RSC Applied Polymers最新文献

{"title":"Photocurable epoxy-based composite for rapid orthopedic soft casting†","authors":"Beatrice Tosetto, Roberto Mo, Candido Fabrizio Pirri and Ignazio Roppolo","doi":"10.1039/D4LP00248B","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LP00248B","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Since the last century, plaster of Paris bandages have been the gold standard for orthopedic casting. Despite their extensive use, they have several drawbacks in day-to-day life, such as high weight and sensitivity to water. Moreover, they can cause skin burns, pressure sores, and other complications. Consequently, the urgency to propose alternative materials to solve these problems has emerged in the last decades, leading to the so-called soft casts, especially in pediatric orthopedics. In this context, a photocurable composite, based on the impregnation of a medical net with epoxy resins, is presented here. The impregnated medical net was rapidly transformed into a rigid device by means of visible light irradiation with an ad-hoc designed LED lamp (410–420 nm). Reaction activation was shifted to the visible range by exploiting isopropyl-9<em>H</em>-thioxanthen-9-one (ITX) as the photosensitizer, and the composites’ polymerization was evaluated <em>via</em> FT-IR analyses and thermal camera monitoring. The composites were also tested through tensile and three-point bending tests, revealing a stiffness comparable to that of soft casts already on the market. Compared to commercially available photocurable casts, this work introduces two key innovations: first, the employment of commercially available epoxy resins (monomer: 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl 3,4-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate), which enables avoiding the problems of oxygen inhibition; second, the use of a tubular medical net that is stretchable along the transversal direction, which is already used in the medical field for medication positioning. This latter advancement simplifies the application process compared to conventional techniques, making the obtained casts easy and fast to apply, light and breathable, thus maintaining promising properties for orthopedic rapid soft casts.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 1","pages":" 268-277"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d4lp00248b?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143107732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dual acid/glutathione-responsive core-degradable/shell-sheddable block copolymer nanoassemblies bearing benzoic imines for enhanced drug release†","authors":"Xiaolei Hu, Kevin Larocque, Alisa Piekny and Jung Kwon Oh","doi":"10.1039/D4LP00299G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LP00299G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The development of amphiphilic block copolymer (ABP)-based nanoassemblies that degrade in response to dual stimuli at dual locations (<em>e.g.</em> hydrophobic cores and core/corona interfaces) offers a promising platform for controlled drug delivery. This work harnesses the features of an acid-labile benzoic imine (BzIm) bond and a glutathione (GSH)-cleavable disulfide linkage. We synthesized a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based dual location dual acid/GSH-degradable ABP with BzIm pendants in a hydrophobic polymethacrylate block and a disulfide at the block junction. The acid-catalyzed hydrolysis rate of BzIm depends on substituents attached to its <em>para</em>-position. Hydrolysis is faster with electron-donating substituents (methoxy), and slower with electron-withdrawing ones (bromo and nitro). Well-defined ABP synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of a methoxy-substituted BzIm methacrylate in the presence of a disulfide-labeled PEG-based chain transfer agent, enables self-assembly to form colloidally-stable, monomodal, and spherical nanoassemblies. These nanoassemblies are capable of encapsulating cancer drug doxorubicin (Dox) and exhibit enhanced release of Dox through core degradation upon the cleavage of BzIm bonds in acidic pH and shell detachment upon the cleavage of disulfide bonds in the presence of GSH. Moreover, Dox-loaded nanoassemblies show excellent uptake by HeLa cell multi-tumor spheroids, demonstrating their potential as drug delivery nanocarriers. This study highlights the importance of substituent effects on the hydrolysis of BzIm and the dual acid/GSH-responsive strategy for developing a promising drug delivery system with precise control over drug release.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 1","pages":" 196-208"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d4lp00299g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143107664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quaternary ammonium-functionalized polysilsesquioxanes for antifogging coating†","authors":"Takashi Hamada, Tetsuya Sugimoto, Arata Tanaka, Tetsuya Maeda, Daiji Katsura, Hiroyuki Koga and Joji Ohshita","doi":"10.1039/D4LP00322E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LP00322E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Aiming to develop antifogging materials with enhanced antifogging properties and scratch resistance, polysilsesquioxane films containing quaternary ammonium groups were prepared <em>via</em> a sol–gel reaction and quaternization. Owing to their high water uptake, scratch hardness, and transparency, the prepared quaternary ammonium-functionalized polysilsesquioxane films are promising for application in antifogging coatings.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 1","pages":" 92-96"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d4lp00322e?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143107745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Terpenes, natural dyes and photochemistry: toward the synthesis of photoactive bio-based materials with biocide properties†","authors":"Louise Breloy, Christine Elian, Vanessa Alphonse, Sonia Lajnef, Fabienne Peyrot, Denis Jacquemin, Simon Pascal, Enguerran Devernois, Thibaud Coradin, Samir Abbad Andaloussi and Davy-Louis Versace","doi":"10.1039/D4LP00271G","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LP00271G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Combining bioresources and photo-induced polymerization is a promising way to design sustainable and high-performing antibacterial materials. In this study, we propose a green synthesis of bio-based materials with dual antibacterial properties by photopolymerization. Two new methacrylate-based hydroxyanthraquinones derived from purpurin and alizarin (P-3Ac and Al-2Ac) have been designed to promote the polymerization of bio-based vegetable oil and terpene