In this report, we merge block copolymers with vitrimers in an effort to realize the prospect of higher-order, nanoscale control over associative cross-link exchange and flow. We show the use of controlled polymerization as a vital tool to understand fundamental structure-property effects through the precise control of polymer architecture and molecular weight. Vitrimers derived from self-assembling block copolymers exhibit superior resistance to macroscopic deformation in comparison to their analogs generated from statistical copolymers. Our results suggest that the enhanced creep resistance achieved by control over chain topology in block vitrimers can be used to tune viscoelastic properties. The resistance to macroscopic deformation that arises from a microphase-separated structure in this new class of materials differentiates block vitrimers from their statistical counterparts and introduces the potential of topology-control over viscoelastic flow.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jacs.9b10360 | DOI Listing |
Nanomaterials (Basel)
December 2024
School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore.
This study investigates the effects of homopolymer additives and kinetic traps on the self-assembly of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide) (PEG-PLA) block copolymer (BCP) nanostructures in aqueous environments. By using non-adsorbing PEG homopolymers to kinetically trap PEG-PLA nanostructures, we demonstrate that varying the concentration and molecular weight of the added PEG induces a reversible micelle-to-vesicle transition. This transition is primarily driven by changes in the molecular geometry of the PEG-PLA BCPs due to excluded volume screening effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomacromolecules
December 2024
School of Chemistry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Sustainable Polymer Materials, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, Shaanxi, China.
X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy (XPDT) can penetrate deeply into the tumor tissues to overcome the disadvantage of conventional PDT. However, the therapeutic efficacy of XPDT in cancer therapy is still restricted due to the insufficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation at a relatively low irradiation dosage. Herein, we present the tumor pH and ROS-responsive polyprodrug micelles to load the X-ray photosensitizer verteporfin (VP) as an ROS production enhancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Mater
December 2024
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710072, China.
Carbon-supported single-atom catalysts exhibit exceptional properties in acidic CO reduction. However, traditional carbon supports fall short in building high-site-utilization and CO-rich interfacial environments, and the structural evolution of single-atom metals and catalytic mechanisms under realistic conditions remain ambiguous. Herein, an interconnected mesoporous carbon nanofiber and carbon nanosheet network (IPCF@CS) is reported, derived from microphase-separated block copolymer, to improve catalytic efficiency of isolated Ni.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall
December 2024
School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210096, China.
Submicron particulate matter (PM) can penetrate deeply into human tissue, posing a serious threat to human health. However, the electrostatic charge of commercial respirators is easily dissipated, making it difficult to maintain long-term filtration. Herein, a hierarchically porous filter based on nanofibers with accessible porosity and particulate-attractive surfaces, achieving significant filtration performance is developed through polarity-driven interactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Mater
December 2024
David H Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
Immune reactions to medical implants often lead to encapsulation by fibrotic tissue and impaired device function. This process is thought to initiate by protein adsorption, which enables immune cells to attach and mount an inflammatory response. Previously, several antifibrotic materials have been either designed to reduce protein adsorption or discovered via high-throughput screens (HTS) to favorably regulate inflammation.
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