European Polymer Journal最新文献

{"title":"Polyvinyl alcohol Hydrogels: Structure, Preparation, Modification Strategies and Biomedical Applications","authors":"Yichen Tian ,&nbsp;Yanan Li ,&nbsp;Mengyuan Xu ,&nbsp;Wenjie Li ,&nbsp;Hailin Cong ,&nbsp;Bing Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels constitute a fundamental material platform in biomedical engineering, distinguished by their inherent hydrophilicity, exceptional biocompatibility, and low cytotoxicity. Their unique molecular architecture, featuring abundant hydroxyl groups, serves as reactive sites for diverse chemical modifications. Strategies such as blending, graft copolymerization, and nanocomposite formation enable the effective incorporation of functional polymers, bioactive molecules, and nanomaterials into the PVA matrix. These strategies mitigate the intrinsic limitations of PVA while introducing tailored functionalities, facilitating the design of advanced hydrogels with enhanced performance. This review presents a systematic overview of modification strategies for PVA hydrogels, with the goal of enhancing their antibacterial properties, mechanical strength, and cell adhesion. It further explores their applications in wound dressings, drug delivery, tissue engineering, strain sensors, and biomedical detection. Finally, the review concludes by summarizing the application prospects and key challenges of PVA hydrogels, aiming to provide new insights for related biomedical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 114517"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dual-mode, selective-adhesive and conductive hydrogel for underwater sensing","authors":"Rongli Zhang ,&nbsp;Na Wang ,&nbsp;Chunhui Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conductive hydrogels have emerged as promising materials for wearable sensors in recent years. However, most of them have single ability to detect visual or conductive signals and exclude adhesion in water. To address these issues, polymethacrylamide/polyacrylic acid/zirconium ion/carbon quantum dots (PMAm/PAA/Zr⁴⁺/CQDs) hydrogels were adopted as the conductive matrix, followed by coating a gelatin-tannic acid adhesive layer at the bottom to obtain a Janus hydrogel. The Janus structure endowed the hydrogel with high strength (414 kPa) and strain (150 %), low swelling ratio (4 %), robust wet adhesion (30 N/m), and good sensing performances (with a conductivity of 5.6 S/m, and a gauge factor of 1.77), even after soaking in aqueous environments for a month. The incorporation of Zr⁴⁺ and CQDs endowed dual visual and electrical sensing, which synchronously converted mechanical deformations into resistance variations and high-contrast optical signals. Consequently, it simultaneously provided dual-mode feedbacks for various human motions both underwater and on land. Therefore, the present work opened new avenues for the development of flexible devices for underwater sensing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 114527"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Piperidinium-crosslinked block copolymer anion exchange membranes: Effect of crosslinking degree on membrane properties and water electrolysis performance","authors":"Hyun Ji Jang ,&nbsp;Hyun-Moon Jo ,&nbsp;Seungil Park,&nbsp;Jong Hyun An,&nbsp;Kyung-Won Park,&nbsp;Beom-Goo Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114520","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114520","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are key components in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) and require both high ionic conductivity and long-term durability. In this study, a quaternization-based crosslinking strategy was employed using 4,4′-trimethylenebis(1-methylpiperidine) (TMBMP), a chemically stable crosslinker under alkaline conditions, to enhance the ion exchange capacity (IEC), suppress membrane swelling, and improve alkaline stability. Polystyrene-<em>b</em>-poly(6-bromohexyl acrylate)-<em>b</em>-polystyrene (PSBHAS) block copolymers with various polystyrene contents (30, 44, 50, and 60 wt%) were synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and four types of crosslinked PSBHAS membranes (CPSBHAS30, CPSBHAS44, CPSBHAS50, and CPSBHAS60) were prepared to investigate the correlation between the degree of crosslinking and membrane properties. As the degree of crosslinking increased, both IEC and microphase separation improved. As a result, CPSBHAS30, with the highest degree of crosslinking, exhibited the highest hydroxide ion conductivity of 67.4 mS/cm at 80 °C. However, considering the core properties required for long-term durability, CPSBHAS50 exhibited the most balanced performance. CPSBHAS50 exhibited a low swelling ratio (22.6 % at 80 °C), high tensile strength (17.6  MPa), and excellent alkaline stability, retaining 86.7 % of its initial hydroxide ion conductivity after 720  h of immersion in 1  M KOH at 60 °C. Furthermore, under AEMWE operating conditions (1  M KOH, 60 °C, 2.0  V), it achieved a higher current density (0.926 A/cm²) than the commercial FAA-3–50 membrane (0.854 A/cm²) and maintained stable voltage operation for over 100  h at a constant current of 0.2 A/cm², demonstrating significant practical performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 114520"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Frontal polymerization enabled monolithic fabrication of hydrogel microfluidic chips","authors":"Jia-Le Lu ,&nbsp;Jiawei Wang ,&nbsp;Jingjing Ning,&nbsp;Rong Chen,&nbsp;Haixia Shen,&nbsp;Guo-Xing Li,&nbsp;Qing