Polymer Journal最新文献

{"title":"Special issue: Current topics in liquid–liquid phase separation","authors":"Masato Ikeda, Keiji Numata, Keiji Tanaka","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01049-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01049-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"57 8","pages":"771-771"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01049-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144774180","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":"Development of functional degradable materials by precise crosslinking design of biobased polymers","authors":"Yu-I Hsu","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01051-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01051-7","url":null,"abstract":"Petroleum-based plastics are lightweight and durable and exhibit excellent formability. However, the increase in global plastics production, coupled with the economic development of emerging countries, and the resulting marine pollution caused by plastic waste have become serious problems in recent years. Polysaccharides, such as starch and cellulose, are the most abundant biopolymers in nature and are particularly promising plastic alternatives owing to their renewability, sustainability, and biodegradability. However, owing to their lack of water resistance and adequate mechanical properties, large-scale application of polysaccharide films in single-use plastics is limited because water resistance is preferred in many daily scenarios. Further research is required to optimize bioplastics to make them economically and practically feasible. In this report, we focus on stimuli-responsive materials that form or dissociate cross-linked structures in response to slight changes in external stimuli or the environment. We developed starch-based films with different disintegration/dissolution rates in freshwater and seawater as environmentally friendly materials. Modified starch was mixed with oxidized cellulose or a water-soluble polymer to prepare a transparent, homogeneous film. After the introduction of hydrogen bonds, the starch complex film was stable in freshwater; however, in seawater, the hydrogen bond crosslinks dissociated, causing the film to dissolve rapidly. This technology balances degradability in marine environments with water resistance in everyday environments, providing an alternative means of reducing marine plastic pollution, and it is expected to be applied in a variety of industrial sectors. In this study, we developed starch-based films with tunable disintegration and dissolution rates in freshwater and seawater. The modified starch was mixed with oxidized cellulose or a water-soluble polymer to produce transparent, homogeneous films. Hydrogen bonding stabilized the films in freshwater, while in seawater, the hydrogen bond crosslinks dissociated, causing the film to dissolve rapidly. This technology offers a strategic balance between water resistance in everyday environments and controlled disintegration in marine conditions, presenting a sustainable alternative to petrochemical plastics with potential applications across various industrial sectors.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"57 10","pages":"1095-1105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01051-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145228245","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":"Polymerization-induced self-assembly of thermoresponsive micelles and their lubrication adaptivity","authors":"Linjie Yang, Hanfeng Liu, Pengrui Cao, Junhui Gong, Xinrui Zhang, Tingmei Wang, Liming Tao, Xianqiang Pei, Qihua Wang, Jianqiang Zhang, Yaoming Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01057-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01057-1","url":null,"abstract":"Responsive materials have significant application value because of their ability to actively adjust their structure or properties in response to external stimuli. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is widely used to form micelles, particularly for drug delivery, because its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) is close to body temperature. However, the preparation of micelles based on PNIPAM block copolymers often involves complex processes, which limit their broader application. Here, we employed polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) combined with in situ crosslinking to synthesize stabilized thermoresponsive micelles, such as poly(glycerol methacrylate)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-B (PGMAx-b-PNIPAMy-B), which are spherical micelles with a thermoresponsive core of PNIPAM and a crosslinked shell of PGMA formed by sodium tetraborate decahydrate. The micelles exhibited rapid and reversible self-assembly and collapsed at 31 °C, enabling temperature regulation through light transmittance, which makes them suitable for smart window applications. Furthermore, these micelles demonstrated excellent friction-reducing and wear-resistant properties at various temperatures (25–36 °C) and under various loads (20–70 N), indicating their adaptive lubrication as additives. This work presents the facile fabrication of thermoresponsive micelles and expands the application of PISA technology in the tribological field. Responsive materials have significant application value because of their ability to actively adjust their structure or properties in response to external stimuli. We employed polymerization-induced self-assembly combined with in situ crosslinking to synthesize stabilized thermoresponsive micelles, such as poly(glycerol methacrylate)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-B, which exhibited rapid and reversible self-assembly. Furthermore, these micelles demonstrated excellent friction-reducing and wear-resistant properties showcasing their adaptive lubrication as additives. This work presents the facile fabrication of thermoresponsive micelles and expands the application of PISA technology in the tribological field.