Polymer Journal最新文献

{"title":"Interfacial water states and the biocompatibility of biomaterials: The role of intermediate water","authors":"Masaru Tanaka, Shigeaki Morita, Tomohiro Hayashi","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01139-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01139-0","url":null,"abstract":"Compared with bulk water, water at polymer interfaces is characterized by fundamentally different behaviors and is partitioned into free, intermediate, and nonfreezing states. These interfacial hydration states influence the initial interactions with proteins and cells, shaping downstream biological responses. Intermediate water plays a key role in controlling protein adsorption/desorption/denaturation and cell adhesion at biointerfaces, thereby contributing to enhanced biocompatibility. We describe a time-resolved investigation of water sorption onto polymer films using attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy coupled with data analysis facilitated by machine learning. Our findings highlight the role of intermediate water in modulating interfacial interactions. Furthermore, the intermediate water concept is extended to self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), which serve as well-defined model systems for polymer surfaces. This focus review also provides a comprehensive understanding of direct experimental evidence supporting the “water barrier model” of biocompatibility, starting from synthetic SAMs and progressing toward more complex biomimetic interfaces. Hydration water can be classified into three types: free water, intermediate water, and nonfreezing water. Intermediate water was found in hydrated biopolymers and hydrated biocompatible synthetic polymers. ATR-IR spectroscopy combined with machine learning revealed the power of spectroscopic approaches to link molecular-level hydration to macroscopic polymer properties. Long-range, intermediate water-mediated repulsive forces prevent protein adsorption, platelet adhesion, and overall biocompatibility under physiological conditions. This intermediate water barrier model provides a unified framework for designing biocompatible polymers.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"58 4","pages":"343-356"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01139-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147618178","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":"Bismuth-containing functional polymers: Molecular design strategies and synthetic challenges","authors":"Yoshimasa Matsumura","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01133-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01133-6","url":null,"abstract":"All isotopes of bismuth are radioactive; however, the most abundant isotope, ²⁰⁹Bi, possesses an extraordinarily long half-life of 1.9 × 10¹⁹ yr, rendering it effectively stable for practical applications. Bismuth is an attractive heavy element for the construction of inorganic–organic hybrid polymers because of its distinctive properties, including a high atomic refractive index, strong X-ray attenuation, and pronounced heavy-atom effects. In addition, representative bismuth compounds are relatively inexpensive and exhibit low toxicity. However, a major challenge lies in the intrinsic weakness of Bi–C bonds, necessitating careful molecular design to achieve stable bismuth-containing functional polymers. This Focus Review highlights recent advances in the synthesis of such polymers and discusses their unique properties, including a high refractive index, effective X-ray shielding, and characteristic phosphorescence.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"58 5","pages":"519-527"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01133-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147827748","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":"Soft nanoparticles as delivery agents for RNA-based anticancer therapy","authors":"Victoriya Zhogla, Viktar Abashkin, Pavel Padnya, Jingchao Li, Mingwu Shen, Ivan Stoikov, Dzmitry Shcharbin, Xiangyang Shi","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01138-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01138-1","url":null,"abstract":"Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, and traditional chemotherapy is often limited by severe side effects and drug resistance. RNA-based therapeutics, including small interfering RNA (siRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA), offer promising alternatives, enabling targeted gene silencing and the in situ production of therapeutic proteins. However, the clinical application of RNA-based therapeutics is hampered by delivery challenges, such as low stability and inefficient cellular uptake. Soft nanoparticles have emerged as versatile vectors to overcome these barriers. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the most promising soft nanoparticle platforms, such as lipid systems, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, protein nanoparticles, and nanohydrogels, for the delivery of RNA-based anticancer drugs, with a focus on advances published between 2020 and 2025. The compositional and structural features of nanoparticles that determine the complexation, protection, targeted delivery, and controlled release of RNA are highlighted. In addition, innovative strategies that combine different types of nanocarriers or integrate them with additional therapeutic modalities are discussed. RNA drugs based on soft nanoparticles undergoing clinical trials (June 2025) are also considered. Our article summarizes the results of recent research on the use of soft nanoparticles for delivering nucleic acids to tumor cells for RNA-based therapy. The first part of the article describes advances in the development, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using lipid nanocarriers, and the second part describes