Yonggen Zhang, Andeng Liu, Wenzhe Hao, Wenxi Guo, Jun Xu
{"title":"Mussel-Like Silk Fibroin Hydrogel With Skin Compliance Soft Electrode for Wearable Devices.","authors":"Yonggen Zhang, Andeng Liu, Wenzhe Hao, Wenxi Guo, Jun Xu","doi":"10.1002/marc.202400862","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202400862","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Flexible wearable electronic devices, capable of real-time physiological monitoring for personalized health management, are increasingly recognized for their convenience, comfort, and customization potential. Despite advancements, challenges persist for soft electrodes due to the skin's complex surface, biocompatibility demands, and modulus mismatch. In response, a mussel-inspired polydopamine-nanoclay-silk fibroin hydrogel (DA-C-SFH) is introduced, synthesized via a two-step process. The initial polydopamine oxidation introduces free catechol groups through polydopamine-incorporated nanoclay, followed by integration with silk fibroin, refining the fibroin network at the mesoscopic scale. This DA-C-SFH exhibits low modulus, high elasticity, adhesive properties, and biocompatibility, enabling conformal skin adhesion. It effectively detects subtle signals, such as pulse waves, and serves as a soft epidermal electrode, capable of recording various electrophysiological signals, including electrocardiograms and electromyograms, thus underscoring its potential in medical electronics and health monitoring applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":205,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Rapid Communications","volume":" ","pages":"e2400862"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143062599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xinzhen Fan, Mengqi Luo, Yulin Zhang, X X Zhu, Chuanzhuang Zhao
{"title":"Color-shifting Crystalline Colloidal Arrays from Polymers With Upper Critical Solution Temperature.","authors":"Xinzhen Fan, Mengqi Luo, Yulin Zhang, X X Zhu, Chuanzhuang Zhao","doi":"10.1002/marc.202401077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202401077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Crystalline colloidal arrays (CCAs) composed of core-shell microspheres with thermoresponsive structural iridescence governed by Bragg's law have garnered significant attention for diverse applications. While core-shell microspheres with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) properties are extensively studied, upper critical solution temperature (UCST) counterparts remain unexplored, offering the potential to expand the application scope of thermoresponsive CCAs. In this study, poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) (PNAGA), a UCST homopolymer, is employed for the first time to synthesize core-shell microspheres. By copolymerizing NAGA with the hydrophilic co-monomer acrylamide (AM) to form the shell, microspheres with soft shells capable of assembling into CCAs with bright iridescence are obtained. Owing to Bragg's law and the UCST properties of the shell, the diffraction wavelength of these CCAs depends on concentration, observation angle, and temperature. The CCAs exhibit thermoresponsive behavior, with a size transition temperature around 14°C. Upon heating, the shells swell, and the microspheres transition from a rigid to a soft state, leading to an increase in interparticle distance and enhanced stabilization of the ordered microsphere packing. This process results in a red shift and a significant increase in the intensity of the diffraction peak. The thermoresponsive properties of these CCAs highlight their potential as intelligent temperature-sensing materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":205,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Rapid Communications","volume":" ","pages":"e2401077"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143062667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Efficient Copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate and Lactide Using Metalate Catalysts.","authors":"Kanokon Upitak, Christophe M Thomas","doi":"10.1002/marc.202400895","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202400895","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The development of catalysts that are both robust and highly active at room temperature can often be seen as a major challenge in anionic polymerization. However, these properties are desirable for polymer synthesis because they allow for easy and sustainable production of interesting materials. Here, iron and magnesium complexes are used to form in situ generated metalate complexes that are shown to be highly active in the room temperature copolymerization of methyl methacrylate and lactide. Their ability to form homopolymers and block copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate) and polylactide shows that they are more stable than their organolithium counterparts and also more active than the neutral complexes from which they are derived.</p>","PeriodicalId":205,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Rapid Communications","volume":" ","pages":"e2400895"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143051175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Photochromic and Mechanochromic Functional Fibers.","authors":"Deqiang Wang, Yifan Ge, Fengbiao Chen, Hairui Deng, Yang Liu, Yinjun Chen","doi":"10.1002/marc.202400979","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202400979","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mechanically responsive polymer materials have garnered significant interest due to their unique ability to respond to external forces, leading to groundbreaking applications in visual stress mapping and damage detection. However, their use in fibers remains relatively unexplored. In this study, a mechanoresponsive polymer is synthesized by incorporating a spiropyran (SP) mechanophore into a polyurethane backbone. Based on this mechanoresponsive polyurethane, mechanochromic fibers are fabricated via solution spinning. The fibers exhibits a clear color change from colorless to blue when subjected to external tensile stress or ultraviolet irradiation, triggered by the activation of the SP mechanophore. Furthermore, the mechanical sensitivity of the fibers can be tailored by adjusting the orientation of the polymer chains through hot stretching. Fibers subjected to higher pre-stretching during post-processing displayed a mechanochromic response at lower strain levels. Various pre-stretched fibers are then made into a barcode, which exhibits distinct dynamic information via color change during stretching. The innovative application of function fibers, capable of storing information through mechanochromic response, offers a novel approach to the development of anti-counterfeit fibers.