Muhammad Rehman Asghar, Weibin Yu, Weiqi Zhang, Huaneng Su, Huiyuan Liu, Lei Xing, Xiaohui Yan, Qian Xu
{"title":"Improving the performance of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based proton exchange membranes with the addition of cellulose acetate for direct methanol fuel cells","authors":"Muhammad Rehman Asghar, Weibin Yu, Weiqi Zhang, Huaneng Su, Huiyuan Liu, Lei Xing, Xiaohui Yan, Qian Xu","doi":"10.1007/s10965-024-04126-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-024-04126-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this work, a poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and cellulose acetate (CA) blend membrane is developed using the solution casting method for a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The CA addition in PVDF polymer reduces the dense structure of the polymer and creates a porous surface by increasing the amorphous region that is confirmed by surface morphology and crystallinity examination tests. The high glass transition temperature of CA boosts the protection from the melting of PVDF membrane and increases the thermal shrinkage that reduces the probability of a short circuit. PVDF and CA with abundant hydroxyl groups and carboxylic groups enhance the water uptake, also the hydrogen bonding in between them promotes the mechanical strength and develops a tortuous structure that allows protons to pass through them and block the methanol crossover. The 60% PVDF and 40% CA blend membrane shows an ion exchange capacity value of 0.91 and a methanol permeability value of 4.21 × 10<sup>–7</sup> cm<sup>2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>, which is lower than that of the conventional Nafion 117 membrane (19.5 × 10<sup>–7</sup> cm<sup>2</sup> s<sup>−1</sup>). A direct methanol fuel cell with this membrane represents a power density value of 16.5 mW cm<sup>−2</sup> with a voltage and current density values of 0.178 V and 165 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> at 1 M methanol concentration and room temperature. Moreover, it shows a 70% voltage retention after 20 h of testing of the cell at room temperature that is superior to that of the commercial Nafion 117 membrane (48% voltage retention).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"31 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142208360","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhanced PBS nanocomposites with ZnO-Coated MWCNT for extending shelf life in sustainable food packaging applications","authors":"Fei-Fan Ge, Wei-Hua Yao, Pranut Potiyaraj, Jarrn-Horng Lin, Chin-San Wu, Lei Meng, Xuemei Zhang, Charasphat Preuksarattanawut, Zheng-Lu Ma, Chi-Hui Tsou","doi":"10.1007/s10965-024-04125-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-024-04125-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)-based nanocomposites, reinforced and toughened with ZnO-coated multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNT-ZnO), demonstrate significantly enhanced properties, making them ideal for potential applied in food packaging applications. This study explores the effects of varying proportions of MWCNT-ZnO on the overall characteristics of these composites. The addition of 0.1 parts per hundred (phr) MWCNT-ZnO optimizes the nanocomposites' mechanical properties, crystallinity, melting temperature, thermal stability, and barrier performance. Specifically, the composite exhibits a 22% increase in tensile strength, a 28.4% rise in yield strength, and a remarkable 95.7% enhancement in the material's elongation at break, compared to the pure PBS matrix. Moreover, these nanocomposites exhibit excellent antibacterial properties, crucial for food preservation and safety. The soil burial test indicates that, except for the addition of 0.1phr which is lower than pure PBS, the biodegradation rate increases with the increasing addition of MWCNT-ZnO. This further suggests that a low nanoparticle filler content can enhance structural compactness, thereby improving the mechanical stability. The study also reveals notable preservation benefits for vegetables. When used for beef packaging, this composite material successfully extends the meat's freshness period, substantially curtails bacterial proliferation, and ensures the beef remains within safe consumption parameters. The combination of enhanced mechanical, thermal, barrier, and antibacterial properties makes PBS/MWCNT-ZnO nanocomposites promising candidates for sustainable and efficient food packaging materials.</p><h3>Graphical Abstracts</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"31 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142208361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Stretchable, high ionic conductivity dual-network hydrogel-polymer electrolytes containing imidazole ionic liquids for supercapacitor and strain sensor","authors":"Xiang Liu, Zecheng Ni, Weiyi Li, Ping Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10965-024-04132-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-024-04132-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>With the rapid development of smart devices and wearable electronic products, there is an increasing demand for flexible, durable, and high-performance energy storage systems. Supercapacitors (SCs) have become strong candidates for the next generation of energy solutions due to their excellent power density, rapid charge and discharge capabilities, and long cycle life. However, the limitations of existing electrolytes in terms of high ionic conductivity, mechanical strength, and stability under extreme conditions have restricted the development of SCs. This study has developed a new type of dual-network hydrogel-polymer electrolyte (DNHPE) based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylamide (PAM), Lithium bistrifluoromethanesulfonimidate (LiTFSI), and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM][BF<sub>4</sub>]), to enhance mechanical performance and ionic conductivity. The DNHPE-1 exhibits outstanding ionic conductivity (9.34 S m<sup>−1</sup>), stretchability (650%), and thermal stability, which are crucial for the development of SCs and wearable sensors. In addition, the high strain sensitivity of the DNHPE-1 makes it an ideal material for strain sensors, capable of accurately monitoring various human movements. The research results show that the supercapacitor (SC) based on DNHPE-1 can operate effectively under different environmental conditions, demonstrating its broad application prospects in flexible, wearable smart devices.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"31 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142208362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hossein Abedini, Seyed Saeid Tayebi, Mohammad Daneshgar
