{"title":"Revealing the Effect of Non-rubber Components of Natural Rubber on Its Radiation Resistance Performance","authors":"En-Tao Luo, Liang Jing, Ling-Min Kong, Yu Peng, Hao Luo, Li-Juan Zhao, Zheng-Tian Xie, Jin-Rong Wu","doi":"10.1007/s10118-025-3330-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10118-025-3330-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Natural rubber (NR) is a crucial elastic material used for damping and sealing applications in the nuclear industry, but its mechanical stability under radiation remains inadequate. Current efforts to improve radiation resistance rely on the addition of antiradiation agents, however, the effects of the components and microstructures of NR itself on radiation resistance remain unclear. In this study, we compared the composition and structure differences of four typical commercially used NR materials and investigated their effects on gamma radiation resistance. Furthermore, we examined the impact of non-rubber components (NRC) in NR on radiation resistance using deproteinized and dephosphorylated NR model samples. Our results revealed that NRC, such as proteins and phospholipids can enhance the strength of natural rubber before radiation exposure. However, after the removal of NRC, the samples exhibited improved mechanical stability under irradiation. Additionally, the ash content in NR could also influence the radiation resistance, as metal ions may react with the active centers produced by radiation, thereby enhancing the radiation resistance of the rubber. This work identifies the effect of non-rubber components in NR on radiation resistance and may serve as a reference for screening and developing radiation-resistant NR materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":517,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"43 7","pages":"1190 - 1199"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145168396","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}
Chang-Yue Liu, Zi-Xuan Wang, Tian-Yu Li, Ji-Ping Yang, Zhi-Jian Wang
{"title":"Active Pillar Array Structure by Solvent-free Liquid Crystal Elastomer Resin","authors":"Chang-Yue Liu, Zi-Xuan Wang, Tian-Yu Li, Ji-Ping Yang, Zhi-Jian Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10118-025-3322-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10118-025-3322-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Bioinspired active pillar structures, known for their large surface area, mechanical compliance, and diverse deformation modes, have garnered extensive research interest. Among various active pillar structures, liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) pillar arrays are capable of exhibiting significant and reversible anisotropic deformation under cyclic heating and cooling, showing great potential in tunable adhesion, soft robots, and biomedical devices. However, scaling up LCE pillar manufacturing remains challenging, limiting its practical applications. In this work, a solvent-free LCE resin is developed with unique features including simple operating procedure, short fabrication time, and tunable responsive temperature, enabling rapid and large-scale production of LCE pillar arrays. The LCE resin allows for the preparation of complex 3D shapes in addition to film or specimen. The fabrication time can be as short as 4 h, without the need to evaporate solvent. Moreover, the LCE resins can be adjusted with a variable phase transition temperature range from 49.4 °C to 97.7 °C by incorporating non-liquid crystal acrylate chains. The resulting active pillar array structure can undertake sequential actuation upon heating with the tunable actuation temperature. Finally, the application of these pillar arrays in multi-level information encryption is demonstrated. The LCE pillar structure introduced here offers a new strategy for constructing advanced active LCE structures with tunable responsive behavior.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":517,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"43 6","pages":"1012 - 1021"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145165080","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}
Hui Li, Zi-Jian Xue, Yao-Hong Xue, Yingxiang Li, Hong Liu
{"title":"Topological Structure Evolution of Polymer Network Based on Star-shaped Multi-armed Precursors","authors":"Hui Li, Zi-Jian Xue, Yao-Hong Xue, Yingxiang Li, Hong Liu","doi":"10.1007/s10118-025-3324-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10118-025-3324-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The performance of polymer networks is directly determined by their structure. Understanding the network structure offers insights into optimizing material performance, such as elasticity, toughness, and swelling behavior. Herein, in this study we introduce the Dijkstra algorithm from graph theory to characterize polymer networks based on star-shaped multi-armed precursors by employing coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations coupled with stochastic reaction model. Our research focuses on the structure characteristics of the generated networks, including the number and size of loops, as well as network dispersity characterized by loops. Tracking the number of loops during network generation allows for the identification of the gel point. The size distribution of loops in the network is primarily related to the functionality of the precursors, and the system with fewer precursor arms exhibiting larger average loop sizes. Strain-stress curves indicate that materials with identical functionality and precursor arm lengths generally exhibit superior performance. This method of characterizing network structures helps to refine microscopic structural analysis and contributes to the enhancement and optimization of material properties.