{"title":"Chitosan-derived activated carbon/chitosan composite beads for adsorptive removal of methylene blue and acid orange 7 dyes","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, a chitosan/activated carbon composite was developed for the sustainable removal of dye pollutants from activated carbon derived from chitosan. First, chitosan was converted into chitosan-derived activated carbon (C-AC) with a large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 2428 m<sup>2</sup>/g through carbonization using a potassium hydroxide (KOH) chemical activator. To enable simple separation from contaminated water and sustainable use in the adsorption process, the generated C-AC was incorporated into a bead-type, stable three-dimensional chitosan polymer network structure. The prepared C-AC-incorporated chitosan beads showed excellent adsorption capacity for the anionic acid orange 7 (AO) (511.38 mg/g) and the cationic methylene blue (MB) (413.08 mg/g). In addition, it maintained structural stability even in various pH environments and could be easily separated from contaminated water. The C-AC-incorporated chitosan beads showed excellent reusability and durability, maintaining at least 82% and 86% removal efficiencies for AO and MB dyes even after five reuses. This study suggests the potential use of chitosan as an eco-friendly adsorbent that can be utilized simultaneously as an activated carbon precursor and as a matrix for robust bead-like polymer composites.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142128887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Anionic ring-opening polymerization of ferrocenylcyclosiloxanes: a comprehensive structural study","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, a comprehensive structural analysis of the linear redox-active ferrocenyl-containing polysiloxanes (FPSs) was performed by the liquid-state <sup>1</sup>H, <sup>13</sup>C, and <sup>29</sup>Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and cyclic voltammetry. FPSs with tunable Fc unit content ranging from 20 to 100 mol% were obtained by anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP). The <sup>29</sup>Si NMR spectroscopy indicates the successful anionic homopolymerization of the mono- and tetraferrocenyl-substituted cyclotetrasiloxanes (Fc<sub>4</sub>D<sub>4</sub> and Fc<sub>1</sub>D<sub>4</sub>) by appearance of new signals of Si atoms corresponding to a polymer backbone. An analysis of pentad assignments in <sup>29</sup>Si NMR determined the anionic copolymerization of Fc<sub>4</sub>D<sub>4</sub> with D<sub>4</sub> by indicating signals of neighboring Si atoms from different types of polymer units (D<sup>F</sup> and D), which differ from the signals of homopolymers. The Mayo-Lewis copolymerization constants of Fc<sub>4</sub>D<sub>4</sub> and D<sub>4</sub> were determined by the Fineman–Ross method. The molecular masses and unimodal molecular weight distribution of FPSs were estimated by using GPC. FPSs possess redox-activity. Thus, the proposed comprehensive approach analyzes structural features of the functional silicones with enhanced redox properties, which can be applied in (opto)electronics, coatings, and biomedicine.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142088811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Modular design of Diels-Alder reversible networks for the facile production of highly tunable materials","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Covalent adaptable networks (CANs) have attracted significant attention due to their potential to form crosslinked, yet reprocessable networks. Their ability to rearrange upon exposure to specific stimuli, in combination with properties such as self-healing can advance the development of novel materials, including for additive manufacturing. Thorough understanding of structure-property relations and processing potential will aid future application-driven research in network design as well as material selection. Therefore, a multitude of CANs were synthesized herein, by crosslinking epoxide-based oligomers <em>via</em> the furan-maleimide Diels-Alder reaction, to evaluate small systematic variations of (co)monomer composition, crosslinker length/flexibility and crosslinking density as vectors of tuning the CANs' thermomechanical properties. Networks with glass transition temperatures (<em>T</em><sub>g</sub>) spanning from <−40 °C up to >20 °C and Young's Moduli spanning from 0.2 MPa to >500 MPa were readily attainable. Crosslinker length/flexibility had a profound impact on the tensile properties, while changes in backbone composition provided insight into the impact of secondary interactions <em>versus</em> rigid moieties on mechanical performance. Self-healing at ambient conditions was demonstrated for elastomeric networks, with healing efficiency being enhanced when using longer crosslinkers. Finally, a cell viability and metabolic activity assay provided a preliminary <em>in vitro</em> demonstration of the biocompatibility of these materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142088824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pore-selective immobilization of pH-sensitive polymer and glucose oxidase in the porous polyimide film for detection of glucose","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Glucose selective oxidizing enzyme of glucose oxidase (GOD) was immobilized on the carboxyl group (–COOH) functionalized porous polyimide (PI) film (PI-GOD film). The –COOH functionalized film was fabricated by the modified breath figure method (BF) by casting the PI solution under humid conditions containing KOH. The amine group of GOD was covalently bonded to the PI-COOH film under catalytic conditions for the PI-GOD film. The PI-GOD film induced the color change of the bromothymol blue (BTB) indicator solution from green to yellow by adding glucose due to the oxidation of glucose by GOD to gluconic acid acting as an acidic source. Amine-terminated pH-sensitive polymethacrylic acid polymer (PMAA) was additionally immobilized to the PI-GOD film for the PI-GOD-PMAA film. The morphology of the pore surface of the PI-GOD-PMAA film was changed by the addition of glucose due to the coil-to-globule transition of the pH-sensitive polymer by the production of gluconic acid as a result of the reaction between glucose and GOD. The insulin adsorbed on the film was released by adding glucose due to the morphology change of the pH-sensitive polymer. The detection sensitivity of glucose was increased by the pore-selectively immobilized GOD acting as a micro-reactor.