Alexander Varand,Mikhail A. Mikhailenko,Vladimir P. Nazmov,Alexander P. Filippov
{"title":"Evidence for charge-mediated ion-radical photopolymerization of methacrylates at 395 nm without added photoinitiator","authors":"Alexander Varand,Mikhail A. Mikhailenko,Vladimir P. Nazmov,Alexander P. Filippov","doi":"10.1039/d6py00499g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6py00499g","url":null,"abstract":"Irradiation of neat methacrylate monomers at 395 nm without intentionally added photoinitiator reproducibly yields ultra-high-molecular-weight (UHMW) polymer fractions with broad dispersities (Đ ≈ 3–4) across structurally distinct methacrylates. Independent static light scattering confirms a genuine megadalton-scale PMMA fraction (Mw ≈ 4.5 × 106 Da), the primary calibration-independent evidence for ultra-high molecular weight; apparent SEC/GPC values, which reach the 107 g mol−1 range, provide supporting, calibration-dependent context. Photocurrent measurements under applied bias reveal mobile charge-carrying states; their polarity was probed using triethylamine and iodine as donor/acceptor perturbants. Iodine amplifies the early-light photoresponse by approximately 47-fold (86-fold at late light), whereas triethylamine produces a small but clearly resolved shift of opposite sign, a pattern consistent with a pronounced cationic bias in the measured charge transport. EPR spectroscopy provides qualitative evidence for light-induced organic paramagnetic states in the g ≈ 2.003–2.006 region. Inhibitor titration across 2.57–20.00 ppm MEHQ, reaching into typical commercial stabilization levels, shows that time to completion scales with inhibitor concentration while final Mw and dispersity do not, consistent with classical inhibitor behavior and providing independent kinetic evidence consistent with continuous radical generation under 395 nm irradiation. Together, the molecular-weight, electrical, perturbational, kinetic, and spectroscopic observations are consistent with an emergent charge-active ion-radical regime as the most plausible mechanistic framework, rather than establishing it directly. This framework is presented as a set of experimentally grounded constraints rather than as a fully resolved microscopic mechanism.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148821672","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":"Synthesis of allyl-functionalized branched poly(phenylene ether) enabling network formation and solvent resistance: an experimental and curing dissipative particle dynamics study","authors":"Shoko Mishima,Yoshiaki Kawagoe,Kaho Shibasaki,Nobuhiro Ishikawa,Tomonaga Okabe","doi":"10.1039/d6py00585c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6py00585c","url":null,"abstract":"Reactive poly(phenylene ether)s (PPEs) prepared under branching conditions and bearing allyl functionalities were rationally designed and synthesized via copper-catalyzed oxidative copolymerization to simultaneously achieve pre-curing solubility and post-curing solvent resistance. By employing 2-allylphenol as a comonomer possessing both a reactive allyl group and the ability to introduce structural heterogeneity through ortho-position polymerization, an allyl-functionalized PPE (B-aPPE) was successfully prepared. The introduction of allyl groups enabled covalent incorporation of PPE chains into thermoset networks upon curing with triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC). Compared with the corresponding non-reactive PPE prepared under branching conditions (B-PPE), the synthesized B-aPPE exhibited markedly improved film integrity and significantly reduced weight loss after chloroform immersion. To elucidate the structure–property relationship arising from this molecular design, curing dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations were performed. The simulations provided qualitative mechanistic insight, suggesting that reactive allyl sites suppress TAIC aggregation and promote formation of a percolated three-dimensional network, leading to enhanced solvent resistance. This study demonstrates that introduction of reactive allyl functionality into PPEs prepared under branching conditions provides an effective strategy for tuning reaction-induced phase separation (RIPS) and developing solvent-resistant thermosetting polymer systems.