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":517,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"43 7","pages":"1240 - 1252"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145165077","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":"Thermally Induced Transferable Silk Nanofibrils-based Gas-Liquid Interfacial Films: Formation and Applications","authors":"Yi Liu, Xu-Yang Chen, Bian-Liang Miao, Min-Di Ming, Qing-Rui Lin, Zheng-Zhong Shao","doi":"10.1007/s10118-025-3315-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10118-025-3315-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Gas-liquid interfacial films have emerged as versatile materials for surface modification in biomedical applications, agriculture, and antifouling owing to their strong substrate-bonding capabilities. Silk nanofibrils (SNF), as nanoscale building blocks of silk, exhibit exceptional mechanical stability, high crystallinity, and aqueous adaptability, making them ideal candidates for fabricating interfacial films. However, conventional fabrication methods for SNF- or protein-based interfacial films often involve complex and resource-intensive chemical processes. To overcome these challenges, this study introduces a simple and efficient strategy for preparing thermally induced SNF gas-liquid interfacial films <i>via</i> heat treatment, leveraging thermal evaporation-induced concentration to drive self-assembly. The method demonstrated broad applicability to various proteins and hydrophilic substrates, offering versatility and sustainability. Furthermore, the prepared films exhibited potential as antifouling and anti-counterfeiting functional coatings, significantly expanding the application scenarios of protein-based interfacial films.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":517,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"43 6","pages":"1001 - 1011"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145165081","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}
Ran Ding, Lin-Jun Zhang, Li-Fei Wang, Du Chen, Yi-Wen Li, Zhao Wang
{"title":"Mechanochemical Synthesis of Linear Melanin-like Polymer with Tunable Physical Properties","authors":"Ran Ding, Lin-Jun Zhang, Li-Fei Wang, Du Chen, Yi-Wen Li, Zhao Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10118-025-3325-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10118-025-3325-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polydopamine-based melanin-like materials have been widely used in the fields of ultraviolet (UV) shielding, solar desalination and anti-inflammatory treatment owing to their unique physical properties. The well-established synthesis of polydopamine nanoparticles involves the oxidative polymerization of dopamine-derived monomers, resulting in cross-linked nanostructures with high complexity and heterogeneity. Therefore, the controlled synthesis of polydopamine-based melanin-like materials with well-defined structures and predictable properties remains challenging. Herein, we propose a mechanochemical Suzuki polymerization approach for the synthesis of linear melanin-like polymers with tunable physical properties. Compared with polydopamine nanoparticles, the mechanochemical approach offers a more flexible chain-like structure, thereby enhancing its antioxidant performance. Furthermore, this approach also enables the preparation of a melanin-like alternating copolymer that exhibits green fluorescence owing to its <i>π</i>-conjugated structure. This study not only offers opportunities for exploring novel synthetic melanin materials, but also provides new insights into the structure-function relationships of polydopamine-based materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":517,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"43 6","pages":"1032 - 1042"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145165338","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}
Nan Xu, Guo-Fang Qiu, Li-Ping Jin, Chen-Peng Ji, Cong-Ke Gu, Ling-Xin He, Wen-Wen Guo
{"title":"Preparation and Properties of Fire-retardant Epoxy Resin Containing an Environmentally Friendly Bio-based CS@SA@ZIF-67 Core-shell Nano-hybrid","authors":"Nan Xu, Guo-Fang Qiu, Li-Ping Jin, Chen-Peng Ji, Cong-Ke Gu, Ling-Xin He, Wen-Wen Guo","doi":"10.1007/s10118-025-3326-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10118-025-3326-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this study, a novel CS@SA@ZIF-67 core-shell nano-hybrid was synthesized using zeolitic imidazole framework-67 (ZIF-67) as a template and CS@SA@ZIF-67 as a modifier. Then, flame-retardant nanocomposites (EP/CS@SA@ZIF-67) were obtained by combining the hybrid with epoxy resins. The microstructure and morphology of CS@SA@ZIF-67 and the residual chars were explored using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the effect of the obtained hybrid materials on the fire performance of the epoxy resins was characterized. Compared with the flame retardant system composed of ZIF-67 and pure EP, the hybrid flame retardant composites exhibited low total heat release and smoke production. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that the maximum thermal decomposition temperature of the EP/CS@SA@ZIF-67 based composite coating was stabilized at the highest value (378.2 and 563.9 °C) so that the introduction of CS@SA@ZIF-67 could improve the thermal properties of the EP/CS@SA@ZIF-67 composites to a certain extent. Meanwhile, the cone test results indicated that the peak heat release rate pHRR of the CS@SA@ZIF-67 filled EP composite was reduced by 18.43% compared to that of pure EP, implying enhanced flame retardancy. The enhanced thermal stability and flame retardancy of the CS@SA@ZIF-67 composites were mainly ascribed to the catalytic effect and carbonization ability of CS@SA@ZIF-67.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":517,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"43 5","pages":"828 - 836"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145165201","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}
Xi-Lin Pei, Quan Yang, Yan-Lu Sun, Wei Wu, Jian-Yong Yu, Yong He
