{"title":"In Memory of Professor Yusuf Yagci","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/macp.202500087","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202500087","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18054,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics","volume":"226 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143770016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nanoarchitectonics of Polymers at Interfaces","authors":"Katsuhiko Ariga","doi":"10.1002/macp.202500048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202500048","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The field of materials science is of paramount importance in the solution to societal issues, including energy, environmental, and biomedical problems. Polymer chemistry is a leading material science that has produced a number of practical materials. The development of nanotechnology for the control of ultrasmall structures and interface technology for the organization of polymer components has both made significant contributions to this field. This review, entitled “Nanoarchitectonics of Polymers at Interfaces,” focuses on nanoarchitectonics and interface technologies to examine recent research trends on the design of functional polymeric materials. Three interface technologies are especially considered: i) the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique, which allows for the orientation and hybridization of polymers at interfaces; ii) layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly, which allows for the construction of rational layered structures from polymers and other materials; and iii) on-surface synthesis, which uses nanotechnology to perform nanoarchitectonics of polymers on surfaces. The final section of the review discusses the trends and necessary future directions in “Nanoarchitectonics of Polymers at Interfaces” based on these research examples.</p>","PeriodicalId":18054,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics","volume":"226 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/macp.202500048","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sophia B. Däbritz, Kira Neubauer, Christian Kropf, Seema Agarwal
{"title":"Evaluating Polymerization Methods and Deprotection Strategies for Making Water Soluble Poly(acrylic acid) with Hydrolyzable Breaking Points","authors":"Sophia B. Däbritz, Kira Neubauer, Christian Kropf, Seema Agarwal","doi":"10.1002/macp.202500080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202500080","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) is a hydrophilic polymer widely utilized in various everyday applications, but it may persist in the environment due to its stable carbon-carbon (C-C) backbone. This work presents a detailed comparative study of introducing hydrolyzable ester breaking points into the PAA backbone using different radical copolymerization methods (bulk versus solvent and batch versus semi-batch) with varied feed ratios of <i>tert</i>-butyl acrylate (tBA) and 2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (MDO) followed by the investigation of the removal of <i>t</i>-Bu group for getting free acid functionality in copolymers under different conditions. A detailed comparison of polymerization approaches (bulk versus solution, batch versus semi-batch) revealed that solution polymerization at 100 °C with <i>tert</i>-butyl peroxide provided high ring-opening efficiency (71%) and uniform molecular weight distribution. The study optimized deprotection processes for tBA to acrylic acid, achieving complete hydrolysis under mild conditions using 5 equivalents of trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane. The resultant polymers displayed pH and temperature dependent solubility and significant degradation under alkaline conditions, with the formation of oligomers (400–700 Da for 35% MDO content) suitable for microbial assimilation. These findings highlight a scalable pathway for creating environmentally degradable PAA alternatives with tailored properties for functional applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":18054,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics","volume":"226 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/macp.202500080","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ping Zhang, Xiaoxun Xu, Zilong Cao, Po Hu, Yebin Guan, Xie Wang, Junwei Wang, Shengjue Deng, Jiajun Fu
{"title":"Strong and Ultra-Tough Bio-Based Waterborne Polyurethane Networks with Repairability, Recyclability, and Tunable Multi-Shape Memory","authors":"Ping Zhang, Xiaoxun Xu, Zilong Cao, Po Hu, Yebin Guan, Xie Wang, Junwei Wang, Shengjue Deng, Jiajun Fu","doi":"10.1002/macp.202500016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202500016","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) attract significant attention for their versatility across various fields, yet optimizing both high strength and toughness remains a challenge. This study successfully develops an ultra-tough bio-based WPUs by regulating non-covalent interactions (hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions) and precise cross-linking. The WPUs are synthesized using 2,2-dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA), castor oil (CO), poly(tetramethylene ether glycol) (PTMG), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), and