A kind of epoxy-functionalized flexible graft polyesters containing pendant polydimethylsiloxane short chains (ADSE) as novel tougheners for epoxies were developed. The polyesters with varying compositions were synthesized using dodecanedioic acid and azelaic acid as diacids, diethylene glycol and a Y-shaped mono-terminal bis‑carbon hydroxyl polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as diols, and two epoxy compounds as capping agents. Chemical structure and crystallization property of ADSE were well characterized by 1H NMR, FTIR, GPC and DSC. Viscosity testing revealed a higher content of PDMS resulted in a lower viscosity of ADSE. Polyester containing 50% of PDMS in diols (ADSE50) showed best toughening and strengthening performance for epoxies. The epoxy thermosets containing 2% of ADSE50 exhibited the maximum impact strength of 40.42 kJ/m2 and tensile strength of 103.25 MPa, which increase of 94.14% and 34.21% compared with that of neat epoxy. The introduction of ADSE50 also increased the glass transition temperature (Tg), initial thermal decomposition temperature, hydrophobicity and maintain high transparency of epoxy thermosets. The polyester of ADSE 50 was demonstrated to be a versatile toughener, capable of fabricating high-performance epoxy thermosets.
{"title":"Reactive and flexible graft polyesters with polydimethylsiloxane side chains as versatile tougheners for epoxies","authors":"Shibo Pei, Yanli Xiang, Peng Zhang, Xv Meng, Chenyi Wang, Qiang Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A kind of epoxy-functionalized flexible graft polyesters containing pendant polydimethylsiloxane short chains (ADSE) as novel tougheners for epoxies were developed. The polyesters with varying compositions were synthesized using dodecanedioic acid and azelaic acid as diacids, diethylene glycol and a Y-shaped mono-terminal bis‑carbon hydroxyl polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as diols, and two epoxy compounds as capping agents. Chemical structure and crystallization property of ADSE were well characterized by <sup>1</sup>H NMR, FTIR, GPC and DSC. Viscosity testing revealed a higher content of PDMS resulted in a lower viscosity of ADSE. Polyester containing 50% of PDMS in diols (ADSE50) showed best toughening and strengthening performance for epoxies. The epoxy thermosets containing 2% of ADSE50 exhibited the maximum impact strength of 40.42 kJ/m<sup>2</sup> and tensile strength of 103.25 MPa, which increase of 94.14% and 34.21% compared with that of neat epoxy. The introduction of ADSE50 also increased the glass transition temperature (<em>T</em><sub>g</sub>), initial thermal decomposition temperature, hydrophobicity and maintain high transparency of epoxy thermosets. The polyester of ADSE 50 was demonstrated to be a versatile toughener, capable of fabricating high-performance epoxy thermosets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 106719"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147388148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-03-03DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106720
Peng Xiang , Dianpu Ma , Shuqun Zhang , Yiyuan He , You'’an Zhou , Aimin Xing , Wenhui Ma , Yunfei He , Shaoyun Shan
Room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (RTV) crosslinked with conventional silane agents often suffers from limited thermal stability and mechanical properties. To address this issue, a novel phosphazene–silane hybrid crosslinking agent (HC-PD-KH) was synthesized from a phosphazene derivative and 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH-560) via epoxy ring-opening reaction. HC-PD-KH was used as a crosslinking agent to prepare RTV with hydroxy terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix in the presence of an organotin catalyst. Comprehensive characterization revealed remarkable performance improvements: TGA showed significantly enhanced thermal stability compared with KH-560 systems, the 10% weight loss temperature (T₁₀) rose from 385.7 °C to 444.5 °C, the char yield at 800 °C rose dramatically from 1.2% to 11.4%; DMA and tensile tests demonstrated higher damping properties, tensile strength and modulus: the tensile strength and elongation at break reached 1.26 MPa and 200%; water contact angle measurements indicated improved hydrophobicity, with the water contact angle increasing from 93.5° to 103.4°. These enhancements are attributed to the rigid backbone of phosphazene rings and phenyl groups, the contribution of polar NH moieties, and the uniform dispersion of HC-PD-KH within the silicone matrix. This study provides a promising strategy for the molecular design and crosslinking of high-performance RTV.