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148821673","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":"Rigid steric engineering of binuclear α-diimine nickel catalysts for ultrahigh-molecular-weight branched polyethylene","authors":"Wenping Hu,Meng Song,Nan Chen,Xianming Guo,Duoyu Xu,Naseer Ahmad,Zihao Wang,Fuzhou Wang,Muhammad Asadullah Khan","doi":"10.1039/d6py00650g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6py00650g","url":null,"abstract":"Achieving simultaneous control over molecular weight, molecular-weight distribution, and branching architecture remains challenging in ethylene polymerization catalyzed by dinuclear late-transition-metal complexes. This challenge is particularly significant for conformationally flexible dinuclear systems, in which multiple catalyst conformations may produce broader molecular-weight distributions. Herein, we report a steric-bridge engineering strategy for binuclear α-diimine nickel(ii) catalysts that combines bridge rigidity with strong axial steric shielding. Three binuclear nickel complexes bearing progressively rigid and bulky bridging frameworks were synthesized and evaluated for ethylene polymerization. The naphthalene-bridged catalyst Ni2 exhibited the highest catalytic activity, reaching 10.8 × 106 g PE mol−1 Ni−1 h−1 under optimized conditions. In contrast, the highly shielded benzhydryl-substituted naphthalene catalyst Ni3 delivered ultrahigh-molecular-weight branched polyethylene with Mn up to 1.35 × 106 g mol−1. Narrow dispersity values of Đ = 1.19–1.25 were obtained from 0 to 60 °C, followed by moderate broadening at 80 and 100 °C. These results are consistent with improved suppression of chain transfer and more uniform chain-growth behavior under the lower-temperature conditions. Branching densities could be tuned from 44 to 98 branches per 1000 carbon atoms by varying the polymerization temperature, enabling access to polyethylene materials with adjustable thermal and elastomeric characteristics. The results suggest that the combination of bridge rigidity and steric congestion suppresses chain transfer, moderates chain walking, and improves molecular-weight-distribution control within the binuclear nickel framework. This study establishes bridge-centered steric engineering as an effective strategy for regulating chain growth and polyethylene microstructure in dinuclear late-transition-metal catalysts.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148858101","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":"Monodisperse Anisotropic Nanoparticles: PISA-Driven Synthesis and Light-Triggered Reassembly into Heterostructured Nanowires","authors":"Shuo Zhou,Lulu Sun,Xiaowei Wang,Xi Chen,An Chao Feng,Jinying Yuan","doi":"10.1039/d6py00431h","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6py00431h","url":null,"abstract":"Liquid crystalline polymers capable of heterogeneous integration are highly attractive for building multifunctional nanomaterials, yet their large-scale fabrication remains challenging owing to strict lattice-matching requirements and low solid contents in conventional solution assembly. Herein, we demonstrate a strategy that first employs RAFT-mediated polymerization induced self-assembly (PISA) to directly produce monodisperse anisotropic nanoparticles at solid contents up to 15 wt %. Using these nanoparticles as seeds, a third liquid crystalline monomer is introduced to drive crystallizationdriven self-assembly (CDSA), resulting in well-defined axial heterostructured nanowires. The lengths of the nanowires can be precisely controlled by tuning the aspect ratio of the nanoparticle seeds and the feed ratio of the third block. Moreover, the heterostructures can be reversibly disassembled and reassembled through alternating ultraviolet and visible light irradiation, demonstrating fully light-triggered disassembly/reassembly cycles. This strategy provides a new and practical route for the scalable preparation of anisotropic nanoparticles and their application as building blocks for responsive heterostructured nanomaterials.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148858074","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":"Helical poly(biphenylylacetylene)s with static memory of macromolecular helicity: synthesis, structures, and applications","authors":"Tomoyuki Ikai,Eiji Yashima","doi":"10.1039/d6py00593d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6py00593d","url":null,"abstract":"This review mainly summarizes recent advances in poly(biphenylylacetylene)s (PBPAs) bearing 2,2′-disubstituted biphenyl pendants with dynamic axial chirality that exhibit a unique static memory of helicity. Through noncovalent interactions with chiral guests, PBPAs undergo reversible and simultaneous induction of the macromolecular helicity and pendant axial chirality, followed by switchable dual static memory after complete removal of the chiral inducers. A defining characteristic of these systems is the remarkable amplification of the macromolecular helicity, whereby minute chiral biases transform optically-inactive polymers composed of achiral or even racemic monomer units into fully one-handed helices. Recent developments, including ultrafast helicity induction, helix-sense-selective memory polymerization, aqueous helicity control, and deracemization-mediated dual memory, have substantially expanded the functional scope of helicity-memorized PBPAs. These advances enable the rational design of next-generation switchable chiral materials with a reversible enantioselectivity in chiral recognition and asymmetric catalysis, self-learning enantioseparation, and tunable circularly polarized luminescence.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148858103","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}
