Preparation of superstructured comb polymers based on tadpole-shaped single-chain nanoparticles.

Compared with the formation of individual elements, the creation of superstructures often yields exceptional properties. This approach has been applied to assemble diverse synthetic building blocks (molecules, macromolecules, inorganic nanoparticles, ) into highly organized constructs. In the present study, a novel comb polymer superstructure is developed the grafting of tadpole-shaped single-chain nanoparticles (T-SCNPs) onto a high-molecular-weight linear backbone (H-LP).

Reversible Change in Performances of Polymer Networks via Invertible Architecture-Transformation of Cross-Links.

A polymer nanoparticle network using single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs) as cross-links is designed. The experimental and theoretical study shows that incorporating SCNPs in polymer networks leads to smaller mesh size, faster terminal relaxation time, and reduced fluctuation among cross-links, resulting in a significant increase in shear storage modulus, and enhancement in tensile stress. Notably, the reversible single-chain collapse of SCNPs under thermal stimulation enables the polymer network to undergo coherent changes between two topological states, thereby exhibiting reversible transformations between soft and stiff states.

Remarkable untangled dynamics behavior of multicyclic branched polystyrenes.

A typical multicyclic branched-topology polystyrene (c-BPS) with high molecular weight (30 K ≤ Mw MALLS ≤ 300 K g mol-1) and narrow dispersity (1.2 ≤ Đ ≤ 1.3) was efficiently synthesized by combining atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and atom transfer radical coupling (ATRC) techniques.

Laser irradiation method to prepare polyethylene porous fiber membrane with ultrahigh xylene gas filtration capacity.

In recent years, volatile organic compound (VOC) gases have caused potential harm to people's health. This study reveals the preparation of polyethylene porous fiber membrane with excellent low-concentration VOCs filtration performance via laser irradiation technology. A neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) pulsed laser beam was used to scan the laser-sensitive low-density polyethylene/carbon black (LDPE/CB) fibers prepared by nanolayer coextrusion in the air.

High Performance and Flexible Polyvinylpyrrolidone/Ag/AgTe Ternary Composite Film for Thermoelectric Power Generator.

In this work, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated Ag-rich AgTe nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by a wet chemical method using PVP coated Te NWs as templates, and a flexible PVP/Ag/AgTe ternary composite film on a nylon membrane was prepared by vacuum assisted filtration, followed by heat treatment. TEM and STEM observations of the focused ion beam prepared sample reveal that the composite film shows a porous network-like structure and that the Ag and AgTe exist as nanoparticles and NWs, respectively, both bonded with PVP. The Ag nanoparticles are formed by separation of the Ag-rich AgTe NWs during the heat treatment.

Nanolayer coextrusion: An efficient and environmentally friendly micro/nanofiber fabrication technique.

Researchers have developed many types of nanoscale materials with different properties. Among them, nanofibers have recently attracted increasing interest and attention due to their functional versatility and potential applications in diverse industries, including tapes, filtration, energy generation, and biomedical technologies. Nanolayer coextrusion, a novel polymer melt fiber processing technology, has gradually received attention due to its environmental friendliness, efficiency, simplicity and ability to be mass-produced.

Voltage-responsive single-chain polymer nanoparticles via host-guest interaction.

Poly(N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acrylamide) with pendant β-cyclodextrin was synthesized and intramolecularly crosslinked with bridged bis(ferrocene). This supramolecular nanoparticle can be changed reversibly between a coil and a nanoparticle upon external voltage stimuli.

Supramolecular Nanoparticles via Single-Chain Folding Driven by Ferrous Ions.

Single-chain nanoparticles can be obtained via single-chain folding assisted by intramolecular crosslinking reversibly or irreversibly. Single-chain folding is also an efficient route to simulate biomacromolecules. In present study, poly(N-hydroxyethylacrylamide-co-4'-(propoxy urethane ethyl acrylate)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine) (P(HEAm-co-EMA-Tpy)) is synthesized via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization.

A multifunctional azobenzene-based polymeric adsorbent for effective water remediation.

The efficient removal of trace carcinogenic organic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and ionic dyes, from water is an important technical challenge. We report a highly effective recyclable multifunctional azobenzene (AZ)-based silica-supported polymeric adsorbent which can simultaneously remove both PAHs and anionic dyes from water to below parts per billion (ppb) level based on multiple interactions such as the hydrophobic effect, π-π stacking and electrostatic interactions, thus providing a new strategy for designer water remediation materials.

Highly efficient separation, enrichment, and recovery of peptides by silica-supported polyethylenimine.

Highly efficient and charge-selective adsorption and desorption of peptides at trace level by a solid-phase adsorbent is described. The adsorbent of SiO2@PEI is synthesized by covalent immobilization of branched polyethylenimines (PEI) exclusively on the outer surface of the porous silica particles (∼300 μm). For aqueous peptides (Mw = 600-3000 Da), SiO2@PEI can capture the negatively charged ones and leave the positively charged ones intact, and by adjusting pH of the system peptides with different isoelectric points (pIs) can be well separated.

Design of D-π-A type photoacid generators for high efficiency excitation at 405 nm and 800 nm.

New sulfonium salts with diphenylamino asymmetrically substituted stilbene as a D-π-A conjugated system have been synthesized. The resulting photoacid generators exhibit a highly efficient acid photogeneration process by either one-photon 405 nm or two-photon 800 nm excitation.

Photochromism-based detection of volatile organic compounds by W-doped TiO2 nanofibers.

W-doped TiO(2) nanofibers with various compositions (W/Ti: 2-8%) were fabricated by the electrospinning method from respective precursor solutions containing tungsten(V) pentaethoxide, titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), followed with calcination at 550 °C. Morphological and structural characteristics of these nanofibers were studied with SEM, XRD and XPS. W-doping inhibited the crystal growth and anatase-to-rutile transformation of TiO(2) nanofibers.

Hydrophobic iron oxide and CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal loaded polyglutamate/polyelectrolyte micro- and nanocapsules.

A novel, simple and generic method for the preparation of hydrophobic nanocrystal loaded composite capsules is introduced. Firstly, magnetic Fe(3)O(4) nanocrystals prepared by pyrolysis of fatty acid iron salts in non-aqueous media were successfully incorporated into water-dispersible polyglutamate/polyelectrolyte capsules by combining an ultrasonic protocol and polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly. Then, inspired by the similar synthesis mechanism of oxide and semiconductor nanocrystals based on organometallic approaches in non-aqueous media, two kinds of fluorescent semiconductor quantum dots (zinc sulfide-capped cadmium selenide nanocrystals) were chosen as models to explore QD loaded composite capsules.

A facile method for the fabrication of vinyl functionalized hollow silica spheres.

In this paper, we adopt a facile method to prepare vinyl functionalized hollow silica spheres. Vinyl functionalized silica shells were coated on positively charged polystyrene particles by hydrolysis and condensation of vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES), the polystyrene cores were dissolved subsequently in the same medium to form monodispersed vinyl functionalized hollow silica spheres. Neither additional dissolving nor a calcination process is necessary to remove the polystyrene cores.

Preparation and electrochromic property of covalently bonded WO3/polyvinylimidazole core-shell microspheres.

Covalently bonded WO3/polyvinylimidazole (C-WO3/PVI) core-shell microspheres in sizes of 250 nm were prepared. The microstructures of C-WO3/PVI core-shell microspheres were characterized by TEM, IR, and XRD. It is found that the chemical and thermal stabilities of C-WO3/PVI core-shell microspheres are higher than those of pure WO3 nanoparticles and noncovalently bonded WO3/polyvinylimidazole (NC-WO3/PVI) core-shell microspheres.