Polymer Journal最新文献

{"title":"Carbon nanotubes functionalized with α-aminoisobutyric acid-containing peptide increase gene delivery efficiency in plant mitochondria","authors":"Simon Sau Yin Law, Mako Kuzumoto, Seiya Fujita, Tsuyohiko Fujigaya, Keiji Numata","doi":"10.1038/s41428-024-00927-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-024-00927-4","url":null,"abstract":"Functionalized carbon nanotubes have shown tremendous promise in the field of plant biotechnology for genetic engineering and cargo delivery; recent findings have shown that they can be delivered within specific organelles, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, in intact plants. 2-Aminoisobutyric acid is an unnatural amino acid that promotes helical conformation and has been demonstrated to increase membrane permeability. Rational substitution of this amino acid into a mitochondrial targeting peptide induced a helical conformation that, when functionalized onto polymer-coated carbon nanotubes, conferred increased membrane permeability compared with that of the native peptide. The secondary structure was maintained on the surface and, when used to deliver pDNA, led to an increase in gene expression, suggesting that this method may be used to enhance the delivery efficiency of existing functional peptides. Induction of helical structures in peptides have been shown to increase their membrane permeability and facilitate cargo delivery applications. Our study has shown that substitution of an unnatural amino acid into a mitochondrial-targeting peptide induces a helical conformation that is maintained even after conjugation onto carbon nanotubes and confers increased membrane permeability. This led to an increase in DNA delivery efficiencies and gene expression into the mitochondria of intact plants when used as a DNA delivery system.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"56 10","pages":"915-924"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-024-00927-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141339090","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":"Supramolecular methodologies for the assembly of optical microresonators from functional organic materials","authors":"Hiroshi Yamagishi","doi":"10.1038/s41428-024-00925-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-024-00925-6","url":null,"abstract":"An optical microresonator is a micrometer-scale object that can confine light inside its body via total internal reflection at the boundary. In addition to well-established applications, including laser oscillators, optical sensors, and quantum memory, optical resonators have attracted renewed attention in chemistry and biology as minute and highly sensitive sensors that work in the environment and inside biological tissues and cells without any connected wires. Optical resonators should be functional for facilitating molecular interactions and biological compatibility, which is, however, challenging with conventional materials and processing techniques. In contrast, the authors have been tackling this issue by using supramolecular chemistry, which enables the assembly of optical resonators from chemically and biologically functional organic materials in solution. This article reviews our recent progress on the methodologies for making organic optical resonators and their emergent optical properties. Optical resonators have attracted renewed attention in chemistry and biology as minute and highly sensitive sensors that work in the environment and inside biological tissues and cells without any connected wires. Optical resonators should be functional for facilitating molecular interactions and biological compatibility, which is, however, challenging with conventional materials and processing techniques. In contrast, the authors have been tackling this issue by using supramolecular chemistry. This article reviews our recent progress on the methodologies for making organic optical resonators and their emergent optical properties.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"56 10","pages":"887-894"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-024-00925-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141353862","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":"Optimizing crystal transitions in low-temperature, low-concentration NaOH solutions to prepare cellulose I and II composite materials","authors":"Yuki Kugo, Takuya Isono, Masashi Fujiwara, Toshifumi Sato, Hirofumi Tani, Tomoki Erata, Kenji Tajima","doi":"10.1038/s41428-024-00928-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-024-00928-3","url":null,"abstract":"Cellulose II exhibits exceptional attributes, including flexibility, high stainability, and gloss. However, its strength is lower than that of cellulose I due to reduced crystallinity during the crystal transition. In this study, we devised a novel method to regulate the proportion and distribution of cellulose I and II crystals. This was achieved by employing a low-concentration alkaline solution and liquid nitrogen, resulting in a high-strength composite material that retained the excellent properties of cellulose II. When cellulose powder was immersed in an 8 wt% NaOH solution and quenched with liquid nitrogen, the crystal transition from cellulose I to II occurred outward from the sample periphery to its center. The percentage of cellulose II increased proportionally with treatment time. This technique was extended to cellulose I-rich cotton fibers, facilitating the creation of a composite fiber with cellulose I at the core and cellulose II on the surface. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the composite fiber were greater than those of the mercerized cellulose II fiber. Additionally, the elongation at break and toughness of these fibers surpassed those of conventional cotton fibers. This innovative method allows for the preparation of cellulose I and II composite materials with diverse properties. This study developed a novel method for the control of the cellulose crystal of cellulose I and II. The crystal transition from cellulose I to II was tracked when cellulose I, which is soaked in a low-concentration NaOH aqueous solution, was quenched using liquid nitrogen. The crystal transition progressed from the surface to the center of the sample. This quench treatment has the potential to fabricate new cellulose materials with a cellulose I core and a cellulose II surface.