the same for polymeric nanocarriers. The third part presents data on ongoing preclinical and clinical trials of soft nanoparticles (June 2025).","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"58 4","pages":"319-341"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01138-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147618169","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":"Molecular design of phosphatidylserine-inspired polymers for efficient anti-inflammatory therapy via enhanced interaction with Tim-4","authors":"Kosuke Sato, Ahmed Nabil, Komol Kanta Sharker, Kouichi Shiraishi, Mitsuhiro Ebara","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01140-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01140-7","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the interaction between phosphatidylserine (PS)-inspired polymers, T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-like domain-containing protein 4 (Tim-4) by systematically varying the monomer structure and copolymer composition. A series of alkyl-substituted PS-inspired monomers was synthesized using a modified phosphoramidite method, and well-defined homopolymers and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)-containing copolymers were prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization. Structural analyses using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography confirmed the successful synthesis with controlled molecular weights. Biolayer interferometry was used to quantify Tim-4 binding, revealing a nonmonotonic effect of alkyl substitution, whereas the incorporation of HEMA consistently enhanced Tim-4 binding in a composition-dependent manner. Biological evaluation using RAW-Blue macrophages revealed that the homopolymers did not significantly affect interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion, whereas the copolymers selectively suppressed IL-6 production. Notably, the copolymer containing 50 mol% PS units exhibited the strongest IL-6 suppression, and the HEMA-containing copolymers exhibited anti-inflammatory activity even at lower PS concentrations than the homopolymers did. These results demonstrate that the copolymer composition critically influences receptor interactions and immune modulation. This study highlights the potential of PS-inspired copolymers as biomaterials that mimic apoptotic cell signals and exert efficient anti-inflammatory effects through an optimized molecular design. Phosphatidylserine (PS)-inspired polymers with systematically varied alkyl structures and copolymer compositions were designed to elucidate their interactions with the PS receptor T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-like domain-containing protein 4 (Tim-4). Alkyl-substituted PS-inspired homopolymers and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)-containing copolymers were synthesized. Biolayer interferometry revealed a nonmonotonic dependence on alkyl substitution and a composition-dependent enhancement upon HEMA incorporation. In macrophages, homopolymers did not significantly affect interleukin-6 secretion, whereas HEMA-containing copolymers selectively suppressed IL-6 production, demonstrating that rational copolymer design enables biomaterials to achieve efficient anti-inflammatory immunomodulation.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"58 4","pages":"407-415"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01140-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147618161","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":"Chitosan nanoparticles prepared by spray drying augment the immune response to an A/H5N1 influenza vaccine in mice","authors":"Anh Dzung Nguyen, Yen Nhi Nguyen, Van Bon Nguyen, San Lang Wang, Bao Van Cao","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01141-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01141-6","url":null,"abstract":"Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNs) were produced via spray drying to evaluate the effects of the molecular weight, concentration of chitosan, and nozzle size of a nanospray dryer on its physicochemical properties and adjuvant potential. Three molecular weights (465, 618, and 732 kDa) were tested. CSNs from 465 kDa chitosan had the smallest (95.4 nm) and the highest zeta potential (+45.7 mV), whereas 732 kDa chitosan yielded larger particles (335.9 nm, +29.6 mV). Reducing the chitosan concentration from 0.1% to 0.025% decreased the particle size (358.3 → 95.4 nm) and increased the surface charge (+39.3 → +45.7 mV). CSNs of five different sizes ranging from <100 to 3000 nm were loaded with the A/H5N1 antigen, with 95.3–97.7% loading efficiency and 4881–5035 HAU/mg capacity. Compared with antigen alone or Al(OH)₃ controls, vaccination with CSN formulations elicited significantly stronger immune responses. After booster immunization, serum IgG titers reached 1536–1843, nearly double those induced by Al(OH)₃ (768), while hemagglutination inhibition titers increased to 160–230 HIU (p < 0.05). Biocompatibility and toxicity tests confirmed the safety and good tolerance of CSN-based vaccine formulations. These results demonstrate that CSNs are effective and safe adjuvants for enhancing the immunogenicity of H5N1 vaccines. The preparation and characterization of chitosan nanoparticles loaded with H5N1 antigen using the spray-drying technique is conducted. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, TEM, and zeta potential analysis to evaluate morphology, size, and surface charge. The antigen-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were subsequently assessed for safety and immunological effects in a mouse model, demonstrating their potential as a vaccine delivery system.