermoplastic elastomers, offering a viable alternative to petroleum‐derived thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs).","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144629934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Poly(propene-co-norbornene)s with high molar masses, tunable norbornene contents and properties, in high yield by ketimide-modified half-titanocene catalysts","authors":"Simona Losio, Laura Boggioni, Adriano Vignali, Fabio Bertini, Akito Nishiyama, Kotohiro Nomura, Incoronata Tritto","doi":"10.1039/d5py00549c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5py00549c","url":null,"abstract":"The ketimide-modified half-titanocene catalysts, Cp’TiCl<small><sub>2</sub></small>(N=C<em>t</em>Bu<small><sub>2</sub></small> [Cp’ = C<small><sub>5</sub></small>H<small><sub>5</sub></small>(<strong>1</strong>), C<small><sub>5</sub></small>Me<small><sub>5</sub></small> (<strong>2</strong>), Me<small><sub>3</sub></small>SiC<small><sub>5</sub></small>H<small><sub>4</sub></small> (<strong>3</strong>)], afforded high molecular weight copolymers of propene (P) and norbornene (N) with efficient N incorporation in the presence of MAO. The poly(P-<em>co</em>-N)s obtained were studied in detail by determining microstructure and comonomer contents by <small><sup>13</sup></small>C-NMR spectra, molar masses, thermal and mechanical properties. The ketimide Cp’TiCl<small><sub>2</sub></small>(N=CtBu<small><sub>2</sub></small>) catalysts <strong>1</strong> and <strong>3</strong> exhibited higher catalytic activities and yielded the copolymers with higher N contents and molar mass than the ketimide-modified Cp*TiCl<small><sub>2</sub></small>(N=CtBu<small><sub>2</sub></small>) (<strong>2</strong>); the resultant copolymer by catalyst <strong>1</strong> contained 61.7 mol % of N and <em>M</em><small><sub>w</sub></small> equal to 657 kg mol<small><sup>-1</sup></small> possessing uniform composition. The copolymers show very different tensile behaviours passing from ductile and tough materials to stiff and fragile ones as N content increases.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"96 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144629942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A steric hindrance strategy facilitates direct arylation polymerization for the low-cost synthesis of polymer PBDBT-2F and its application in organic solar cells","authors":"Yuchen Lei, Pan Fu, Yanjun He, Xiaodong Zhu, Baolin Dou, Hailu Zheng, Jianhong Gao, Pengcheng Li, Hui Chen, Xiang Gao, Zhitian Liu, Ziyi Ge","doi":"10.1039/d5py00371g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5py00371g","url":null,"abstract":"PBDBT-2F (PM6), a prominent member of the donor–acceptor (D–A) conjugated polymer family, has attracted considerable interest for application in organic solar cells (OSCs) due to its high efficiency and excellent universality. Traditionally, PM6 is synthesized <em>via</em> Stille coupling polymerization, which requires tedious pre-functionalization of monomers. In this study, we report an improved catalytic system for synthesizing PM6 samples through palladium-catalyzed direct arylation polymerization (DArP). Optimization of the reaction conditions revealed that introduction of the appropriately sterically hindered additive 2,2-diethylhexanoic acid (DEHA) is necessary to prepare polymer P-14, which exhibits the highest <em>M</em><small><sub>n</sub></small>, the lowest PDI, and the strongest aggregation. However, analysis of the polymer structure indicates that a small amount of branching defects is present in P-14, leading to weaker π–π stacking and a smaller phase separation domain. As a result, the P-14:IT-4F device achieved a moderate PCE of 8.90% with a higher <em>V</em><small><sub>oc</sub></small> of 0.893 V compared to the PM6-S-based device. Importantly, the development of catalytic system for DArP reactions without using amine ligands, further reduce preparation costs. This work confirmed the potential of the steric bulk strategy in improving molecular weight and suppressing defects while also revealing the importance of optimal catalytic conditions for preparing well-defined conjugated polymers.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"82 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144629943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jiawen Dai, Shuyuan Luo, Zhenjiang Li, Jie Sun, Haritz Sardon, Ning Zhu, Jin Huang, Kai Guo
{"title":"A Continuous Flow Based Irreversible Polycondensation Enables Synthesis of Polycarbonate Diols Beyond Batch Limitations","authors":"Jiawen Dai, Shuyuan Luo, Zhenjiang Li, Jie Sun, Haritz Sardon, Ning Zhu, Jin Huang, Kai Guo","doi":"10.1039/d5py00580a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5py00580a","url":null,"abstract":"Aliphatic polycarbonate polyols have emerged as valued precursors for high-performance polyurethanes due to their superior hydrolytic and thermal stability. These polyols are industrially produced using conventional batch reactors which suffer from the limited control over polycondensation and low efficiency of production. In this work we report a continuous-flow platform for the continuous production of polycarbonate diols. This process is based on the irreversible polycondensation of short-chain diols with diphenyl carbonate in the presence of methanesulfonic acid catalyst. This system enables quasi-first-order kinetics with high yield in short residence time, affording polycarbonate diols with molecular weights ranging from <em>M</em><small><sub>n</sub></small> = 1200–2600 g·mol<small><sup>-1</sup></small> and dispersities of 1.9 - 2.3. We extend the continuous process for the production of polyurethanes by utilizing the crude polycarbonate diols directly for polyurethane synthesis, enabling an integrated and purification-free process. This work establishes a unified flow platform for the continuous production of step-growth polymers with high precision providing a promising solution to the longstanding limitations of batch production.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144622599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biobased Multifunctional Ingredients for Manufacturing Tire Tread with High Mechanical Strength and Fuel-Saving Efficiency","authors":"Mingxu Wu, Xin He, Songbo Zhang, Pibo Liu, Qizhou Yu, Shuwei Wang, Yanming Hu","doi":"10.1039/d5py00597c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5py00597c","url":null,"abstract":"Energy-saving and environmental sustainability have driven the tire industry to develop high-performance tires especially that feature high energy efficiency and moving towards sustainable materials. Herein, we reported the synthesis of a series of bio-based sulfur-rich copolymers (SPs) through the inverse vulcanization of plant oils and sulfur, a massive byproduct from petroleum industry. These SPs serve as multifunctional ingredients for carbon black (CB)-reinforced rubber composites. Leveraging the reactivity of polysulfide segments towards rubber chain and polycondensed aromatic moieties of CBs as well as the affinity of the functional groups with the oxygenic groups on CB surface, the bio-based SPs act as both reactive plasticizers and interfacial modifiers. Compared to conventional petroleum-based plasticizer, SPs exhibit superior migration resistance and give the resulting composites higher network strength. Meanwhile, incorporation of SPs significantly improves CB dispersion and enhances the interfacial adhesion of SP-based composites, thus leading to high mechanical properties and remarkably decreased hysteresis loss. Especially, the esterified poly(S30-ER70) shows great potential as multifunctional ingredient for the preparation of high performance tires; the poly(S30-ER70)-based tread composite demonstrates a 16.5% reduction in rolling resistance, 10.7% improvement in wet traction performance, and 13.4% increase in aging-resistance, compared to traditional aromatic oil (AO)-based composite. Moreover, the presence of dynamic covalent bond (-S-S-) imparts excellent recyclability to the poly(S30-ER70)-based rubber material.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144622578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}