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"56 10","pages":"939-943"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141354671","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":"Development of Pd-immobilized porous polymer catalysts via Bayesian optimization","authors":"Xincheng Zhou, Hikaru Matsumoto, Masanori Nagao, Shuji Hironaka, Yoshiko Miura","doi":"10.1038/s41428-024-00923-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-024-00923-8","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, a Pd-polymeric porous immobilized catalyst is prepared for the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions by employing a Bayesian optimization method to optimize the catalyst. This research represents the first endeavor to utilize machine learning for the optimization of polymer-immobilized catalysts and provides a novel perspective on utilizing machine learning for the optimization of complex materials. This study presented the workflow of machine learning-guided optimization of Pd-immobilized porous polymer catalysts. Two independent variables (DVB and 1-decanol content) were involved in polymerization to maximize TOF as target variable in Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction. Bayesian optimization was applied for predictive modeling, and the optimized conditions were experimentally validated in subsequent iterations. By applying this workflow, the catalytic activity of immobilized polymer porous catalysts was successfully optimized using machine learning.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"56 9","pages":"865-872"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-024-00923-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141375975","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":"Polymer replica of microcrystalline surface with dual wettability, mimicking a termite wing","authors":"Yuki Hashimoto, Amane Hase, Ayumu Tani, Ryo Nishimura, Yohei Hattori, Hiroyuki Mayama, Satoshi Yokojima, Shinichiro Nakamura, Kingo Uchida","doi":"10.1038/s41428-024-00926-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-024-00926-5","url":null,"abstract":"Termite wings are covered with hair shafts and micrasters, which provide it with dual wettability. Although the surface is superhydrophobic for bulk water and large droplets, it is adhesive for microdroplets of water. We mimicked this rough surface by applying a photoinduced crystal growth phenomenon on a photoreactive crystalline surface consisting of two photochromic diarylethene derivatives. This crystalline surface showed dual wettability, but the photoreactive crystalline system was not applicable under daylight. This lack of applicability was apparent because the rough crystalline structures on the surface melted under visible light irradiation. We used soft lithography and transcribed the rough structure of the crystalline film to a stable polycycloolefin polymer (ZEONEX 480) surface. In this case, ultrasonic treatment was indispensable for molding complex structured surfaces. The transcribed surface showed the same characteristics of dual wettability as the crystalline surface. The crystalline surface using two photochromic diarylethenes was prepared to mimic a termite wing showing dual wettability. The surface is useful to correct small water droplets in the air. However, the crystalline system was not applicable for the use because crystalline structures on the surface melt under daylight. We copied the rough structure of crystalline film to a stable polycycloolefin polymer (Zeonex 480) surface. The copied surface showed the dual wettability as same as that of the crystalline surface.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"56 9","pages":"847-853"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141377085","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":"PJ ZEON Award for outstanding papers in Polymer Journal 2023","authors":"Keiji Tanaka","doi":"10.1038/s41428-024-00905-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-024-00905-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"56 6","pages":"567-568"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-024-00905-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141251527","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":"Structure and mechanical properties of biobased polyamide 11 specimens subjected to different heat treatments","authors":"Toyoshi Yoshida, Mei Touji, Hideaki Takagi, Nobutaka Shimizu, Noriyuki Igarashi, Shinichi Sakurai, Makoto Uchida, Yoshihisa Kaneko","doi":"10.1038/s41428-024-00924-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-024-00924-7","url":null,"abstract":"The macroscopic mechanical properties of polyamides depend on their microscopic structural properties, such as the crystalline phase, lamellar thickness, and long period, which change depending on the heat treatment conditions. In this study, the relationships between the macroscopic mechanical properties and lamellar structures of polyamide 11 obtained from different heat treatments were investigated. Heat treatments include quench, isothermal, and quench–annealing conditions. Wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements indicated that different crystalline phases formed depending on the heat treatment conditions. Polarized optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry revealed spherulite and crystal morphologies that were not spherulite. Small-angle X-ray scattering revealed that the lamellar thickness and long period increased with the heat treatment temperature. With increasing the long period of lamellae, the number of stress transmitters, which are stress transfer factors (entanglements, loop chains, etc.) between lamellae, increases. The lamellar thickness and long period of polyamide 11 were ~1.5 times greater than that of polyamide 6 under similar heat treatment. In uniaxial tensile tests, polyamide 6 specimens heat-treated at high temperatures fractured and did not elongate. Polyamide 11 elongated without fracture. The thick lamellar and long-period structure of polyamide 11 obtained from heat treatments in this study might explain its excellent elongation until the late stage of deformation. The relationships between the macroscopic mechanical properties and lamellar structures of polyamide 11 obtained from different heat treatments were investigated. From the tensile tests, the maximum stress and strain at necking increase with the heat treatment temperature. WAXS measurements indicated that different crystalline phases formed depending on the heat treatment conditions. SAXS revealed that the lamellar thickness and long period increased with the heat treatment temperature. Based on these results, we elucidated that the macroscopic mechanical properties correlate with the lamellar thickness and long period.