{"title":"Modification of graphite to increase reaction rate in styrene/graphite in situ polymerization system","authors":"Hossein Abedini, Seyed Saeid Tayebi, Mohammad Daneshgar","doi":"10.1007/s10965-024-04135-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-024-04135-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this work, with the aim of increasing the monomer conversion rate in the styrene-graphite in situ polymerization system, graphite modification methods have been investigated. Modification of the graphite in the presence of nitric acid, sodium hydroxide or sodium dodecyl benzene sulfate (SDBS) was investigated with five different methods in order to reduce its adverse effects on the polymerization rate of styrene. The most effective modification approach was determined using quantitative data such as polymerization conversion and graphite dispersion in organic phase. Compared to other modified samples and unmodified graphite, graphite modified in sodium hydroxide solution with SDBS showed the most compatibility with the polymerization system and caused a significant increase in the monomer conversion rate. Monomer conversion increases by 22% and 29% respectively in the presence of 0.5% and 2% of the best modified graphite compared to non-modified graphite. Also, the results showed that this modification method stabilizes the suspension of graphite particles in styrene for a longer period of time than other methods.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"31 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142208363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cai Bo, Zhang Zhijia, Zhou Wenjun, Zhang Songsong, Wang Guojun, Wang Qiang, Ma Teng, Wang Lin, Wei Hao
{"title":"Review: Application status of antibacterial polyurethane","authors":"Cai Bo, Zhang Zhijia, Zhou Wenjun, Zhang Songsong, Wang Guojun, Wang Qiang, Ma Teng, Wang Lin, Wei Hao","doi":"10.1007/s10965-024-04092-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-024-04092-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Polyurethane is a kind of synthetic polymer composed of isocyanates, polyols and chain extenders. Due to its excellent mechanical flexibility, biodegradability and physicochemical properties, polyurethane is widely used in biological, medical, food and antifouling fields. With the continuous development of science and technology, ordinary polyurethane materials have been unable to meet people's diverse and high standard aseptic requirements, and the development and application of antibacterial polyurethane is getting more and more attention. In this paper, the antibacterial modification methods of polyurethane materials were introduced, and the application status and antibacterial mechanism of polyurethane materials in medical treatment, food packaging, water treatment and other aspects in recent years were reviewed. At the end, the problems faced in the application of antibacterial polyurethane materials and corresponding improvement measures are discussed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"31 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142208365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bing-Hong Yang, Shou-Yi Chang, Yulin Zhang, Fuqian Yang, Sanboh Lee
{"title":"Cracking in UV-irradiated poly(methyl methacrylate)/functionalized graphene composites: solvent effect","authors":"Bing-Hong Yang, Shou-Yi Chang, Yulin Zhang, Fuqian Yang, Sanboh Lee","doi":"10.1007/s10965-024-04124-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-024-04124-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this work, we study the combinational effects of UV irradiation, functionalized graphene (FG) sheets, and organic solvents on the crack evolution in PMMA/FG composites. The UV irradiation leads to the scission of polymer chains in the PMMA/FG composites with the FG sheets hindering the scission of polymer chains. The evolutions of surface cracks and the pre-formed crack in the PMMA/FG composites depend on the diffusion of organic solvents. The increase of Hansen solubility distance (HSD) with the solvent follows the order of cyclohexanol, 2EA, and 1-butanol sequence. The solvent with a smaller HSD diffuses faster in polymer, producing larger tensile stress to cause the nucleation and growth of cracks. The density of surface cracks and the length of the pre-formed crack decrease with increasing the FG fraction and HSD and increase with increasing the UV dose. The activation energy and heat of mixing for the growth of surface cracks increase with the FG fraction and HSD and decrease with increasing the UV dose. The activation energy for the growth of the pre-formed crack increases with increasing the FG fraction and HSD and decreases with increasing the UV dose. The activation energy for the inculcation period of the growth of the pre-formed crack has an opposite trend to the activation energy for the growth of the pre-formed crack versus the FG fraction, HSD, and UV dose. The experimental results show that the evolutions of surface cracks and the pre-formed crack follow the scaling law describing the diffusion of organic solvents in solids.