</p>","PeriodicalId":205,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Rapid Communications","volume":" ","pages":"e2400979"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143051186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Grant M Musgrave, Caleb J Reese, Tyler A Kirk, Chen Wang
{"title":"Solventless Dual-Cure Liquid Resins Via Circular Use of Phthalic Anhydride for Recyclable Composite Applications.","authors":"Grant M Musgrave, Caleb J Reese, Tyler A Kirk, Chen Wang","doi":"10.1002/marc.202400909","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202400909","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fiber-reinforced composites (FRCs) possess a remarkable strength-to-weight ratio, making them ideal light-weighing alternative materials of metals used in automotive, aerospace, and outdoor equipment applications, but their recycling is challenging. Chemically recyclable thermoset polymers can enable fiber recovery and reuse; however, challenges remain in the separation and purification of depolymerized small molecules for efficient polymer recycling. To this end, a series of liquid resins for chemically recyclable polymer networks is designed based on phthalic anhydride, a widely produced and inexpensive chemical. The straightforward sublimation of phthalic anhydride is leveraged to enable a simple and efficient separation process for polymer recycling. To liquefy phthalic anhydride, five mono-acryloyl-phthalates are synthesized to obtain stable liquid resins together with phthalic diglycidyl ester. These liquid resins undergo dual-cure reactions that comprise photopolymerization of acrylate and, subsequently, heat-mediated epoxy-acid polymerization reactions. These liquid resins exhibit moderate viscosities (2600-6400 cP @ 22 °C), fast curing, and robust thermomechanical properties (T<sub>g</sub>s from 71 to 116 °C). It is demonstrated that hydrolysis of the dual-cured polymers completes within 2 h at 80 °C, and direct sublimation produces phthalic anhydride with 82% yield. This resin system is expected to provide a cost-competitive, highly efficient platform for recyclable FRCs.</p>","PeriodicalId":205,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Rapid Communications","volume":" ","pages":"e2400909"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143051182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recent Advances in Direct Synthesis of Functional Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity Based on (Super)Acid Catalysis.","authors":"Xi Sun, Jifu Zheng, Shenghai Li, Suobo Zhang","doi":"10.1002/marc.202400958","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202400958","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) are an emerging class of amorphous organic porous materials with solution processability, which are widely used in a multitude of fields such as gas separation, ion conduction, nanofiltration, etc. PIMs have adjustable pore structure and functional pore wall, so it can achieve selective sieving for specific substances. In order to meet the functional requirements of PIMs, two principal methods are used to synthesize functional PIMs, namely, post-modification of PIMs precursors and functionalization of monomers. A number of post-modification routes have been reported, however, the direct synthesis of functional PIMs with diverse groups still remains a challenge. The synthesis of PIMs through the acid-catalyzed polyhydroxyalkylation has been demonstrated to be an effective solution, exhibiting the advantages of wider substrates range, milder reaction conditions, and higher molecular weight. Recently, a series of functional substrates for direct synthesis of PIMs have been proposed. This article presents a review and summary of recent advances in synthesizing PIMs via acid-catalyzed polyhydroxyalkylation, and the synthesis route and structure-activity relationship are emphasized, which provides a versatile platform for the direct synthesis of functional PIMs.</p>","PeriodicalId":205,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Rapid Communications","volume":" ","pages":"e2400958"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143051180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aaron Lee, Julian Heck, Josef Goding, Robert Luxenhofer, Rylie A Green
{"title":"Synthesis and Polymerization of Thiophene-Bearing 2-Oxazolines and 2-Oxazines.","authors":"Aaron Lee, Julian Heck, Josef Goding, Robert Luxenhofer, Rylie A Green","doi":"10.1002/marc.202400946","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202400946","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intrinsically conductive polymers have garnered a great deal of attention for use in medical and bioelectronic applications. Despite this, challenges associated with the mechanical stability, processability, and fabrication of conducting polymers have limited their utility. To circumvent these limitations, thiophene substituted 2-oxazolines (2Ox) and 2-oxazines (2Ozi) are introduced, which can be polymerized to form a thermally stable and potentially melt-processable polymers as precursors for conductive polymers. A series of such monomers are synthesized and yields above 50% are obtained for gram scale reactions. The monomers can subsequently be polymerized using standard cationic ring-opening methods to yield thiophene-bearing poly(2-oxazoline)s (POx) and poly(2-oxazine)s (POzi) with narrow to moderate dispersity. The polymers exhibit glass transition temperatures between 50 °C and 100 °C and thermal stability beyond 250 °C. Moreover, random copolymers can be produced by introducing aliphatic 2-oxazolines during polymer synthesis, which facilitates tailoring of the polymer properties and may enable new applications in melt extrusion printing or electrospinning of precursors for conducting polymer systems. Overall, a facile approach is described for the synthesis of thiophene-functionalized monomers and polymers, providing covalent integration of thiophenes that opens new avenues toward the generation of functional and stimuli-responsive biomaterials.