Yuanzhen Xu,Yuanyuan Pang,Linping Wang,Mengru Zhang,You Wen,Jingling Yan,Zhen Wang
{"title":"Structure–property relationship of polyimides derived from diamines with norbornyl bis-benzocyclobutene moieties","authors":"Yuanzhen Xu,Yuanyuan Pang,Linping Wang,Mengru Zhang,You Wen,Jingling Yan,Zhen Wang","doi":"10.1039/d6py00599c","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6py00599c","url":null,"abstract":"A series of colorless polyimides (CPIs) were prepared from four norbornyl bis-benzocyclobutene (N2BC) containing diamines with methyl or fluorine substituents, and the influences of the substituents on the properties of the resultant CPIs were systematically investigated. The results indicate that the efficient chain packing of these polymers is suppressed by the bulky and contorted N2BC segments, with their interchain distances and fractional free volume being 5.3–6.3 Å and 0.159–0.245, respectively. Consequently, these polymers have a transmittance of up to 88.9% at 450 nm and a yellow index as low as 1.76. Furthermore, these CPIs exhibit moderate dielectric constants (2.92–3.82) but extremely low dielectric loss (below 0.0037) and can maintain their dielectric properties at elevated temperatures (up to 300 °C). In addition, these CPIs have high glass transition temperatures of 474–488 °C, modest coefficients of thermal expansion ranging from 22 to 46 ppm K−1, and favorable tensile strength (117–138 MPa) and modulus (2.47–2.85 GPa). The polymers from diamines with fluorine substituents exhibit inferior optical properties and higher dielectric constants but better mechanical robustness as compared to their counterparts from methyl-containing diamines, owing to the C–F⋯π interactions.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148858102","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":"Achieving exceptional high-temperature energy storage performance in poly(4-methyl-1-pentenyl) dielectric films physical entanglement networks","authors":"Tianyuan Yin,Hai Sun,Yue Zhang,Chao Yin,Tiandong Zhang","doi":"10.1039/d6py00600k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6py00600k","url":null,"abstract":"Poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) (PMP), as a typical polyolefin dielectric, combines a high melting point, low dielectric loss and excellent self-healing properties, demonstrating significant potential for application in the field of high-temperature energy storage. However, whilst its large side chains confer excellent thermal stability, they simultaneously impair the compact packing of the chains and reduce crystalline order. Under extreme conditions, the thermal excitation and migration of charge carriers are significantly enhanced, presenting a key challenge in the development of dielectric materials with high energy storage performance. This work breaks away from traditional strategies for grafting polar groups. By introducing long-chain bisphenol-A diallyl ether (BBE) units into the PMP molecular chains, a physical entanglement network is constructed, thereby enhancing the entanglement constraints between molecular chains in the amorphous regions and achieving synergistic suppression of segmental slippage and charge migration. Additionally, the π-electron delocalization structure of the non-coplanar aromatic rings in BBE, together with the electronic effects of the ether bonds, helps to establish a multi-level trap structure within the system, further inhibiting the bulk migration of charge carriers. Compared with traditional covalently cross-linked networks, the physical entanglement formed by the long-chain structure suppresses relaxation whilst maintaining the polarization response capability of the chain segments, thereby achieving synergistic optimization of structural stability and polarization response. In summary, PMP-g-BBE achieves a discharge energy density of 3.66 J cm−3 (@150 °C, η > 90%), representing an increase of approximately 91% compared to unmodified PMP. This study shows that physical entanglement is an effective way of overcoming the trade-off between polarization and insulation in polymer dielectrics.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"385 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148858100","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}
David Helle,Corinna Horky,Yvonne Hannappel,Klaus Langer,Dirk Kuckling