blend mixtures under visible-light irradiation up to 470 nm. All the photochemical mechanisms involved in the photopolymerization processes have been described by steady state photolysis, electron spin resonance spin-trapping (ESR ST) and real-time Fourier transform infrared (RT-FTIR) spectroscopy. Interestingly, the photo-initiating properties of P-3Ac and Al-2Ac are greatly enhanced in comparison with the native unmodified purpurin and alizarin. Polymerization of soybean oil acrylate and linalool through a thiol–ene process has led to the formation of photoactive bio-based materials able to generate biocide reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon light exposure which can also be used as contact-killing materials for tremendous inhibition of bacterial growth. The respective effects of each biocide agent (ROS and linalool) were compared and combined, highlighting stunning inhibition properties of the materials (higher than 99.99%) against both <em>E. coli</em> (Gram negative) and <em>S. aureus</em> (Gram positive), even after a second antibacterial recycling test. Prior to photo-printing experiments, rheological studies have been performed to design greener 3D-photoinduced materials. According to the high bio-renewable carbon contents of the photosensitive P-3Ac-based formulation and its great processability, 3D objects have been designed using Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology upon 405 nm light emitting diode exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 1","pages":" 222-237"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d4lp00271g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143107666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nafion membranes for power generation from physiologic ion gradients†","authors":"Carolina Pierucci, Lorenzo Paleari, James Baker, Christian C. M. Sproncken, Matilde Folkesson, Justus Paul Wesseler, Andela Vracar, Andrea Dodero, Francesca Nanni, José Augusto Berrocal, Michael Mayer and Alessandro Ianiro","doi":"10.1039/D4LP00294F","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LP00294F","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Creatures such as torpedo rays and electric eels showcase the exceptional ability to convert ionic gradients inside their bodies into powerful electrical discharges. In the future, artificial power units capable of reproducing this intriguing biological phenomenon may be able to power active devices, such as pacemakers and prosthetics, directly from ion gradients present in the human body. The present work evaluates the use of proton-selective Nafion membranes to generate electric power from the pH gradient present in the human stomach. First, we characterize two different commercial Nafion membranes by focusing on their ion exchange performance. In particular, we quantify the perm-selectivity of these membranes for various hydrated ions relative to that of the hydronium ion. Our results indicate that the transport of ions in wet Nafion proceeds through water-filled nanochannels, and that proton selectivity can be explained simply by the much larger mobility of protons in water with respect to other ions. Subsequently, we demonstrate a Nafion-based artificial electric organ capable of generating electric power from gastric juices. This power unit is built according to the reverse electrodialysis (RED) scheme, with each cell stack in series capable of generating 134 mV of potential difference and 188 mW m<small>⁻²</small> of power density.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 1","pages":" 209-221"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d4lp00294f?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143107665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Amorphous conjugated polymer networks as an emerging class of polymer nanostructures","authors":"Yuya Oaki and Kosuke Sato","doi":"10.1039/D4LP00276H","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LP00276H","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The organizational states of functional monomer molecules have a significant impact on the properties of polymer materials. This Perspective summarizes amorphous conjugated polymer networks (CPNs) as a new family of polymerized structures. CPNs have been studied since the 1990s. The number of papers about CPNs increased in the 2010s after the earlier work was summarized in a review in 2005. However, the amorphous types had not attracted much attention in previous articles. Amorphous CPNs have potential structural advantages compared with conventional crystalline polymers and framework materials. Diverse combinations of monomers and linkers are used to synthesize amorphous CPNs. Conjugated monomers as functional units are not densely aggregated but are homogeneously dispersed in the network. The amorphous network contributes to structural flexibility for molecular motion related to dynamic properties. The low-crystalline nature affords control over the nanoscale morphology. This Perspective starts with a brief summary of polymerized structures. Our recent work is introduced to show the structures and properties of amorphous CPNs. Simultaneous and random copolymerization of multiple conjugated monomers provides amorphous CPNs. Enhanced electrochemical performance in energy-related applications was extracted from the resultant amorphous CPNs containing redox-active moieties, thanks to their structural characteristics. These results imply that a variety of advanced functional materials can be developed based on the concept of amorphous CPNs.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 1","pages":" 78-91"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d4lp00276h?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143107744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inverse vulcanisation: a new Starter's guide to an emerging field","authors":"Liam James Dodd","doi":"10.1039/D4LP00255E","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LP00255E","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Inverse vulcanisation is a rapidly developing field of chemistry and materials science with the potential to afford low cost, green chemistry adherent, next generation polymeric materials from the industrial waste product: elemental sulfur. With tuneable properties, recyclability, as well as convenient and adaptable syntheses and processing, inverse vulcanised polymers may be used in several desirable applications, such as batteries, water purification, and advanced optical components. In the ten years since the field's conception, inverse vulcanisation has garnered growing research interest and popularity, and has even seen some recent commercial uptake. This review article is focused on