</p>","PeriodicalId":205,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Rapid Communications","volume":" ","pages":"e2400946"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143051184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ming Yang, Ni Yao, Roman A Surmenev, Xinxin Zhang, Jianyong Yu, Shichao Zhang, Bin Ding
{"title":"Hybrid Nanofibrous Membrane with Durable Electret for Anti-Wetting Air Filtration.","authors":"Ming Yang, Ni Yao, Roman A Surmenev, Xinxin Zhang, Jianyong Yu, Shichao Zhang, Bin Ding","doi":"10.1002/marc.202401058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202401058","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Electrospun fibrous materials with fine fibers and small pores are fundamental for particulate matter (PM) filtration, addressing its harmful environmental and health impacts. However, the existing electrospun fibers are still limited to their sub-micron diameters and unstable surface electrostatic effect, leading to deteriorated filtration performance after prolonged storage or wetting. Herein, the study creates nanofibrous membranes with long-time stable electrostatics by electret-enhanced electrospinning. The phase separation and polarization of the charged jet are manipulated to achieve rapid stretch and strong electret. The obtained membrane exhibits nanosized structures with fiber diameters of ≈220 nm, pore size <1 µm, as well as robust surface potential of 0.4 kV. By virtue of the synergistic effects of sieving and adsorption, the nanofibrous membrane showed a remarkable PM<sub>0.3</sub> filtration efficiency of 96.6% and pressure drop of 140 Pa, even reaching the N90 standard after five wetting cycles. The design of such durable membranes will offer a new sight in the functional filtration materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":205,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Rapid Communications","volume":" ","pages":"e2401058"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143051177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Polysiloxane-Modified PMMA-Shell Phase Change Microcapsules for Thermal Management Fabrics.","authors":"Yang Chen, Xinbo Lu, Ziqiang Liu, Weiqiang Xiao, Lina Song, Linquan Lang, Hongqing Li, Xiaoli Zhan, Feng Gao, Qinghua Zhang","doi":"10.1002/marc.202400942","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202400942","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Critical issues such as leakage, degradation, and thermal response hysteresis have become the focus in the application of phase change materials (PCMs) in area such as thermal management of fabrics. The encapsulation of PCMs prepared as microcapsules using polysiloxanes, etc. as a component unit of crosslinking agents represents a highly promising avenue of research. In this work, organosilicon crosslinkers are prepared and employed for the crosslinking of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) for microencapsulation of paraffin wax in microcapsule phase change materials (mPCMs). The results showed that increasing the degree of crosslinking helps to improve the performance of mPCMs by smoothing the shell surface, but excessive crosslinking leads to flocculation, which reduces its performance. The mPCMs produced with 10% wt crosslinking agent gave the highest performance with encapsulation efficiency, melting enthalpy and crystallization enthalpy of 81.3%, 285.0 J g<sup>-1</sup> and 253.1 J g<sup>-1</sup>, respectively. The obtained mPCMs are also combined with epoxy resin and fabrics to form composite materials. Notably, the polysiloxane-modified mPCMs permit epoxy resins to achieve a maximum temperature reduction of 25 °C. By adjusting the mass ratio of organosilicon crosslinkers, the obtained mPCMs enable textiles to reach a maximum temperature reduction of 17 °C while maintaining satisfactory air permeability.</p>","PeriodicalId":205,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Rapid Communications","volume":" ","pages":"e2400942"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143051178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Z. L. Goh, N.K. Farhana, Fathiah Kamarulazam, M. Pershaanaa, Shahid Bashir, K. Ramesh, S. Ramesh
{"title":"Water as Dual-Function Plasticizer and Cosolvent in Gel Electrolytes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells","authors":"Z. L. Goh, N.K. Farhana, Fathiah Kamarulazam, M. Pershaanaa, Shahid Bashir, K. Ramesh, S. Ramesh","doi":"10.1002/marc.202570006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202570006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Back Cover</b>: This cover illustrates the pivotal role of water in creating a dynamic link between the hydroxypropyl cellulose polymer and organic solvents in gel polymer electrolytes. The innovative use of water as both a plasticizer and cosolvent enhances the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells. More details can be found in article 2400481 by Z. L. Goh, Shahid Bashir, K. Ramesh, S. Ramesh, and co-workers.\u0000\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure></p>","PeriodicalId":205,"journal":{"name":"Macromolecular Rapid Communications","volume":"46 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/marc.202570006","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143118455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}