{"title":"Controlled synthesis of poly(α-lipoic acid derivatives) for use in glutathione responsive drug delivery systems","authors":"David Helle,Corinna Horky,Yvonne Hannappel,Klaus Langer,Dirk Kuckling","doi":"10.1039/d6py00432f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6py00432f","url":null,"abstract":"A current problem in pharmaceutics is that most medicinal substances used in cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy agents, lack the ability to be delivered selectively to tumor cells, thereby causing side effects. This problem can be addressed using nanoparticles made from α-lipoic acid derivatives, which depolymerize in response to high concentrations of glutathione, as found in breast cancer cells. α-lipoic acid is a promising molecule for medicinal purposes, since it is non-toxic and endogenous. It can be polymerized in various ways and modified to exhibit a range of different properties. Consequently, poly(α-lipoic acid derivatives) can be used for smart drug delivery, especially due to the degradation of disulfide bonds cleaved by glutathione. In this study, several α-lipoic acid derivatives, specifically amides and esters, were synthesized as monomers. These were polymerized into poly(α-lipoic acid derivatives) to evaluate their properties for use in smart drug delivery. Therefore, the polymerization kinetics, the structure of the polymer, the stability and the depolymerization induced by glutathione were investigated. To investigate their suitability for smart drug delivery systems, nanoparticles were prepared by nanoprecipitation and their degradability in the presence of glutathione was assessed. Additionally, toxicity tests were carried out to evaluate their potential for clinical application in the human body.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"184 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148858212","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}
Hong-Gyu Seong,Mizhi Xu,Haley K. Beech,Youngbum Lee,Kazuhisa Iwaso,Craig J. Hawker
{"title":"Embedding diazirine-based carbene precursors into polyolefins catalyst-tuned olefin metathesis","authors":"Hong-Gyu Seong,Mizhi Xu,Haley K. Beech,Youngbum Lee,Kazuhisa Iwaso,Craig J. Hawker","doi":"10.1039/d6py00673f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6py00673f","url":null,"abstract":"Polyolefins are among the most widely produced polymeric materials, yet their chemically inert hydrocarbon backbones limit opportunities for direct functionalization and crosslinking. Diazirines are powerful carbene precursors for C–H insertion, but their compatibility with olefin metathesis catalysts remains unclear due to potential interactions with reactive metal–carbene intermediates. Here, we demonstrate that diazirine compatibility in the metathesis polymerization of cis-cyclooctene derivatives can be controlled through catalyst selection. Using this approach, a diazirine-functionalized cis-cyclooctene monomer (COE-Dz) was synthesized and incorporated into polyolefin backbones via ring-opening metathesis copolymerization. Screening of ruthenium benzylidene catalysts reveals pronounced differences in diazirine stability, identifying conditions under which the reactive diazirine unit is preserved with minimal detectable loss during polymerization. Under these conditions, copolymerization with cis-cyclooctene affords polyolefins with tunable molecular weights and diazirine content. These linear polyolefin-based materials act as macromolecular carbene precursors, enabling efficient thermal C–H insertion and crosslinking of polybutadiene to form elastomeric networks at low diazirine loadings. A key consequence of this work is the establishment of a general strategy for integrating latent carbene functionality into metathesis-derived polyolefins, expanding the scope of functional materials accessible through olefin metathesis.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"349 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148858097","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}
Sophie Kürbisch,Zizheng Zhang,Jonas Lins,Torsten Gutmann,Georg Gescheidt,Christine Bandl,Max Schmallegger
{"title":"Bis(acyl)phosphine oxides for orthogonal, wavelength-dependent cationic and radical polymerization","authors":"Sophie Kürbisch,Zizheng Zhang,Jonas Lins,Torsten Gutmann,Georg Gescheidt,Christine Bandl,Max Schmallegger","doi":"10.1039/d6py00625f","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d6py00625f","url":null,"abstract":"We present the synthesis of block copolymers comprising segments formed via both free-radical and cationic photopolymerization, enabled by orthogonal, wavelength-selective irradiation. A bis(acyl)phosphane oxide (BAPO) photoinitiator was irradiated at 478 nm in the presence of diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate to initiate cationic polymerization of cyclohexene oxide (CHO). In a second step, irradiation at 405 nm triggers radical polymerization of benzyl methacrylate (BzMA), enabling the formation of AB-type block copolymers. The reaction mechanism and feasibility of this approach are examined using UV-Vis spectroscopy, NMR, chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP), FTIR spectroscopy, and photo-DSC measurements. This approach offers a versatile platform for the precise synthesis of complex macromolecular architectures under mild, visible-light conditions.","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148858098","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}