ethylenediamine (EDA) as raw materials, constructing a network structure rich in hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. The resulting material exhibits outstanding mechanical properties, including high tensile strength (15.91 MPa), Young's modulus (98.36 MPa), and toughness (107.65 MJ m<sup>−3</sup>), while also demonstrating good repairability, processability, and excellent shape memory capabilities. These well-designed non-covalent interactions provide an effective strategy for designing bio-based WPUs with superior comprehensive performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":18054,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics","volume":"226 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Guoqiang Ji, Huimin Duan, Xinlei Wu, Chengshuo Shen
{"title":"Enantioselective Induction of Helical Chirality in Coil-Structured Amino Acid-Based Polymers by Conjugated Molecules","authors":"Guoqiang Ji, Huimin Duan, Xinlei Wu, Chengshuo Shen","doi":"10.1002/macp.202500007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202500007","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Chirality induction in aprotic polar solvents is challenging due to disrupted intermolecular interactions and the high conformational flexibility of random-coil polymers. Herein, a scalable strategy using chiral BINOL as the sole chiral source to induce helical chirality in random-coil polymers is presented. Circular dichroism (CD), ultraviolet-visible (UV– vis), and resonance Raman spectroscopy confirm that chiral BINOL effectively induces <i>cis-transoidal</i> helical conformations through hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking interactions. CD and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) measurements reveal efficient chirality transfer and amplification, with mirror-image CPL signals observed at 390 nm. Resonance Raman spectra demonstrate enhanced structural order and reduced irregularities, evidenced by a blue shift and narrowed C═C Raman peak, while achiral BINOL exhibits minimal induction ability. This study highlights the mechanisms of chirality induction and CPL excitation in random-coil polymers in aprotic polar solvents, providing a versatile pathway for designing advanced materials with exceptional chiral optical and fluorescence properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":18054,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics","volume":"226 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuta Miyahara, Tao Takagagki, Masayasu Totani, Jun-ichi Kadokawa
{"title":"Glucan Phosphorylase-Catalyzed Enzymatic Synthesis of a New Unnatural Heteroaminopolysaccharide, Glucosamino-2-deoxyglucan, and Its N-Benzylation for pH Responsive Property","authors":"Yuta Miyahara, Tao Takagagki, Masayasu Totani, Jun-ichi Kadokawa","doi":"10.1002/macp.202500052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202500052","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Based on the fact that the enzymatic approach has been identified as a powerful tool to prepare polysaccharides with well-defined structure, this study investigates the enzymatic synthesis of a new unnatural heteroaminopolysaccharide, that is, <i>α</i>(<span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mn>1</mn>\u0000 <mo>→</mo>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation>$1{to} $4</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math>)-linked glucosamino-2-deoxyglucan. The desired heteroaminopolysaccharide is obtained by thermostable glucan phosphorylase (from <i>Aquifex aeolicus</i> VF5)-catalyzed enzymatic copolymerization of α-<span>d</span>-glucosamine 1-phosphate/<span>d</span>-glucal as comonomers from maltotriose as a primer in 0.10 <span>m</span> ammonia buffer containing MgCl<sub>2</sub> at 40 °C. The MALDI-TOF MS and <sup>1</sup>H NMR spectrum of the isolated product fully supported the heteroaminopolysaccharide structure. The effects of comonomer feed ratios and reaction times on unit ratios and degrees of polymerization (molecular weights), respectively, are precisely investigated. As a representative derivatization using reactive amino groups in the produced heteroaminopolysaccharide, its <i>N</i>-benzylation is attempted using benzyl bromide in DMSO. The <i>N</i>-benzylated derivative exhibited pH responsive property, where the polymeric molecules assembled by hydrophobic interaction among benzyl groups under the neutral aqueous condition, whereas the assemblies are dissociated by electrostatic repulsion via protonation on nitrogen atoms under the acidic condition. The result indicates the potential of the present heteroaminopolysaccharide as biomedical materials in the practical application field.