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"56 9","pages":"833-845"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141251824","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":"Supracolloidal step-growth polymerization of isotropic silica nanoparticles: a time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering study","authors":"Tatsuki Oishi, Ayae Sugawara-Narutaki, Rintaro Takahashi","doi":"10.1038/s41428-024-00922-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-024-00922-9","url":null,"abstract":"We have investigated the self-assembly kinetics of silica nanoparticles (SNPs) into the polymer-like structure by time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The analysis of the SAXS data with a kinetic model revealed that the SNPs undergo self-assembly in a process akin to the step-growth polymerization of bifunctional monomers. This study offers a facile strategy to construct polymer-like structures from isotropic spherical nanoparticles.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"56 11","pages":"1089-1092"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-024-00922-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141251819","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":"Optimizing a self-solidifying hydrogel as an endoscopically deliverable hydrogel coating system: a proof-of-concept study on porcine endoscopic submucosal dissection-induced ulcers","authors":"Rina Cho, Hiroyuki Kamata, Yosuke Tsuji, Ayano Fujisawa, Yuko Miura, Shohei Ishikawa, Ren Sato, Takuya Katashima, Takamasa Sakai, Mitsuhiro Fujishiro","doi":"10.1038/s41428-024-00921-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-024-00921-w","url":null,"abstract":"Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) benefits patients in the early stages of cancer, but it poses various risks of complication. Strategies involving the application of clinically approved products to cover ulcers caused by ESD can reduce these complications, but the fixed nature of their properties limit the understanding of their effects on ulcer healing. This study was focused on Tetra–PEG gel, an innovative hydrogel with controllable physical properties made from a sulfhydryl–maleimide pair. The use of biocompatible polyethylene glycol (PEG) in Tetra–PEG gel may allow for its application as a biomaterial. The aims of our study were to identify the characteristics of a self-solidifying hydrogel for endoscopic application and to develop a new ulcer coating agent for post-ESD treatment. We developed a specialized double-lumen catheter and determined the optimal application conditions of the hydrogel. We examined the hydrodynamic properties of the gelling solutions and elucidated the pressure drop that occurred during device operation. Finally, by considering previous experimental results, we successfully applied the hydrogel to post-ESD ulcers in porcine stomachs. We believed that by further optimizing hydrogels with effectively controlled properties and by continuing to investigate them through animal experiments, we could expand our understanding of the relationships among material and ulcer healing properties and apply this knowledge to clinical applications. We explored the feasibility of Tetra-PEG gel, a controllable hydrogel, as a new biomaterial to develop a coating agent for post-ESD ulcers. We examined the optimal conditions for hydrogel application and developed a specialized catheter, then investigated its properties. Ultimately, we successfully used the optimized hydrogel and device to cover post-ESD ulcers in the porcine stomach. Further optimization of the hydrogel and ongoing research through animal experiments are expected to deepen our understanding of the material’s effects on ulcer healing and contribute to its clinical applications.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"56 9","pages":"855-863"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-024-00921-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141189037","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":"Recent advances in structurally elaborate triptycenes, triptycene-containing polymers and assemblies: structures, functions and applications","authors":"Fumitaka Ishiwari, Yoshiaki Shoji, Colin J. Martin, Takanori Fukushima","doi":"10.1038/s41428-024-00920-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41428-024-00920-x","url":null,"abstract":"Triptycene, a rigid propeller-shaped molecule, was first synthesized in the early 1940s. More recently, many triptycene-containing polymers and molecular assemblies have been developed for a wide range of applications, including guest recognition, material transport, separation, catalysis, and as device components. The advantages of triptycenes lie in their ability to introduce a variety of functional groups on their three-dimensional backbone, with changes in substitution patterns as well as the type of substituents present having a significant impact on the material properties. In this review, we describe the synthesis of triptycene derivatives and polymers, detailing selected examples of triptycene-containing functional polymers. We also focus on the construction of triptycene-based two-dimensional assemblies and polymers, where space-filling designs based on rigid propeller-shaped skeletons are essential. Through a thorough literature survey, future directions and possibilities for the development of triptycene-containing functional materials are discussed. Triptycene-containing polymers featuring a rigid propeller-shaped structure have attracted attention for a wide range of potential applications including guest recognition, material transports, separations, catalysis, and organic electronics. Herein, with a thorough literature survey, we present the synthesis of the various types of triptycenes that provide components for functional polymers. We particularly focus on triptycene-containing polymers and two-dimensional assemblies based on the space-filling design that uses nested packing. Future perspectives on the functionalities brought about by the design of triptycene-containing polymers and molecular assemblies are also discussed.","PeriodicalId":20302,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Journal","volume":"56 9","pages":"791-818"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41428-024-00920-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141166168","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}