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"31 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142208364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing photopolymerization and modeling kinetic degradation in dental composites","authors":"Rayenne Latoui, Djallel Bouzid, Mohamed-afif Belhani, Olivier Boyron","doi":"10.1007/s10965-024-04116-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-024-04116-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study aims to optimize the photopolymerization process of a dental composite in order to increase the degree of conversion and reduce the release of unpolymerized monomers. In addition, it seeks to understand the kinetics of composite degradation under various oral environmental conditions. Optimization of the photopolymerization process is carried out using a Box-Behnken design, exploring factors such as irradiation time, intensity and distance. Infrared spectroscopy is used to evaluate photopolymerization parameters. Release of unpolymerized monomers is quantified using liquid chromatography at different pH levels, incubation media and time. Thermogravimetric analysis is used to study thermal degradation and establish a kinetic model. Optimized conditions for photopolymerization, determined as an irradiation time of 40 s, an intensity of 1500 mW cm<sup>−2</sup>, and a distance of 5 mm, lead to a degree of conversion of 61%, reducing the presence of unpolymerized monomers. Chromatographic analysis reveals a pH-dependent release of monomers, with acid saliva showing the highest release. Thermal analysis indicates variable activation energy values depending on ageing conditions, underlining the importance of optimal conversion for increased material strength. This study offers a comprehensive approach to improving the properties of dental resins, and provides optimized conditions for light-curing that increase material strength.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"31 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142208366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Synthesis and optical properties of co-polycarbonate containing Cardo structure and binaphthalene structure","authors":"Chen Li, Qingyin Wang, Gongying Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10965-024-04122-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-024-04122-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this paper, molten transesterification was used with diphenyl carbonate (DPC), 9,9'-bis[6-(2-hydroxyethoxy)naphthyl]fluorine (BNEF), 2,2'-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy)-1,1'-binaphthalene (BHEBN) were used as the polymeric monomers to prepare a series of co-polycarbonates with different molar feeding ratios. It is found that when the molar ratio of BHEBN and BNEF is 6:4, the copolymer has more comprehensive properties. The Mn of the copolymer is 23000 Mn, the Mw is 40700, and the PDI is 1.77. The glass transition temperature is 147.6℃, the initial thermal decomposition temperature (T<sub>d,5%</sub>) is 338.9℃, the refractive index is 1.6753, the Abbe number is 18.7, and the light transmittance is 86.23%.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"31 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142208383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Design and fabrication of high-performance poly (p-phenylene azomethine) films for advanced organic photovoltaic applications","authors":"Amina Hamnas, Amritha Radhakrishnan, Unnikrishnan Gopalakrishna Panicker","doi":"10.1007/s10965-024-04123-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-024-04123-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A macromolecule viz; poly (p-phenylene azomethine) (PPAM) has been synthesized by a novel methodology for utilization in opto-electronic devices. The developed PPAM has been comprehensively characterized by using UV-Visible and FTIR techniques. X-ray studies affirmed the crystalline nature of PPAM, while UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, in DMSO, confirmed the extensive conjugation; with promising optical properties. Thermal stability was evaluated through thermogravimetric analysis. The computational analysis of PPAM was also implemented to complement the experimental observations. To explore practical applications, a homogenous film was successfully developed from PPAM with a minor quantity (0.25wt%) of poly(methyl methacrylate) PMMA. The resulting film was characterized for thermal stability, morphological features, and optical behaviour. The findings underscore the potential of PPAM as a versatile material with tunable properties, opening avenues for innovative applications in the realm of optical science.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"31 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142208384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaofeng Yu, Suo Gao, Chunjie Shi, Renyuan Song, Zhengyou Wei
{"title":"Inexpensive and readily available Ce2O3 and CeO2 catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of lactone","authors":"Xiaofeng Yu, Suo Gao, Chunjie Shi, Renyuan Song, Zhengyou Wei","doi":"10.1007/s10965-024-04115-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10965-024-04115-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Stable and inexpensive catalysts are particularly important in the catalysis industry. This study investigated cheap stable Ce<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and CeO<sub>2</sub> as catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization of <i>rac</i>-lactide (<i>rac</i>-LA) and ε-caprolactone (<i>ε</i>-CL)<i>.</i> Both Ce<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and CeO<sub>2</sub> effectively catalyzed the polymerization of lactones. The catalytic efficiency of Ce<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> was significantly higher than that of CeO<sub>2</sub>. The catalytic polymerization process was carried out under controlled conditions, and narrow molecular-weight distributions of polylactide and polycaprolactone were obtained. A kinetic study of the catalytic polymerization of <i>rac</i>-LA showed that the polymerization conformed to first-order kinetics and was controllable.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":658,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymer Research","volume":"31 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142208382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}