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"57 10","pages":"1115-1125"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145228248","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":"Degradation technologies for condensation polymers mediated by organic catalysts","authors":"Kazuki Fukushima","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01069-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01069-x","url":null,"abstract":"Polymers and plastics pose environmental challenges, including marine pollution from waste and CO2 emissions from incineration. Recycling and upcycling are crucial strategies for conserving petroleum resources and reducing waste discharge. Additionally, developing sustainable polymers is essential for achieving a circular economy. Polymer degradation is a key process in both recycling and sustainable polymer development. This review examines the degradation of condensation polymers, such as polyesters and polycarbonates, when organic catalysts are used to enhance transesterification. Organic bases exhibit high catalytic efficiency in polymer degradation, whereas others facilitate the controlled polymerization of substituted cyclic esters and carbonates. Notably, 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-7-ene has exceptional efficiency in degrading various condensation polymers, including aliphatic polycarbonates and liquid-crystalline wholly aromatic polyesters, via a dual hydrogen-bonding activation mechanism. The functionalization of aliphatic polycarbonates via side-chain modifications is a promising approach for producing functionalized degradable polymers, supported by efficient monomer synthesis and established ring-opening polymerization (ROP) techniques using organic catalysts. Precise polymer synthesis enhances mechanical and thermal properties by incorporating rigid moieties while enabling degradation control. These advancements contribute to the development of sustainable materials within a future circular economy. This paper reviews the degradation of polyesters and polycarbonates, including degradable aliphatic polymers. Organic catalysts enable efficient degradation and recycling of these condensation polymers, promoting a circular economy and reduction of waste and CO2 emissions. Although super engineering plastics are difficult to recycle, recent studies show organocatalysts can facilitate their depolymerization and monomer recovery. Advances in monomer synthesis and controlled ring-opening polymerization allow for functional, sustainable, and degradable polymers. Moreover, side-chain engineering in aliphatic polymers enables controlled degradation. Future work should emphasize greener synthesis and comprehensive analysis of degradation impacts.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"57 10","pages":"1083-1094"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01069-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145228246","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":"Fabrication of fluorinated polymer composite materials with a perfluoroalkylated POSS filler to reduce the refractive index","authors":"Tatsuaki Kunimitsu, Keisuke Shibahara, Masayuki Gon, Kazuo Tanaka","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01067-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01067-z","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, we designed and synthesized a filler comprising a polyoctahedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) core and perfluoroalkyl side chains. We found that by blending POSS fillers into a fluorinated polymer, the refractive indices of fluorinated polymer films can be efficiently lowered. The perfluoroalkyl side chains increase the compatibility with fluorinated polymers, and the dendrimer-like structure of POSS creates a large space in the material. The degree of packing was quantitatively evaluated by using the packing coefficient (kp), which was decomposed into two components: the fluorinated polymer (kp,1) and the POSS (kp,2). Owing to the small packing coefficient of the POSS component (kp,2 = 0.430–0.513), the refractive index (n) of the composite material decreased to n = 1.379 from that of the pristine fluorinated polymer (n = 1.424, kp,1 = 0.68–0.76). This study represents a milestone for further reducing the refractive indices of various fluorinated polymers currently in practical use. Fluorinated polymer composite materials of PVDF-HFP and a perfluoroalkylated POSS (F7POSS) filler were manufactured. The refractive indices of the resulting composite films decreased as the content of the POSS filler increased, and the thermal stability remained sufficient. The degree of packing was quantitatively evaluated by using the packing coefficient from the Lorentz–Lorenz equation.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"57 10","pages":"1107-1114"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01067-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145228244","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":"Interface engineering for ternary blend polymer solar cells based on spectroscopic and device analyses","authors":"Hideo Ohkita","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01064-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01064-2","url":null,"abstract":"Polymer solar cells, which include a blend of electron-donating conjugated polymers and electron-accepting molecules in the photovoltaic layer, have been widely studied as next-generation solar cells. To improve photocurrent generation, it is necessary to harvest as many photons as possible in solar light, which distributes over a wide wavelength including the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared (near-IR) regions. However, covering such a wide solar spectrum by using binary blend polymer solar cells is inherently difficult because most organic materials (e.g., conjugated polymers) have a narrow absorption bandwidth (less than 200 nm). Ternary blend polymer solar cells can overcome this limitation by combining near-IR light-harvesting materials with the electron-donor conjugated polymer and the electron-acceptor molecule. In this review, recent progress in the development of polymer solar cells is briefly overviewed, followed by a detailed description of ternary blend polymer solar cells. Ternary blend polymer solar cells incorporating near-IR materials are among the most promising approaches for effectively improving photovoltaic performance because they can extend the light-harvesting wavelength range and simultaneously improve charge transport. Here, we briefly review the progress in polymer solar cells and describe our recent studies on ternary blend polymer solar cells incorporating near-IR dye molecules. Of particular importance is the interfacial engineering for the placement of near-IR dye molecules at the donor/acceptor interface in ternary blend polymer solar cells.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"57 10","pages":"1067-1081"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01064-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145228249","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":"Effect of zwitterionic monomer polymerization on water dynamics: a molecular dynamics simulation study supported by differential scanning calorimetry and terahertz spectroscopy","authors":"Md Abu Saleh, Yuji Higuchi, Shohei Shiomoto, Takahisa Anada, Mafumi Hishida, Masaru Tanaka","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01066-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01066-0","url":null,"abstract":"The behavior of water molecules significantly influences the effectiveness of protein stabilizers and biomaterials. Although the polymerization of low-molecular-weight molecules enhances their functionality, the hydration states and water dynamics around polymers and small molecules are typically examined separately. Therefore, the effect of polymerization on water dynamics at the