Selectivity of a Copper Oxide CO Reduction Electrocatalyst Shifted by a Bioinspired pH-Sensitive Polymer.

A bioinspired polymeric membrane capable of shifting the selectivity of a copper oxide electrocatalyst in the CO reduction reaction is described. The membrane is deposited on top of copper oxide thin films from wet deposition techniques under controlled conditions of humidity and self-assembles into an arranged network of micrometer-sized pores throughout the polymer cross-section. The membrane was composed of a block copolymer with a precisely controlled ratio of poly-4-vinylpyridine and poly(methyl methacrylate) blocks (PMMA--P4VP).

Soft Self-Assembled Mechanoelectrical Transducer Films from Conductive Microgel Waterborne Dispersions.

The present study aims in the developing of new soft transducers based on sophisticated stimuli-responsive microgels that exhibit spontaneous self-assembly forming cohesive films with conductive and mechanoelectrical properties. For that, oligo(ethylene glycol)-based stimuli-responsive microgels have been synthesized using bio-inspired catechol cross-linkers by one-step batch precipitation polymerization in aqueous media. Then, 3,4-ethylene dioxyyhiophene (EDOT) has been directly polymerized onto stimuli-responsive microgels using catechol groups as the unique dopant.

Electrode-modified block copoly-ionic liquid boosting the CO reduction toward CO in water-based media.

Coupling polymer and ionic liquids with electrodes for catalysis is a promising tool for optimization of electrocatalytic CO reduction reaction (CORR). Here, block copolymer ionic liquids BCPILs were synthesized controlled radical polymerization and nucleophilic post-substitution to introduce imidazole moieties. We show that, thanks to these PIL functionalities, the BCPIL/Re@HPC/GDL electrode can keep the selectivity toward CO when a higher amount of water is present in the electrolyte than the raw Re@HPC/GDL system.

CO-Triggered ON/OFF Wettability Switching on Bioinspired Polylactic Acid Porous Films for Controllable Bioadhesion.

Bioinspired honeycomb-like porous films with switchable properties have drawn much attention recently owing to their potential application in scenarios in which the conversion between two opposite properties is required. Herein, the CO-gas-triggered ON/OFF switching wettability of biocompatible polylactic acid (PLA) honeycomb porous films is fabricated. Highly ordered porous films with diameters between 2.

Bio-Inspired Silica Films Combining Block Copolymers Self-Assembly and Soft Chemistry: Paving the Way toward Artificial Exosqueleton of Seawater Diatoms.

This review is in line with the principles of bio-inspiration and biomimicry in order to envisage a softer and more environmentally friendly chemistry. Here, the source of inspiration is a microalga from the oceans with the ability to build an exoskeleton of silica under ambient conditions. Following this model, this review is interested in different ways of creating porous silica films with a hierarchical porosity similar to diatoms.