{"title":"A Phosphazene-Silane hybrid crosslinker for room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber: Synthesis, structure and performance enhancement","authors":"Peng Xiang , Dianpu Ma , Shuqun Zhang , Yiyuan He , You'’an Zhou , Aimin Xing , Wenhui Ma , Yunfei He , Shaoyun Shan","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (RTV) crosslinked with conventional silane agents often suffers from limited thermal stability and mechanical properties. To address this issue, a novel phosphazene–silane hybrid crosslinking agent (HC-PD-KH) was synthesized from a phosphazene derivative and 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH-560) via epoxy ring-opening reaction. HC-PD-KH was used as a crosslinking agent to prepare RTV with hydroxy terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix in the presence of an organotin catalyst. Comprehensive characterization revealed remarkable performance improvements: TGA showed significantly enhanced thermal stability compared with KH-560 systems, the 10% weight loss temperature (T₁₀) rose from 385.7 °C to 444.5 °C, the char yield at 800 °C rose dramatically from 1.2% to 11.4%; DMA and tensile tests demonstrated higher damping properties, tensile strength and modulus: the tensile strength and elongation at break reached 1.26 MPa and 200%; water contact angle measurements indicated improved hydrophobicity, with the water contact angle increasing from 93.5° to 103.4°. These enhancements are attributed to the rigid backbone of phosphazene rings and phenyl groups, the contribution of polar N<img>H moieties, and the uniform dispersion of HC-PD-KH within the silicone matrix. This study provides a promising strategy for the molecular design and crosslinking of high-performance RTV.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 106720"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A self-healing hydrogel electrolyte was fabricated by integrating CNTs-COOH as a three-dimensional conductive scaffold, demonstrating synergistic properties of enhanced electrochemical performance and biodegradability. This well-designed strategy for introducing CNTs-COOH can not only improve the mechanical properties and self-healing performance of the hydrogel electrolyte, but also booste its electrical conductivity. The results showed that when CNTs-COOH content was 0.1 wt%, the tensile strength of the CPZC-0.1C gel reached 63.93 kPa, up from 17.78 kPa, while the stress self-healing efficiency achieved 98.49%. More critically, the battery assembled with CPZC-0.1C delivered an ionic conductivity of 2.63 × 10−3 S cm−1, retained ∼73% of its initial capacity after 2000 cycles at 2 A g−1, with a Coulombic efficiency close to 91%, exhibited satisfactory long-term cycling stability, good rate capability and excellent Coulomb efficiency. Even after three cut/self-healing events within 200 cycles, the battery still maintained ∼60% of its capacity, evidencing outstanding multi-cycle self-healing stability. The electrochemical performance of the healed battery is virtually identical to that of the pristine battery. Moreover, CPZC-0.1C gel electrolytes are environmentally safe and ambietly degradable, making them sustainable candidates for eco-friendly batteries with promising application prospects.
将碳纳米管- cooh作为三维导电支架，制备了一种自修复的水凝胶电解质，显示出增强电化学性能和生物降解性的协同特性。这种精心设计的引入碳纳米管- cooh的策略不仅可以改善水凝胶电解质的力学性能和自愈性能，还可以提高其导电性。结果表明，当CNTs-COOH含量为0.1 wt%时，CPZC-0.1C凝胶的抗拉强度由17.78 kPa提高到63.93 kPa，应力自愈效率达到98.49%。更重要的是，CPZC-0.1C组装的电池离子电导率为2.63 × 10−3 S cm−1，在2 A g−1下循环2000次后仍保持初始容量的约73%，库仑效率接近91%，具有令人满意的长期循环稳定性，具有良好的倍率能力和出色的库仑效率。即使在200个周期内发生三次切割/自愈事件后，电池仍然保持其容量的约60%，证明了出色的多周期自愈稳定性。修复后的电池的电化学性能几乎与原始电池相同。此外，CPZC-0.1C凝胶电解质具有环境安全性和可降解性，是具有良好应用前景的环保电池的可持续候选材料。
{"title":"A biomass hydrogel electrolyte with a 3D dynamic interpenetrating network structure exhibting enhanced self-healing and electrochemical performances","authors":"Xia Wang, Tengda Sun, Zhuojiao Liu, Xin Wang, Hao Zhang, Chenhui Yang, Aibo Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106721","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106721","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A self-healing hydrogel electrolyte was fabricated by integrating CNTs-COOH as a three-dimensional conductive scaffold, demonstrating synergistic properties of enhanced electrochemical performance and biodegradability. This well-designed strategy for introducing CNTs-COOH can not only improve the mechanical properties and self-healing performance of the hydrogel electrolyte, but also booste its electrical conductivity. The results showed that when CNTs-COOH content was 0.1 wt%, the tensile strength of the CPZC-0.1C gel reached 63.93 kPa, up from 17.78 kPa, while the stress self-healing efficiency achieved 98.49%. More critically, the battery assembled with CPZC-0.1C delivered an ionic conductivity of 2.63 × 10<sup>−3</sup> S cm<sup>−1</sup>, retained ∼73% of its initial capacity after 2000 cycles at 2 A g<sup>−1</sup>, with a Coulombic efficiency close to 91%, exhibited satisfactory long-term cycling stability, good rate capability and excellent Coulomb efficiency. Even after three cut/self-healing events within 200 cycles, the battery still maintained ∼60% of its capacity, evidencing outstanding multi-cycle self-healing stability. The electrochemical performance of the healed battery is virtually identical