{"title":"Parametric Optimization of 3D Printed Reentrant Metamaterials for Energy Absorption in Load-Bearing Automotive Applications","authors":"Wei Guo, Menghao Zhou","doi":"10.1002/pola.70151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.70151","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Metamaterials are engineered materials with tailored structures that exhibit extraordinary mechanical properties not found in conventional materials. These structures have emerged as transformative solutions in many devices due to their lightweight nature, enhanced energy absorption, and tunable mechanical response. In particular, auxetic metamaterials with negative Poisson's ratios, such as reentrant honeycombs, have shown great promise in automotive applications. Lightweight load-bearing components are essential in automotive applications to enhance performance, reduce weight, and improve durability. This study presents a parametric cylindrical metamaterial structure designed for lightweight load-bearing components by redesigning 2D reentrant cells into cylindrical geometries and utilizing 3D-printing technology. It became possible to fabricate complex lattices with tunable cell parameters that significantly influence mechanical properties such as equivalent stiffness, strain distribution, and energy absorption capacity. Experimental validation through force-displacement testing of 3D-printed samples confirmed the accuracy of numerical models. Subsequently, the validated model was used to optimize cell parameters for increased energy absorption. The results demonstrated that the new cylindrical metamaterial can be optimized via its cell parameters to meet specific requirements. Ultimately, cylindrical reentrant metamaterials are placed as steering column tubes to tailor quasi-static crush stiffness and energy absorption, maintaining low weight and geometric compatibility with existing steering systems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16888,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"64 12","pages":"2518-2529"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ying Su, Hanyu Zhou, Hao Dong, Xinyu Zhang, Xuan Zhang, Qing Su, Wei Zeng
{"title":"A Strategy for Synergistically Plasticizing the Melt Processing of Polyvinyl Alcohol Using a Green Molecule: Reconstructing Hydrogen Bond Networks With Renewable Trehalose","authors":"Ying Su, Hanyu Zhou, Hao Dong, Xinyu Zhang, Xuan Zhang, Qing Su, Wei Zeng","doi":"10.1002/pola.70147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.70147","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a biodegradable polymer with poor melt processability. This intrinsic property necessitates energy-intensive, solvent-dependent processing methods. This study introduces a green strategy using trehalose, a non-toxic disaccharide, as a “molecular director” to reconfigure PVA's hydrogen-bond network. Combined with glycerol and PEG400, trehalose acts as a rigid “hydrogen-bond reconfiguration center.” It competitively replaces PVA–PVA hydrogen bonds with stronger PVA–trehalose interactions. The interaction energy ranges from 29 to 31 kJ/mol. This synergistic mechanism increases free volume by 36.69%. Consequently, melt viscosity at 230°C is reduced to 1/15 of that of pristine PVA. A quantitative power-law model (<i>R</i>\u0000 <sup>2</sup> = 0.996) links free volume to viscosity, enabling predictive processing design. This work identifies a molecular mechanism by which a carbohydrate motif regulates hydrogen-bonded polymer networks and provides an applicable approach for tuning the dynamics and melt behavior of strongly associated polymers.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16888,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"64 12","pages":"2437-2453"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria Luísa Garbelini, Pierre-Yves Le Gac, Maelenn Le Gall, Guillaume Le Dain, Servane Haller, Paul Sotta, Bruno Fayolle
{"title":"Oxidative degradation of crosslinked EPDM elastomers: Impact on the entanglement network","authors":"Maria Luísa Garbelini, Pierre-Yves Le Gac, Maelenn Le Gall, Guillaume Le Dain, Servane Haller, Paul Sotta, Bruno Fayolle","doi":"10.1002/pola.70144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.70144","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The mechanical behavior of elastomers is mainly governed by the architecture of their macromolecular network. The increase in modulus observed during the oxidation of elastomers that predominantly undergo cross-linking rather than chain scission can be described using the classical rubber elasticity theory. However, when chain scission becomes the main degradation process, the applicability of this theory may be questioned. This study investigates the relationship between the macromolecular network and the mechanical behavior of unfilled amorphous peroxide-cured EPDMs by considering both the chemical cross-link network and the physical entanglement network. The elastomers were characterized by equilibrium swelling and uniaxial tensile tests performed on unaged samples with different cross-linker contents, as well as on oxidized samples exposed at 75°C, 90°C, and 100°C. Results clearly show that varying the cross-linker content affects only the chemical cross-link network without altering the entanglement density, whereas oxidation modifies both the chemical and entanglement networks. These findings provide new insights into the interplay between chemical cross-links and physical entanglements during oxidation and highlight the limitation in using rubber elasticity theory when chain scission dominates the degradation process. They also emphasize the critical role of entanglements in the tensile behavior of unfilled elastomers.</p>","PeriodicalId":16888,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"64 12","pages":"2540-2551"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/pola.70144","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chenglong Li, Hengheng Zhao, Weifeng Zhang, Jun Liu