Li,&nbsp;Su Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114511","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114511","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional microfluidic chips, fabricated from rigid polymers like polydimethylsiloxane, fail to recapitulate the dynamic and compliant nature of the native extracellular matrix (ECM), limiting their broader applications in biomedicine. In contrast, hydrogel-based microfluidic chips offer a promising alternative. However, their fabrication remains challenging due to the structural fragility, often requiring multi-step processes and secondary bonding. Here, we report a paradigm-shifting strategy for the monolithic fabrication of hydrogel-based microfluidic chips by leveraging the unique spatiotemporal control of aqueous frontal polymerization (FP). We employ 3D-printed polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a sacrificial template, which is encapsulated and preserved within a propagating polymerization front. The Transient reaction zone<!--> <!-->rapidly solidifies the hydrogel matrix within minutes,<!--> <!-->enabling the sacrificial template in its pristine state<!--> <!-->without significant deformation. Subsequent removal of the template yields complex, high-fidelity, and leak-free microchannels, avoiding post-fabrication bonding. The resulting hydrogel chip exhibits robust mechanical properties, anti-swelling capacity, antibacterial activity, and superior biocompatibility, providing great potentials for biomedical applications. This FP-directed fabrication method provides great convenience for precise control over channel geometries and sizes, paving a new avenue for creating next-generation all- hydrogel biomimetic microfluidic platforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 114511"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of RuPhos in a Kumada polymerization: revealing the control in catalyst transfer polymerization","authors":"Cynthia Verduyckt ,&nbsp;Hanne Broux ,&nbsp;Julien De Winter ,&nbsp;Pascal Gerbaux ,&nbsp;Guy Koeckelberghs","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114512","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114512","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, the controlled nature of catalyst transfer polymerizations (CTP) has been significantly investigated and enhanced. Recent studies on Suzuki-Miyaura CTP (SMCTP) revealed that water converts the process into a chain-growth polymerization, while additional Buchwald ligands, particularly RuPhos, further enhance control. This improvement is attributed to the formation of Pd(RuPhos)₂ upon catalyst detachment, a bulky species with no affinity for water, which limits catalyst diffusion and suppresses transfer reactions. Despite extensive research on SMCTP, Buchwald ligands remain unexplored in other CTPs, except for RuPhos in Negishi-mediated polymerization, where transfer steps occur, even in a large extent. Kumada CTP (KCTP) has not been investigated in this context.</div><div>Here, we report the first KCTP using a Buchwald ligand-based external palladium initiator, 4-methyl benzoate-Pd(RuPhos)-iodine. First, the controlled nature of the polymerization was investigated and chain transfer and some termination was found. Second, the influence of extra equivalents of ligand severely worsens the controlled nature of the polymerization. These findings elucidate the mechanism of CTP and the role of additional ligand. It is shown that, if the catalysts detaches from the growing polymer chain, the controlled nature of CTP depends on Pd(RuPhos)₂ (de)formation and its diffusion. Poor solvent affinity to the ligated Pd-catalyst, as in aqueous mixtures (SMCTP), restricts diffusion and maintains control. In contrast, other (dry) organic solvents allow diffusion, reducing control despite inactive species formation. This work offers a mechanistic framework that may be extended to other catalyst–ligand–polymer combinations, although its broader generalization will require further experimental validation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 114512"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synergistic nitrate ester group bioconversion and thermal hazard mitigation through Rhodococcus-mediated nitrocellulose powder degradation","authors":"Juan Huang ,&nbsp;Alei Zhang ,&nbsp;Qi Yang ,&nbsp;Yajun Ding ,&nbsp;Zhongliang Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114505","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114505","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrocellulose (NC), a persistent organic pollutant, is widely distributed across various habitats and poses significant threats to both ecological systems and human safety. The microbial degradation of NC is crucial for future environmental sustainability. This study systematically investigates the biodegradation potential of <em>Rhodococcus pyridinivorans</em> toward NC powder through multi-dimensional characterization. Morphological analysis revealed that microbes degraded NC by disrupting its powdery structure into shredded fragments, accompanied by the formation of gully-like features on the fiber matrices. Structural investigations confirmed the transformation of energetic groups (–ONO₂) to hydroxyl moieties (–OH), accompanied by 1.0–1.3% nitrogen removal, indicating degradation process coupled with hydrolysis reaction. Molecular weight analysis demonstrated substantial depolymerization, with maximum number-average (<em>M</em>_n) and weight-average (<em>M</em>_w) molecular weights