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142088812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Engineering electrospun PAN/PCL blend for high-performance and eco-friendly particulate matter filtration","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Particulate matter (PM) is an air pollutant that poses a significant threat to human health. Efficient air filters are crucial for reducing PM pollution. However, several existing filtration materials fail under vigorous motion, such as twisting or stretching by high-velocity airflows, owing to their poor mechanical properties. In this study, we designed and fabricated a highly stretchable and biodegradable PM filtration membrane using electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/polycaprolactone (PCL) blended nanofibers. Our study incorporated polymer blend theory, particularly Hansen's solubility theory, to determine an optimal composition that not only provides particle absorption properties (minimizing PAN content without compromising absorption performance), but also significantly improves stretchability and biodegradability (maximizing PCL content). The resulting PAN/PCL air filters exhibited 100-times-enhanced stretchability and high filtration efficiency for PM2.5 (99.95%) and PM10 (99.89%), with a simultaneous low-pressure drop (121 Pa, only <1% of atmospheric pressure) under a high gas flow velocity (5 L/min ≈ face velocity of 0.3 m/s). Moreover, the 50/50 wt% PAN/PCL air filter demonstrated biodegradability, showing weight loss of up to 40% after 72 h of enzymatic degradation. Our highly efficient and biodegradable air filter, fabricated using PAN/PCL-blended nanofibers, offers new perspectives for the design and preparation of high-performance filtration materials. Moreover, it has potential applications in air pollution control and environmental protection.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142088825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Smart hydrogels in Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) applications","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Laboratory on-chip (LOC) technology facilitates numerous developments across diverse disciplines, such as medicine, tissue engineering, materials science, biomedical engineering, and biotechnology. Moreover, the potential applications appear boundless when LOC is integrated with intelligent hydrogels. In the literature, however, there are few accounts of the vast array of developments and applications that this combination has spawned. These new systems, which integrate smart hydrogels and LOC and thus significantly advance cutting-edge technology, have been thoroughly examined in this review. The functions of smart hydrogels in LOC applications were described and subsequently the developed intelligent hydrogels were classified as multi-responsive, thermo-responsive, pH-responsive, and stimuli-responsive (light, magnetic, and electric). Following this, details regarding tunable properties for LOC functions were provided, followed by a discussion of the fabrication processes and integration of these intelligent hydrogels into LOC systems, including their benefits and drawbacks. Following that, current literature examples of LOC systems utilizing these intelligent hydrogels for biosensing, 3D culture, tissue engineering, controlled release, personalized medicine, drug delivery, analyte enrichment, and organ-on-a-chip applications were presented. Following the presentation of state-of-the-art information regarding smart hydrogel characterization techniques, present challenges and prospective prospects were discussed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141991230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Synthesis and polymerization kinetics of bio-based liquid crystal polyesters based on plant-derived phenolic acid","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Liquid crystal polyesters (LCPs) have been employed in various applications, however, their sustainability of the replacement of petroleum-based materials by biomass resources remains a challenge. In particular, using low-cost, readily available bio-based monomers to synthesize LCPs is rarely explored. Herein, vanillic acid and ferulic acid as easily accessible plant-derived phenolic acids are used to prepare bio-based LCPs. Liquid crystal behaviors of the as-prepared LCPs can be observed through a polarized optical microscope, and their polymerization kinetics are studied by thin-film polymerization technique to reveal the relationship between the copolymerization composition and liquid crystal (LC) behaviors. The formation of LC for the as-prepared LCPs can be promoted by the increase of vanillic acid composition but inhibited by the increased ferulic acid composition. The prepared bio-based LCPs show high thermal stability with high glass transition temperatures of over 80 °C and high decomposition temperature of about 300 °C. This work develops two available bio-based monomers for preparing LCPs, showing a good promise in sustainability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141946672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Polyamidoamine