{"title":"Influence of Bromo-Aromatic Substrates on Direct Arylation of EDOTs toward Higher Molecular Conjugate Polymer","authors":"Xi-Lin Pei, Quan Yang, Yan-Lu Sun, Wei Wu, Jian-Yong Yu, Yong He","doi":"10.1007/s10118-025-3327-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10118-025-3327-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The influence of the electronic and steric properties of bromoaromatic substrates on direct arylation polymerization for synthesizing high-molecular-weight conjugated polymers was investigated through a combination of experiments and calculations. Bromo-aromatic substrates with electron-withdrawing fluoro substituents exhibited higher yields and degrees of polymerization under PPh<sub>3</sub>-assisted conditions compared to those with electron-donating or bulky methyl substituents. Additionally, excessive steric hindrance at ortho-sites or overly electron-deficient dibromoaromatic substrates leads to reaction inactivation. Calculations indicated that electron-withdrawing substituents enhanced the electrophilicity of arylpalladium-PPh<sub>3</sub> intermediates, facilitating the activation of electron-rich arylative substrates and promoting polymer growth. Furthermore, steric hindrance from the substituents can influence the preferred reaction pathway, thereby increasing the real reaction barriers. Both experimental and computational results suggest that bromoaromatic substrates with optimized electron-deficient characteristics significantly improve monomer conversion and polymerization efficiency with <i>n</i>-hexylmethylether-substituted EDOT. These findings clarify how the electronic and steric properties of bromo-aromatic substrates affect EDOT derivative activation and are expected to aid in optimizing the polymerization conditions for the preparation of high-molecular-weight conjugated polymers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":517,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"43 5","pages":"718 - 729"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145163777","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":"Nucleobase-tackified Thioctic Acid-based Degradable and Recyclable Supramolecular Polymer Adhesives","authors":"Jiang Wu, Zan Hua, Guang-Ming Liu","doi":"10.1007/s10118-025-3321-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10118-025-3321-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polymeric materials which can undergo controlled degradation and recycling are of great significance for a sustainable society. Although tremendous progress has been made in the degradation and recycling of both thermoplastic and thermoset plastics, the development of high-performance degradable polymer adhesives is rare. Here, we have prepared high-performance nucleobase-containing thioctic acid-based supramolecular polymer adhesives through free radical polymerization. The specific hydrogen-bonding interactions between complementary nucleobases greatly improve the weak cohesion of the thioctic acid-based polymers and enhance the environmental stability of the thioctic acid-based polymers simultaneously. Degradation of the nucleobase-containing thioctic acid-based supramolecular polymers is achieved by the reduction of the disulfide backbone, and the cycle of degradation and repolymerization is further achieved <i>via</i> oxidative polymerization. The adhesion strength of the nucleobase-containing thioctic acid-based supramolecular polymers after two cycles of degradation and repolymerization still reaches as high as 4.7±0.3 MPa. This work provides an approach for the development of environmentally stable and high-performance degradable thioctic acid-based adhesives.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":517,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"43 7","pages":"1089 - 1095"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145142906","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}
An-Yan Wang, Zhi-Xuan Zhang, De-Xiang Sun, Yong Wang
{"title":"Synchronously Enhancing Crystallization Ability and Mechanical Properties of the Polylactide Film via Incorporating Stereocomplex Crystallite Fibers","authors":"An-Yan Wang, Zhi-Xuan Zhang, De-Xiang Sun, Yong Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10118-025-3323-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10118-025-3323-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) has been widely concerned because of its excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, the poor crystallization ability of PLLA during the molding process not only leads to weak mechanical properties but also reduces the processing efficiency, which limits the application of PLLA greatly. Enhancing crystallization ability of PLLA <i>via</i> introducing inorganic nanoparticles usually sacrifices biodegradability or transparency. Here, the microfine fibers with stereocomplex (SC) crystallites were incorporated into PLLA film to tailor the crystallization ability of PLLA as well as the mechanical properties. The results confirmed that the crystallization ability of PLLA matrix under different circumstances could be greatly enhanced by a few amounts of SC crystalline fibers, and synchronously enhanced tensile strength and ductility were also achieved, especially at relatively high temperature. Due to the relatively homogeneous dispersion of SC crystalline fibers and the similar refractive index between components, the PLLA-based film also exhibited high transparency, up to 85%-90% depending on the content of SC crystalline fibers. This work provides guidance for manufacturing transparent PLLA-based packaging materials with good crystallization capability and mechanical properties.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":517,"journal":{"name":"Chinese Journal of Polymer Science","volume":"43 5","pages":"793 - 807"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145163336","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}