supporting the growth of the inverse vulcanisation field by providing a resource for new researchers to have the most efficient possible start in the field. In that regard, this review article is designed to act as an ideal starting point for researchers looking to become invested in the field. This review first outlines the origin of inverse vulcanisation, before giving a small account of the applications of inverse vulcanisation and pointing to other useful reviews on these applications, thus making a case for research interest and providing sources of potential inspiration for new ideas. Most importantly, this review goes on to provide an effective resource for lab based researchers to establish themselves with foundational knowledge of the field, while offering a guide to practical skills in performing inverse vulcanisation. In doing so, this review offers a guide to standardising methods in inverse vulcanisation whilst also allowing new lab workers to avoid some of the pitfalls that are not obvious, and not common to other fields of chemistry. Then, this review examines methods of analysing inverse vulcanised polymers, which can be challenging, and sometimes needs careful consideration. Finally, this review looks at some mechanistic considerations of inverse vulcanisation before proposing directions for future research in the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 1","pages":" 10-42"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d4lp00255e?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143107710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tailored cerium phosphate/silica hybrid epoxy for enhanced corrosion protective coating†","authors":"Nithyaa Jayakumar and Nishanth Karimbintherikkal Gopalan","doi":"10.1039/D4LP00239C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LP00239C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The current study focuses on finding a viable and sustainable alternative to hazardous chrome-based pigments commonly used in organic anticorrosive coatings. We investigated the effectiveness of cerium and phosphate precursor modified conventional silica through a simple synthetic route. The synthesised pigment was further surface-modified with aminopropyl trimethoxy silane to improve its interaction with the epoxy binder. The resulting silane functionalised hybrid pigment-reinforced epoxy coating has a resistance of 9.91 × 10<small>⁹</small> Ω cm<small>²</small>, two and five orders of magnitude higher than those of silica–epoxy and bare epoxy coatings, respectively. Also, it shows a hydrophobic contact angle of 100°, which further enhances the barrier properties. Continuous electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to examine coating performance with and without artificial defects. The results showed improved performance compared to commercial chrome-based pigments and an active protection mechanism. Our study presents a reliable, inexpensive, and healable approach using conventional silica particles to prevent steel corrosion in saline media.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 1","pages":" 181-195"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d4lp00239c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143107663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-strength 3D printed poly(lactic acid) composites reinforced by shear-aligned polymer-grafted cellulose nanofibrils†","authors":"Peter V. Kelly, S. Shams Es-haghi, Ahmad A. L. Ahmad, Meghan E. Lamm, Katie Copenhaver, Elif Alyamac-Seydibeyoglu, Soydan Ozcan, Douglas J. Gardner and William M. Gramlich","doi":"10.1039/D4LP00283K","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LP00283K","url":null,"abstract":"<p >This work demonstrates the application of pilot-scale surface functionalization of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) by aqueous grafting-through polymerization and subsequent spray drying in 3D printed poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites. Grafted-CNF composites attain an ultimate tensile strength of 88 ± 3 MPa and a tensile modulus of elasticity of 7.8 ± 1.3 GPa in the printing direction at 20 wt% reinforcement loading. These increases, 42% and 139% over neat PLA, respectively, represent the strongest reported 3D printed CNF/PLA composite to date in the literature. The mechanisms behind these improvements are investigated by comparisons to neat PLA and unmodified spray-dried CNF/PLA controls using melt rheology, dynamic mechanical analysis, and assessment of the reinforcement dispersion. These experiments reveal that improved network formation and shear-induced alignment of the grafted CNFs facilitate the remarkable tensile properties of the printed composites.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 1","pages":" 111-124"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d4lp00283k?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143107711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent progress in the development of porous polymeric materials for oil ad/absorption application","authors":"Hyejin Lee, Guowei Chen, Boon Peng Chang and Tizazu H. Mekonnen","doi":"10.1039/D4LP00211C","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/D4LP00211C","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Porous polymer materials, including polymer foams and melt-blown fibers, have nano or micro-size pores and a large specific surface area that endows them with great potential as engineered oil ad/absorption materials. This review provides an overview of the recent developments in the processing of polymer foams and melt-blown fiber-based porous polymeric materials for oil absorption properties. Detailed processing and preparation methods of polymer foams utilized in oil absorption are scrutinized, along with the recent peer-reviewed published research on the development of new polymer foams, such as nanocomposite foams and biodegradable foams. Critical reviews are also conducted on the modification methods, such as employment of surfactants, coating, plasma treatment, and chemical grafting. In addition, the recent progress in the processing of melt-blown fibers and the potential applications for oil absorption are discussed. A comparative analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of porous polymer materials between polymer foams and melt-blown fibers is presented. Lastly, the potential for developing melt-blown non-woven fibers as a viable alternative for oil absorption materials is explored.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 1","pages":" 43-77"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d4lp00211c?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143107743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}