molecular level remains unclear. By density functional tight-binding molecular dynamics (DFTB-MD) simulations of five zwitterionic solute solutions, (trimethylamine N-oxide) (TMAO), the N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]acrylamide N-oxide (DMAO) monomer, poly(N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]acrylamide N-oxide) (PDMAO), the 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) monomer, and poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC), the effects of polymerization on water dynamics were investigated. DMAO and MPC polymerization (to PDMAO and PMPC, respectively) promote the slow and rapid rotation of water molecules, respectively. In PDMAO, water molecules are trapped between side chains due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between water and PDMAO, resulting in slow water dynamics, whereas in PMPC, a reduction in the solvent-accessible surface area due to polymerization disrupts the hydrogen-bond network among the water molecules, resulting in acceleration of the rotational dynamics of water molecules. The hydration amount determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is consistent with the MD simulation results, which provide molecular-level insights that advance the current understanding of water dynamics in small-molecule polymerization for potential functional enhancement. Caption: A different effect of polymerization on water dynamics: water molecules trapped by the side chains exhibit slow dynamics, whereas water dynamics is accelerated without the trap.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"57 10","pages":"1127-1139"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01066-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145228250","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":"Melting kinetics of polymer crystals","authors":"Akihiko Toda","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01055-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01055-3","url":null,"abstract":"Linear polymers crystallize by the folding of chains on the nanometer scale. Owing to their metastable nature, folded-chain crystals (FCCs) exhibit unique phenomena during crystallization and melting. Understanding the melting kinetics of FCCs is challenging because of the complexity that results from the melting‒recrystallization‒remelting cycle and the reorganization occurring during heating. Fast-scanning calorimetry (FSC) has significantly advanced our understanding of melting kinetics. This review provides an overview of the research conducted on the melting kinetics of melt-grown crystals, focusing particularly on the following aspects: (1) the thermodynamics of folded-chain polymer crystals; (2) Gibbs‒Thomson and Hoffman‒Weeks plots, which are used to determine the equilibrium melting point; (3) the unique kinetic barrier of FCC melting, which is determined from the heating rate dependence of the superheated melting peak examined by calorimetry and from the morphological observation results of the isothermal melting behavior of single crystals in bulk samples; (4) the reconfirmation of results using a recently developed FSC with a chip sensor; (5) the exponential dependence of the melting rate on the degree of superheating, as determined from isothermal melting kinetics conducted using FSC; and (6) thermal Gibbs‒Thomson plots as an application of melting kinetics studies. An overview of the research on the melting kinetics of melt-grown folded-chain crystals (FCC) of polymers are provided, focusing particularly on the following aspects: (1) the thermodynamics; (2) Gibbs‒Thomson and Hoffman‒Weeks plots; (3) the unique kinetic barrier of FCC melting; (4) the results using a recently developed FSC with a chip sensor; (5) the exponential dependence of the melting rate on the degree of superheating, as determined from isothermal melting kinetics conducted using FSC; and (6) thermal Gibbs‒Thomson plots as an application of melting kinetics studies.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"57 10","pages":"1049-1065"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01055-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145228247","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":"A heuristic study of the Mullins effect in reinforced rubber by using the Weibull distribution","authors":"Hiroaki Nobuoka, Osamu Urakawa, Tadashi Inoue","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01056-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01056-2","url":null,"abstract":"Stress softening, known as the Mullins effect, has a significant effect on the durability and performance of filler-reinforced rubber, making it a critical issue in designing products for practical applications. While empirical equations are widely used, they fail to capture the intricate and nonlinear behaviors that are characteristic of filler-reinforced rubber. To address this limitation, this study developed a simplified equation to predict the Mullins effect. The model is based on the assumption that the Mullins effect originates from the destruction of particle aggregation structures, and the relationship between the degree of destruction and the stretch ratio is expressed using extreme value statistics. Validation against experimental data revealed that the equation accurately predicts the behavior of rubber reinforced with carbon black (CB) or silica. Additionally, in systems with CB-filled rubber, the equation demonstrated good agreement with the experimental results, even when the CB content was varied. These findings suggest that the proposed model is versatile and effective for predicting the Mullins effect under different conditions, providing a useful tool for understanding and optimizing the performance of filler-reinforced rubber in practical applications. Stress softening, or the Mullins effect, critically affects the performance of filler-reinforced rubber. This study proposes a simplified model based on the destruction of particle aggregates, using extreme value statistics to relate damage to stretch ratio. The model accurately predicts behaviors of rubber filled with carbon black or silica, showing good agreement with experiments across varying filler contents. It offers a practical tool for designing durable rubber materials.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"57 9","pages":"995-1002"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01056-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144990846","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":"PJ ZEON Award for outstanding papers in Polymer Journal 2024","authors":"Keiji Tanaka","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01027-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01027-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"57 6","pages":"601-603"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01027-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144214280","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}