Facile Synthesis of Dual-Functional Cross-Linked Membranes with Contact-Killing Antimicrobial Properties and Humidity-Response.

Poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate-co-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate), P(HEMA-co-DMAEMAx), copolymers were quaternized through the reaction of a part of (dimethylamino)ethyl moieties of DMAEMA units with 1-bromohexadecane. Antimicrobial coatings were further prepared through the cross-linking reaction between the remaining DMAEMA units of these copolymers and the epoxide ring of poly(,-dimethylacrylamide-co-glycidyl methacrylate), P(DMAm-co-GMAx), copolymers. The combination of P(HEMA-co-DMAEMAx)/P(DMAm-co-GMAx) copolymers not only enabled control over quaternization and cross-linking for coating stabilization but also allowed the optimization of the processing routes towards a more facile cost-effective methodology and the use of environmentally friendly solvents like ethanol.

Room-Temperature Self-Healable Blends of Waterborne Polyurethanes with 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate-Based Polymers.

The design of self-healing agents is a topic of important scientific interest for the development of high-performance materials for coating applications. Herein, two series of copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with either the hydrophilic ,-dimethylacrylamide (DMAM) or the epoxy group-bearing hydrophobic glycidyl methacrylate were synthesized and studied as potential self-healing agents of waterborne polyurethanes (WPU). The molar percentage of DMAM or GMA units in the P(HEMA-co-DMAMy) and P(HEMA-co-GMAy) copolymers varies from 0% up to 80%.

Development of Environmentally Friendly Biocidal Coatings Based on Water-soluble Copolymers for Air-cleaning Filters.

Air pollution by pathogens has posed serious concern on global health during the last decades, especially since the breakout of the last pandemic. Therefore, advanced high-efficiency techniques for air purification are highly on demand. However, in air-filtering devices, the prevention of secondary pollution that may occur on the filters remains a challenge.

Advanced Collagen-Based Composites as Fertilizers Obtained by Recycling Lime Pelts Waste Resulted during Leather Manufacture.

Recent trends in ecological agriculture practices are focused on finding optimal solutions for reuse and recycling of pelt waste from tannery industry. In this context, new collagen-based hydrogels with NPK nutrients encapsulated have been functionalized with synthetic and natural additives, including starch and dolomite, to be used as composite fertilizers. Possible interaction mechanisms are presented in case of each synthetic or natural additive, ranging from strong linkages as a result of esterification reactions until hydrogen bonds and ionic valences.

Glycidyl Methacrylate-Based Copolymers as Healing Agents of Waterborne Polyurethanes.

Self-healing materials and self-healing mechanisms are two topics that have attracted huge scientific interest in recent decades. Macromolecular chemistry can provide appropriately tailored functional polymers with desired healing properties. Herein, we report the incorporation of glycidyl methacrylate-based (GMA) copolymers in waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) and the study of their potential healing ability.

Collagen-Based Hydrogels Composites from Hide Waste to Produce Smart Fertilizers.

The study aims at reusing and recycling the protein hide waste from the leather industry in ecological conditions by elaborating an innovative procedure in order to obtain a collagen matrix functionalized with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) nutrients to be used for preparing smart fertilizers. This is an interdisciplinary approach, as it starts from hide waste raw material as a critical industrial waste, which is then subjected to several technological steps by selection of optimal processing parameters, followed by product fabrication at the laboratory, and next scales to the industrial pilot plant to obtain novel agro-hydrogels. In this context, the technology scheme for collagen hydrolysate with encapsulated nutrients was proposed and the process parameters were optimized by functionalization of agro-hydrogels with various natural and synthetic polymers, such as polyacrylamide, poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) copolymer, starch or dolomite.

Modification of Collagen Derivatives with Water-Soluble Polymers for the Development of Cross-Linked Hydrogels for Controlled Release.

Novel cross-linked hydrogels were synthesized as potential materials for the development of smart biofertilizers. For this purpose, hydrogels were prepared using collagen hydrolysate recovered from tannery waste. The water-soluble polymer poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (P(SSNa-co-GMAx)) was among others used for the cross-linking reaction that combined hydrophilic nature with epoxide groups.