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"58 4","pages":"417-427"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01141-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147618162","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":"Synthesis of polymers with pendant diamondoid groups","authors":"Andreas Schelhorn, Josef Achhammer, Denis Hirsch, Ulrich Ziener","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01136-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01136-3","url":null,"abstract":"Two oligomers and three polymers with diamondoid side groups were prepared by the insertion polymerization of N-octenyladamantane and -diamantane, as well as by polymer-analogous reactions. The molecules consist exclusively of carbon and hydrogen atoms and one secondary amino group per repeating unit. Depending on the charge state (neutral or protonated), the glass transition temperature of the oligomers can be tailored between -30 and approximately 70 °C. We assume that the presence of bulky substituents and amino groups is responsible for the low degree of polymerization (DP) achieved in insertion polymerization. This limitation was circumvented by using commercially available poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) and subsequent polymer-analogous reactions with corresponding aminodiamondoids. The resulting polymers exhibited a nearly quantitative degree of functionalization (DoF), which was determined by NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectroscopy and largely confirmed by elemental analysis and thermogravimetry. All the materials exhibit high thermal stability up to 200 °C or 250 °C. The higher homolog diamantane displays a higher DP and higher yields in functionalization reactions than the corresponding adamantane derivatives do. Polymers with aminodiamondoid units as side groups can be obtained either by direct polymerization of corresponding vinyl monomers or by polymer-analogous reactions. While the polymerization of octenylaminodiamondoids only leads to oligomers because of the bulky substituents, the polymer-analogous reactions of aminodiamondoids with poly(vinylbenzyl chloride) yield polymers with almost quantitative functionalization. These materials are highly attractive for biomedical applications or as template molecules for the synthesis of nanodiamonds.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"58 5","pages":"529-538"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01136-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147827734","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":"Polyacrylic acid nanoparticles encapsulating doxorubicin: structural analysis and encapsulation mechanism","authors":"Takuma Kojima, Shin Takano, Kazuo Sakurai","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01125-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01125-6","url":null,"abstract":"Monodisperse poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) nanoparticles were synthesized via precipitation polymerization. Markedly high loading of the anticancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) was achieved, with drug contents reaching approximately 44 wt%, which exceeds the values typically reported for polymer-based nanocarriers. Structural analyses using transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) revealed that the encapsulated DOX was not distributed uniformly but instead formed a distinct core-localized DOX-rich domain while maintaining the spherical morphology of the PAA nanoparticles. Notably, each PAA nanoparticle typically contained a single DOX-rich domain, and morphologies with multiple domains were rarely observed, indicating a single-domain nucleation and growth mechanism. Quantitative single-particle fluorescence analysis further demonstrated that the proportion of DOX-loaded particles increased systematically with increasing drug loading, reaching 75.8% at 44 wt%, which was consistent with the results of the SAXS analysis. In addition, the PAA nanoparticles exhibited strong and stable affinity toward hydroxyapatite, underscoring their potential for bone-targeted drug delivery. Collectively, these findings establish PAA nanoparticles as robust, high-capacity carriers with unique structural features and bone affinity, offering a promising platform for advanced drug delivery systems, particularly in the treatment of metastatic cancers. Monodisperse poly(acrylic acid) nanoparticles encapsulate doxorubicin at high contents (~44 wt%), forming a single core-localized DOX-rich domain as revealed by SAXS and TEM while retaining spherical morphology. Single-particle fluorescence showed that the fraction of DOX-positive particles increased with loading, reaching 75.8% at 44 wt% DOX. The particles also exhibit strong hydroxyapatite affinity, highlighting their promise as robust, high-capacity carriers for bone-targeted drug delivery and potential treatment of metastatic cancers.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"58 3","pages":"245-255"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01125-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147352887","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":"Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) of cyclic olefins: stereospecific ROMP and precision synthesis of bottlebrush polymers","authors":"Kotohiro Nomura, Kanticha Jaiyen","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01129-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01129-2","url":null,"abstract":"Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclic olefins has been widely used in the synthesis of advanced polymeric materials. Control of the cis-/trans- (Z-/E-) olefinic double bonds in the resulting ring-opened polymers is important for the design of functional polymers, especially in controlling their morphology. This minireview introduces the basics of olefin metathesis reactions, especially ROMP, and summarizes reported examples of stereocontrol in ROMP through the use of ruthenium-carbene, molybdenum-alkylidene, vanadium-alkylidene, and niobium-alkylidene catalysts. The efforts have been applied to the cis-/trans-specific synthesis of bottlebrush polymers, enabled by the use of (arylimido)vanadium(V)-alkylidene catalysts that exhibit different thermal and emission properties because of their different morphologies [as confirmed by atomic force microscope (AFM)] and interpolymer and/or intrapolymer interactions. Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclic olefins has been widely used in the synthesis of advanced polymeric materials. This mini review introduces the basics of olefin metathesis reactions, especially ROMP, and summarizes reported examples of cis-/trans- (Z-/E-) specific ROMP in which ruthenium-carbene, molybdenum-alkylidene, vanadium-alkylidene, and niobium-alkylidene catalysts were used. cis-/trans-Selective bottlebrush polymers prepared from (arylimido)vanadium(V)-alkylidene catalysts displayed different thermal and emission properties because of their different morphologies and interpolymer and/or intrapolymer interactions.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"58 5","pages":"485-509"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01129-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147827685","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 comparative study of dual thermal- and glucose-responsive nanogel systems","authors":"Jane Yang, Kathryn M. M. Messina, Daniele Vinciguerra, Ellie G. Puente, Heather D. Maynard","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01119-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01119-4","url":null,"abstract":"Stimuli-responsive nanoparticles, particularly those that respond to two different environmental cues, are useful materials for drug delivery. In this study, the size response of nanogels based on two different polymers, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) and poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (pPEGMA), to temperature and glucose concentration changes was investigated. The nanogels were prepared by precipitation polymerization to form particles of 114 and 169 nm for pNIPAM and pPEGMA at 37 °C, respectively, and characterized via proton nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopies. Both types of nanogels underwent a volume phase transition in biologically relevant ranges upon heating. The incorporation of 2-aminophenylboronic acid enabled glucose binding, resulting in a shift in the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) of both nanogels, as assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and turbidity measurements. The p(NIPAM) nanogel demonstrated a predictable decrease in size in response to both increasing temperature and glucose concentration. The pPEGMA nanogel showed a predictable decrease in size with increasing temperature but unexpectedly increased and then decreased in size with increasing concentrations of glucose. Nanogels were synthesized with either N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) or poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) monomers. The products also contained 2-aminophenylboronic acid to allow for glucose binding. The size responses to changes in temperature and glucose concentrations were compared. The p(NIPAM) nanogel decreased in size, and the pPEGMA nanogel increased and then decreased in size, with increasing concentrations of glucose.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"58 5","pages":"575-581"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01119-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147827747","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":"Ionotropic gelation of polymers containing bisphosphonate groups crosslinked with divalent cations","authors":"Binru Han, André J. van der Vlies, Yuguo Lei, Carlos G. Lopez, Urara Hasegawa","doi":"10.1038/s41428-025-01131-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-025-01131-8","url":null,"abstract":"Ionotropic hydrogels, formed through reversible coordination between multivalent metal ions and chelating ligands, represent a promising class of injectable biomaterials that allow for minimally invasive implantation in the body, the encapsulation of unstable biomolecules without loss of biological activity and the fabrication of well-defined three-dimensional objects via extrusion 3D printing. In this study, we report a novel ionotropically gelling polymer containing bisphosphonate groups. The polymers were synthesized from alendronate acrylamide via free radical polymerization. Upon the addition of Ca2+ and Zn2+ ions, the polymers formed hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties with higher polymer concentrations, resulting in stiffer hydrogels. Notably, hydrogels with a polymer concentration of 2.5 wt% exhibited a high shear storage modulus of approximately 140 kPa, indicating significant mechanical strength. The hydrogels showed self-healing and stress-thinning behaviors, which are typical of systems crosslinked via dynamic bonds. In addition, hydrogel nanoparticles were fabricated by crosslinking the polymers with Zn²⁺ ions within water-in-oil emulsions. These findings highlight bisphosphonate-bearing polymers as promising ionotropically gelling biomaterials for biomedical applications such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. Bisphosphonate-bearing polymers formed stiff hydrogels in the presence of calcium and zinc ions. These hydrogels exhibited self-healing and stress-thinning properties. Crosslinking these polymers with zinc ions within water-in-oil emulsions yielded hydrogel nanoparticles.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"58 4","pages":"383-394"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-025-01131-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147618181","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}