</p>","PeriodicalId":18054,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics","volume":"226 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/macp.202500052","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Artificial Metal-Ion Doped Spider Silk Fibers with Excellent Mechanical Property and Humidity-Driven Actuator Property","authors":"Mengya Chang, Xiaohua Zhang, Zhaohui Yang","doi":"10.1002/macp.202400502","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202400502","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Natural spider silk has received significant attention owing to its exceptional mechanical properties. Nonetheless, achieving mass production of natural spider silk remains challenging due to its inherent biological constraints. In this study, a dry spinning technique is developed and successfully synthesized cadmium ions dopped regenerated spider silk fibers with high yields and simplicity. These artificial fibers exhibit superior mechanical strength with a Young's modulus of up to 15.39 GPa, surpassing most natural spider tow fibers, and are capable of supporting up to 12 500 times their own weight when they are woven into webs. The regenerated spider silk fibers have a shape memory effect in response to water, attributed to alterations in their secondary structures. High-performance regenerated spider silk fibers hold promising applications in diverse fields, including smart textiles, rotary brakes, and hygrometers.</p>","PeriodicalId":18054,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics","volume":"226 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144091957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Influence of Dissolution Temperature and Storage Time on Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Viscosity: Insights Into Molecular Structure Evolution","authors":"Jihao Lu, Jiaying Qu, Shiying Luo, Yue Li, Yu Cao","doi":"10.1002/macp.202400495","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202400495","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In this paper, the structures and molar substitutions (MS) of the two HECs are first determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) dissolution, and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) characterization. By analyzing two HEC variants with differing viscosities across various concentrations, temperatures, and storage durations, this study finds that viscosity is significantly affected by dissolution temperature and storage time, with these effects dependent on the MS degree of HEC. For low MS HEC, the viscosity remains stable at high dissolution temperatures (40–90 °C) in dilute solutions (0.1–1.5% w/v) but decreases in concentrated environments. In contrast, highly viscous HEC (0.1–1.0% w/v) shows minimal viscosity changes in dilute conditions, with reductions occurring in concentrated solutions. Increasing dissolution temperature causes a shift in molecular conformation from a loose random nematic structure to a more compact one, resulting in larger spacing between molecular chains, reduced interaction forces, and lower viscosity. Over time, low MS HEC transitions from a random coil to a compact structure, while high MS HEC maintains its disrupted form. This work enhances the understanding of HEC behavior under varying conditions and provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing its applications in diverse fields.</p>","PeriodicalId":18054,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics","volume":"226 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144091870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Haleh Hashemi Haeri, Andreas H. Kampe, Zhanna Evgrafova, Johnny A. Siegert, Wolfgang H. Binder, Dariush Hinderberger
{"title":"Chemical Structure-Dependence of the Thermal Transition in Thermoresponsive Ethylene-Glycol-Containing Polymers as Characterized by EPR Spectroscopy","authors":"Haleh Hashemi Haeri, Andreas H. Kampe, Zhanna Evgrafova, Johnny A. Siegert, Wolfgang H. Binder, Dariush Hinderberger","doi":"10.1002/macp.202500050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202500050","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Variations in main and side chain lengths, along with the use of end groups of differing natures, are often identified as key parameters influencing phase transition temperatures (cloud point temperatures) in thermoresponsive polymers. Here, the phase transition behavior of thermoresponsive poly(oligo(ethylene glycol)acrylates) is systematically examined with respect to these three factors. Spin-probing electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is employed to investigate the impact of these parameters below and at the macroscopically observable thermal transition, as well as to characterize the nanoscale inhomogeneities associated with the transition. Optical transmission measurements are conducted to provide a comprehensive understanding of both, macroscopic and nanoscopic, events. Conducting EPR enables the early detection of the onset of the transition temperature range, well before optical detection. This combined approach enables us to establish the relative significance of these factors in determining the transition temperatures and the collapse processes. With this approach, this study finds that the (de)hydration behavior of the polymer chains is mainly determined by the length of ethylene glycol side chains but the individual single polymer end groups also have remarkable influence on the collapse behavior. The main chain length is identified as, relatively viewed, having the smallest effect on the thermal collapse on the molecular level.</p>","PeriodicalId":18054,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics","volume":"226 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/macp.202500050","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144091871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}