{"title":"Correlation-Driven Feature Selection of RDKit Descriptors and Molecular Fingerprints for Predicting Polyurethane Glass Transition Temperature","authors":"Chenglong Li, Hengheng Zhao, Weifeng Zhang, Jun Liu","doi":"10.1002/pola.70163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.70163","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This work presents a data-driven framework for predicting the glass transition temperature (<i>T</i>\u0000 <sub>g</sub>) of polyurethane using machine learning. A curated literature-based database was constructed, and molecular structures were encoded with SMILES descriptors. After preprocessing, four regression models—SVR, Decision Tree, Random Forest, and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost)—were trained, with XGBoost delivering the best performance (<i>R</i>\u0000 <sup>2</sup>≈0.903) and strong generalization. Feature selection was refined through Pearson's correlation analysis. Comparisons with Morgan fingerprints show that SMILES descriptors provide superior predictive accuracy and clearer structure–property insights. SHAP and ALE interpretability tools further reveal how specific chemical features influence <i>T</i>\u0000 <sub>g</sub>, supporting the physical reliability of the model. Overall, this study offers an accurate and interpretable approach for polymer property prediction and provides practical guidance for the design of next-generation polyurethane materials.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16888,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"64 12","pages":"2597-2609"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148269221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexandra S. Tyurikova, Gayane A. Zargaragoyan, Sergey N. Filatov, Mikhail A. Soldatov
{"title":"Synthesis and Study of Branched Polyurethane Associative Thickeners for Water-Borne Coating Materials","authors":"Alexandra S. Tyurikova, Gayane A. Zargaragoyan, Sergey N. Filatov, Mikhail A. Soldatov","doi":"10.1002/pola.70142","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.70142","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A series of branched polyurethane thickeners was synthesized using isophorone diisocyanate, polyethylene glycol 4000, and cetyl alcohol, with dibutyltin dilaurate as catalyst and glycerol as branching agent. Polymers with different molar ratios of the components were prepared using both direct and inverse synthetic approaches. The synthesized structures were characterized by FTIR, <sup>1</sup>H NMR and <sup>13</sup>C NMR spectroscopy. Optimal hydrophobic/hydrophilic group ratios for maximum thickening effect were determined. Rheological properties of 15% aqueous thickener solutions were studied with the use of commercial acrylic dispersion. The study further examined how the synthesized thickeners affect such key technological parameters of water-based acrylic dispersions as freeze–thaw resistance and dispersion stability.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16888,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"64 11","pages":"2377-2384"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148105937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Photometric Detection of NPK Nutrient Transport in Polyacrylamide Hydrogel: A Model Medium for Soil-Less Agriculture","authors":"Gobinda Chhetry, Partho Sarathi Gooh Pattader","doi":"10.1002/pola.70141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.70141","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aims to develop a cost-effective, digital, and portable device to measure the diffusivity of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) nutrients within a polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogel platform for soil-less cultivation. Nutrient concentration is determined via spectroscopic absorption principles to correlate optical absorbance with concentration within the polymeric network. The device employs a multi-wavelength system consisting of three light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a Light-Dependent Resistor (LDR) detector. Spatio-temporal concentration profiles are used to estimate diffusivity accurately. The portable photometer enables the measurement of N, P, and K nutrient concentrations without any significant interference over the wide range of concentrations (0.25 to 10 mM). XPS and EDXS analyses confirm the hydrogel's integrity and nutrient distribution. It is demonstrated that N, P, and K nutrients spread over a circular area with a diameter of ~4 mm within the PAAm hydrogel in ~20 min at ambient conditions. The estimated diffusivity for a model nutrient, KCl (10 mM), aligns with a model combining free volume and obstruction theories. This portable system offers a method for optimizing fertilizer application, potentially enhancing crop quality and reducing environmental impact.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16888,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"64 11","pages":"2337-2350"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148105940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dinesh kumar G, Angales S, Abinash Kumararaj, Kannan S
{"title":"Enhanced Ionic Conductivity of PVDF/PEO/LiNO3 Blend With Natural Gum Rosin as a Polymer Electrolyte for Li-Ion Battery","authors":"Dinesh kumar G, Angales S, Abinash Kumararaj, Kannan S","doi":"10.1002/pola.70132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.70132","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The polymer electrolyte PVDF–PEO–LiNO<sub>3</sub> with the incorporation of gum rosin is synthesized through the solution casting technique. The optimized composition containing 5% gum rosin addition in the polymer matrix reaches the maximum ionic conductivity of 5.59 × 10<sup>−4</sup> S cm<sup>−1</sup>, as evidenced by EIS. Also, the relaxation time (1.29 × 10<sup>−6</sup> s) is recorded by dielectric analysis. The presence of gum rosin in the polymer system is confirmed through the peak that appeared in XRD. The specific functional groups present in the system were identified through FTIR spectroscopy. LSV demonstrated the potential decomposition range of 3 V at a scan rate of 10 mV/s. HRSEM micrographs revealed the porous structural morphology of the prepared electrolyte with distinct element composition. CV scans give detailed information about the electrolyte, which has quasi-rectangular and symmetric curves with a <i>b</i>-value of 0.54 and a diffusive current contribution. The thermal stability and decomposition of the synthesized polymer electrolyte are analyzed via TGA/DTG.