decreasing by 27.3% and 15.4%, respectively, suggesting cleavage of β-1,4-glycosidic bonds. The thermal decomposition mechanism of biotreated NC was evaluated based on kinetic parameters. The biodegradation preserved primary thermal decomposition pathways of NC while modifying its energetic behavior: biotreated NC reduced heat release and increased activation energy, indicating enhanced thermal stability. These findings demonstrate that <em>R. pyridinivorans</em> mediates NC degradation through synergistic denitration-hydrolysis mechanisms. This work provides mechanistic insights into microbial NC transformation and proposes a bio-based strategy for NC-containing wastes, with dual benefits of environmental remediation and safety enhancement for energetic material handling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 114505"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electro-spun biodegradable non-woven nano-fibers and moringa oil extract for knee cartilage regeneration: anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity","authors":"Marwa Y. Abdel Tawwab ,&nbsp;Bothaina M. Abdel-Hady ,&nbsp;Rizk Abd El-Moneim Rizk ,&nbsp;Amal I. Hassan ,&nbsp;Abdul Aziz M. Gad ,&nbsp;Amira A. Gamal ,&nbsp;Medhat W. Shafaa","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polycaprolactone/gelatin polymer nanofiber mats (PCL/GT)<!--> <!-->were fabricated using an electro-spinning technique.<!--> <em>Moringa oleifera</em> <!-->seed oil (<em>M. oleifera</em>) was loaded onto the mats using the post-spinning sorption method.<!--> <!-->The electro-spun<!--> <!-->nanofiber mat loaded with <em>M. oleifera</em> <!-->exhibited sustained release of the oil, with 85.3 % cumulative release after 28 days.<!--> <!-->The experimental data on <em>M. oleifera</em> and electro-spun mats loaded with oil ensure that they exhibit strong antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. During the 48 h incubation, oil-loaded mats P5G5 O7C3 exhibited an increase in bacterial inhibition compared to those of free oil electro-spun mats P5G5 C3 (<em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>; 86.62 ± 0.05 % and <em>Escherichia coli</em>; 90.23 ± 0.04 %).<!--> <!-->For electro-spun oil loaded mats, the antioxidant activity was increased with increasing the incubation time. The degradation products of an electro-spun polycaprolactone/gelatin nanofiber mat loaded with <em>M. oleifera</em> stimulated cell proliferation and migration. It rapidly reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in rat serum such as tumor necrosis factor and Interleukin 6 after mat implantation by increasing the mass of the oil-loaded mat. The histological examination of inflamed and treated knee rat tissue at the second and fourth weeks after sample implantation indicated that the oil-loaded mat has a good effect on the healing of knee synovial membrane and cartilage tissue after inflammation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 114510"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tailoring tensile properties of polymer nanocomposites with randomly dispersed multi-thread carbon nanothreads","authors":"Chengkai Li ,&nbsp;Bonan Li ,&nbsp;Yilin Gui ,&nbsp;Haifei Zhan","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114503","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114503","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding interfacial load transfer is the key challenge in developing high-performance polymer nanocomposites reinforced by one-dimensional nanothreads (NTHs). Here, large-scale molecular dynamics simulations are employed to elucidate how random dispersion of NTHs, the number of aggregated threads, functionalization, and cross-linking influence the tensile performance of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposites. Without cross-linking, tightly aggregated NTHs enhance Young’s modulus and tensile strength by reducing void formation and promoting stronger filler-filler interactions. Quad-thread pristine NTHs yields ∼ 7 % enhancement in Young’s modulus compared with individually dispersed NTHs as reinforcements. Meanwhile, –COOH functionalization provides the highest reinforcement effect. Covalent cross-linking at the filler-matrix interface markedly improves load transfer efficiency. However, increasing the number of cross-linking filler-matrix bonds disrupts the multi-thread architecture, resulting in excessive voids and weakening the non-bonded filler-filler interactions, leading to a reduction in the reinforcement efficiency. In this regard, adding inter-filler bonds between adjacent NTHs can stabilize the multi-thread architecture and further improve the mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites. Both internal and external cross-linked multi-thread samples show average ∼ 10 % enhancement of Young’s modulus and UTS than non-internally and externally cross-linked counterparts. These findings unveil the interplay between filler architectures, aggregation and interface modification in determining overall load transfer and reinforcement efficiency, which is beneficial for the development of high-performance polymer nanocomposites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"244 ","pages":"Article 114503"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How chain stereoconfiguration and molecular weight influence Poly(propylene oxide) crystallization","authors":"Juan Torres-Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Charlotte Fornaciari ,&nbsp;Ricardo A. Pérez-Camargo ,&nbsp;Agurtzane Mugica ,&nbsp;Manuela Zubitur ,&nbsp;Giovanni Preda ,&nbsp;Dario Pasini ,&nbsp;Olivier Coulembier ,&nbsp;Alejandro J. Müller","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114464","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114464","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We report on the synthesis and crystallization behavior of poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) with tunable molar masses and defined stereoconfiguration (PPO-<em>R</em> and PPO-<em>S</em>), obtained through controlled oxyanionic ring-opening polymerization using hexaethylene glycol (EG6) as the initiator, with an equimolar mixture of potassium acetate (KOAc) and 18-crown-6 ether (18C6). This method provides access to well-defined enantiopure PPO samples across a broad range of number-average molecular weights (<em>M_n</em>), allowing for the independent evaluation of how molecular weight and stereoconfiguration influence crystallization. Morphology, thermal transitions, structural features, and crystallization kinetics were analyzed using Polarized Light Optical Microscopy (PLOM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), in situ Wide- and Small-angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS/SAXS), and, for the first time in PPO, thermal fractionation via Successive Self-nucleation and Annealing (SSA). Both PPO-<em>R</em> and PPO-<em>S</em> display increasing thermal transitions with <em>M_n</em>, eventually reaching a plateau. Although they crystallize into identical orthorhombic unit cells, the two enantiomers show small yet consistent and reproducible kinetic differences across all techniques used: PPO-<em>R</em> crystallizes faster at low <em>M_n</em>, while PPO-<em>S</em> does so at high <em>M_n</em>. This crossover, related to a specific <em>M_n</em> value, though unexpected for two enantiomeric polymers forming identical lattices, was consistently observed by different experimental techniques across nucleation, spherulitic growth, overall crystallization rate, and SSA fractionation. This confirms the effect is real and experimentally reliable. We provide a mechanistic interpretation suggesting that stereoconfiguration could be influencing melt dynamics, likely through subtle differences in chain diffusion and entanglement onset. Racemic PPO-<em>R:S</em> blends were prepared at both low and high <em>M_n</em>. No stereocomplexation was observed; however, these blends exhibited lower melting transitions and slower crystallization kinetics than the enantiopure samples, possibly due to packing frustration between chains of opposite helicities. Overall, molecular weight and stereoconfiguration are effective parameters for tuning PPO crystallization kinetics, thereby enabling PPO-based blends and copolymers with controlled crystallization rates and expanded processability in biodegradable polymer systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 114464"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"pH-responsive nanocarrier: Chitosan- polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) nanoparticles for transdermal nucleic acid therapy","authors":"Yuxin Liu ,&nbsp;Wenxin Hu ,&nbsp;Caiyun Zhao ,&nbsp;Chengke Zhao ,&nbsp;Yan Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaojing Pei ,&nbsp;Jun Zhu ,&nbsp;Yongbo Lyu ,&nbsp;Zhaohui Qu","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114499","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2026.114499","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) has been demonstrated to possess pharmacological activities, including tissue repair and anti-inflammation, thus rendering it a promising ingredient in both regenerative medicine and cosmetics. However, its application is limited by issues including poor cell membrane permeability due to negative charge, susceptibility to nuclease degradation, and impaired transdermal delivery by the skin barrier. Herein, we constructed the pH-responsive PDRN nanocarrier (CP-NPs) using chitosan (CS) via electrostatic self-assembly. By regulating the molar ratio of CS amino groups to PDRN phosphate groups and optimizing the preparation process, uniform CP-NPs with an average particle size of 161.1 ± 6.2 nm were obtained. PDRN aggregation and protection against nuclease degradation was confirmed through a combination of characterization techniques, including dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and infrared spectroscopy, in conjunction with agarose gel electrophoresis. The pH-responsive properties of the material were confirmed through zeta potential and UV analysis. Furthermore, experimental findings demonstrated that CP-NPs exhibit excellent stability and biocompatibility, significantly enhancing antioxidant performance and hydration capacity. Further results proved that CP-NPs promoted the proliferation and migration of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), with the migration rate increased by 174.16 %, enhancing <em>in vitro</em> transdermal delivery capacity by 55.3 %, and improving <em>in vivo</em> penetration ability by 167.6 %. Human trials confirmed that CP-NPs could improve skin moisture content, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), glossiness, and elasticity without adverse reactions. This study provides a viable PDRN transdermal delivery approach, advancing “non-invasive nucleic acid therapy” in regenerative medicine and<!--> <!-->cosmetics and laying a foundation for topical PDRN clinical translation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 114499"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}