dendrimer-modified polyvinylidene fluoride microporous membranes for protein separation","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106021","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106021","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The separation efficiency of pressure-driven filtration membranes is primarily dictated by the membrane pore size. Membranes with larger pores typically demonstrate high flux but low or zero rejection when it comes to separating small molecules. In protein separation, ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with pore sizes smaller than the molecular dimensions of target proteins are commonly used for size rejection. Taking inspiration from the separation mechanism of nanofiltration (NF) membranes, we hypothesize that introducing charged groups into membranes of appropriate pore sizes could significantly enhance the electrical interaction between membrane charges and protein charges. This enhancement, occurring at the nanoscale distance when protein molecules approach or pass through charged nanoscale membrane channels, may enable the rejection of proteins substantially smaller than the pore size. Using membranes with relatively large pore sizes could lead to an increase in flux. To test this hypothesis, we conducted experiments involving the modification of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with suitable pore sizes, using polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers to introduce negative charges to the membranes. The performance of the PVDF membranes and the modified membranes were investigated in the separation of whey proteins. To evaluate the contribution of steric and electrical hindrance to the solute separation, filtration experiments were performed using polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polyacrylic acid (PAA). The membranes were characterized using techniques such as attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that the modification enhances the rejection efficiency of whey proteins. The whey protein rejection and permeate flux for PVDF membranes were 58.9% and 15.3 LMH, respectively. Following alkaline treatment or PAMAM-G3.5 dendrimer modification, the whey protein rejection increased to 97.3% and 98.8%, respectively. However, alkaline treatment and PAMAM-G3.5 dendrimer modification resulted in a reduction of permeate flux to 5.6 LMH and 2.3 LMH, respectively. This suggests that increasing membrane charge effectively enhances the separation ability of filtration membranes in charged macromolecule separation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1381514824001962/pdfft?md5=8613643e74929d756d47f25840bfa69d&pid=1-s2.0-S1381514824001962-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142076118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Study on hemostatic and antibacterial properties of modified silicone rubber sponge","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>At present, gauze compression and hemostatic powder are commonly used in first aid to stop bleeding. However, the hemostatic effect of gauze compression is poor, and the hemostatic powder is easy to block blood vessels and causes thrombosis. Therefore, developing hemostatic materials with rapid hemostatic function and biosafety remains a challenge. In this article, a double layer hemostatic dressing based on silicone rubber (SR) was prepared. Among them, sponge layer was modified with polydopamine (PDA), and connected to the hydrophilic polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) by strong hydrogen bonding. The synergistic synergy of the blood cell affinity of the catechol group and the water absorption of sponge enhanced the hemostatic ability. For the SR layer, ZnO was grown in situ by hydrothermal method as an antimicrobial layer (SRZ). SRZ/PDA-PVP dressing has good mechanical properties, antibacterial properties, coagulation ability and excellent biocompatibility, providing a new idea for the development of hemostatic materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141946673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Preparation and performance evaluation of bio-based wood-plastic composites from ricinoleic acid ring-openning epoxidized soybean oil","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2024.106015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>With the enhancement of sustainable development concepts and environmental protection awareness, replacing fossil resources with biomass to prepare unsaturated polyester resins is an essential approach to achieve green chemistry. In this study, a bio-based unsaturated polyester (ERM) was synthesized using epoxidized soybean oil and castor oil acid as raw materials. The reinforced modification of two fast-growing woods, <em>Cunninghamia lanceolata</em> (Chinese fir) and <em>Pinus sylvestris</em> var. <em>mongolica</em> (Pine), was investigated. The structure and molecular weight of the polyester at various stages were detected through infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, and size exclusion chromatography. It was found that compared to the original wood, the density of the modified <em>Cunninghamia lanceolata</em> (Chinese fir) and <em>Pinus sylvestris</em> var. mongolica (Pine) increased from 0.36 g/cm<sup>3</sup> and 0.45 g/cm<sup>3</sup> to 0.9 g/cm<sup>3</sup> and 0.78 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, respectively. Their compressive strength increased from 30.1 MPa and 32.1 MPa to 73.9 MPa and 73.8 MPa, respectively. The water absorption rate decreased from 167.3% and 103.8% to 16.86% and 16.59%, respectively, and thermal stability also showed a significant improvement.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141946494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}