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16888,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"64 11","pages":"2409-2419"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148108345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Adsorption Performance and Mechanism on the Removal of Multiple Heavy Metals by a Hydrochar-Incorporated Composite Hydrogel","authors":"Fang Zhou, Qichao Ruan, Xuan Luo, Zhixian Li, Jianlin Zhou, Guoliang Chen, Zhang Chen","doi":"10.1002/pola.70134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.70134","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Heavy metal pollution in water bodies is one of the major issues that affect human health and sustainable development. In this study, a silk fibroin/polyethyleneimine composite hydrogel incorporated with hydrochar is synthesized for the removal of Cr(VI), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Mn(II) from wastewater. The hydrogel composite exhibits a porous structure, enhanced thermal stability, and richer functional groups according to SEM, TGA, and FTIR characterization. Adsorption behavior follows the pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir model, with the maximum adsorption capacities of 176.65, 108.17, 131.61, and 52.06 mg/g for Cr(VI), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Mn(II), respectively. The adsorption of heavy metal ions involves electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, and complexation, with an additional reduction mechanism involved in Cr(VI) removal. Cr(VI) adsorption exhibits minimal interference from coexisting ions and maintains good adsorption performance in simulated wastewater. The hydrogel composite retains over 50% Cr(VI) removal efficiency after five cycles, demonstrating excellent reusability. These results indicate that the hydrogel composite is a promising adsorbent for removing heavy metals from wastewater.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16888,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"64 11","pages":"2280-2297"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148133012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Conjugated Polymers Based on Moderately Electron-Deficient Biphenyl Imide for Tunable Charge Transport","authors":"Weiyi Zhou, Dunyu Chai, Xianqi Shen, Wenshuai Wang, Shaoxiong Liu, Junming Wang, Xipo Zhao, Cenqi Yan, Pei Cheng, Shiming Zhang","doi":"10.1002/pola.70136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.70136","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A series of novel conjugated polymers (<b>BPIT1</b>-<b>BPIT4</b>) based on a moderately electron-deficient biphenyl imide (BPI) unit are designed and synthesized to systematically investigate how molecular structure influences optical and charge transport properties. By varying the BPI linkage position (5,5′-vs. 4,4′-) and the number of thiophene units, the solubility, energy levels, and optical properties of the polymers are effectively tuned. UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry reveal tunable bandgaps and energy levels, confirming the mild electron-withdrawing nature of the BPI unit. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses show that <b>BPIT1</b> forms a smoother surface with more ordered molecular packing, corresponding to ambipolar transport behavior in field-effect transistors, with average electron and hole mobilities of 1.70 and 0.33 cm<sup>2</sup> V<sup>−1</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. In contrast, the bithiophene-containing polymer <b>BPIT2</b> exhibits only p-type transport, highlighting the critical influence of molecular structure on charge transport characteristics. This work demonstrates that high-performance ambipolar polymers can be achieved by precisely tuning the acceptor unit's electron-withdrawing strength, establishing BPI as a versatile building block for advanced flexible electronic materials.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16888,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"64 11","pages":"2271-2279"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148131754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Co-Inspired Design of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)/Green Functionalized Graphene Nanocomposite Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering","authors":"Pouya Rajaee, Yunkun Qu, Zhiyong Li, Cheng Yan","doi":"10.1002/pola.70135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.70135","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Effective tissue regeneration is often hindered by inadequate oxygen and nutrient diffusion within porous scaffolds, which restricts cell survival in the scaffold core. To address this critical challenge, this study introduces a novel hierarchical scaffold design inspired by the layered architecture of nacre and the channel structures found in vascularized structures in plants, like lotus root and bamboo. The scaffolds are fabricated using an innovative combination of freeze casting and molds manufactured by 3D printing, composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) reinforced with tannic acid-functionalized graphene. The nacre-like microscale architecture was achieved via unidirectional freeze casting, while the lotus root- and bamboo-inspired macrostructure was created using a 3D printed mold. The results showed that introducing bamboo- (single large channel) and lotus root-inspired (multiple small channels) channels did not significantly compromise compressive properties. In particular, the lotus root-inspired scaffold achieved a wicking velocity of 30.11 mm s<sup>-1</sup>, approximately threefold higher than the non-channeled and single-channel designs, enabling faster and more uniform fluid penetration.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16888,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"64 11","pages":"2252-2270"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148133102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}