to that of the pristine battery. Moreover, CPZC-0.1C gel electrolytes are environmentally safe and ambietly degradable, making them sustainable candidates for eco-friendly batteries with promising application prospects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 106721"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Photoanode charge recombinations are typical issues and matter of debate into CdS quantum dots sensitized photoanode solar technology. Integration of thermoplastic ionomers in solar cells has received increased attention for sustainable energy generation. Pendant ionomer was constructed via polymerization of 1,3 propane sultone (ϒ-PS) with poly(urethane-3-amino-1,2,4-triazole) backbone. Pendant ionomer-based sample PUE-(3-AT) was characterized using various spectroscopic techniques i.e., NMR, IR, UV–visible, CV and EIS measurements at room temperature. The redox peaks corresponding to anodic oxidation at 0.40 V and cathodic reduction at −0.63 V were confirmed through cyclic voltammetry (CV) profile. Further, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) exhibited improved ionic conductivity σ = 2.67 10−4 S/cm demonstrating ϒ-propane sultone favors both polyurethane hard segments and triazole (N-ring) for high performance redox reaction. These redox processes showed efficient hole conduction due to formation of cluster of pendant ionomers (immobilized phase) and their association into conducting channels. Tafel plot revealed Icorr = 1.3 10−6 A with Ecorr = − 0.48 V suggesting non-corrosive nature of ionomer electrolyte. Moreover, ionomer electrolyte generated abundant electrocatalytic sites, surface groups and non-corrosive chemical environment. The thermal treated ethylenediamine capped CdS nanodots (Eg = 2.64 eV) sensitized Ti-nanoxide photoanode solar cell delivered solar parameters (VOC = 0.680 V, ƞ =1.48%,) greater than two-fold to that of room temperature fabrication (ƞ =0.65%). The significant solar power conversion was attributed to passivation effect of electron repulsive triazole ring and robust photovoltaic reaction of electrolyte groups. Present work focused construction of bulkier electrolyte group (sulfonate-rich) segregated with counter cation Na+ into polyurethane hard segments. This research stimulates to fabricate sustainable thermoplastic ionomers for next- generation quantum dots sensitized solar cells.
{"title":"Pendant ionomer segments embedded poly(urethane-3-amino-1,2,4-triazole) for CdS nanodots sensitized solar cell","authors":"Sunil Kumar , Manickam Selvaraj , Gurjaspreet Singh , Yedluri Anil Kumar , Navinchandra Gopal Shimpi","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106725","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106725","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photoanode charge recombinations are typical issues and matter of debate into CdS quantum dots sensitized photoanode solar technology. Integration of thermoplastic ionomers in solar cells has received increased attention for sustainable energy generation. Pendant ionomer was constructed via polymerization of 1,3 propane sultone (ϒ-PS) with poly(urethane-3-amino-1,2,4-triazole) backbone. Pendant ionomer-based sample PUE-(3-AT) was characterized using various spectroscopic techniques i.e., NMR, IR, U<em>V</em>–visible, CV and EIS measurements at room temperature. The redox peaks corresponding to anodic oxidation at 0.40 V and cathodic reduction at −0.63 V were confirmed through cyclic voltammetry (CV) profile. Further, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) exhibited improved ionic conductivity σ = 2.67<span><math><mo>×</mo></math></span> 10<sup>−4</sup> S/cm demonstrating ϒ-propane sultone favors both polyurethane hard segments and triazole (N-ring) for high performance redox reaction. These redox processes showed efficient hole conduction due to formation of cluster of pendant ionomers (immobilized phase) and their association into conducting channels. Tafel plot revealed I<sub>corr</sub> = 1.3 <span><math><mo>×</mo></math></span> 10<sup>−6</sup> A with E<sub>corr</sub> = − 0.48 <em>V</em> suggesting non-corrosive nature of ionomer electrolyte. Moreover, ionomer electrolyte generated abundant electrocatalytic sites, surface groups and non-corrosive chemical environment. The thermal treated ethylenediamine capped CdS nanodots (Eg = 2.64 e<em>V</em>) sensitized Ti-nanoxide photoanode solar cell delivered solar parameters (V<sub>OC</sub> = 0.680 V, ƞ =1.48%,) greater than two-fold to that of room temperature fabrication (ƞ =0.65%). The significant solar power conversion was attributed to passivation effect of electron repulsive triazole ring and robust photovoltaic reaction of electrolyte groups. Present work focused construction of bulkier electrolyte group (sulfonate-rich) segregated with counter cation Na<sup>+</sup> into polyurethane hard segments. This research stimulates to fabricate sustainable thermoplastic ionomers for next- generation quantum dots sensitized solar cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 106725"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-03-05DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106718
Licheng Lu , Long Chen , Yukui Cai , Yunqing Tang , Xing Li , Zhanqiang Liu
Electrically conductive shape memory polymers combining mechanical reinforcement with rapid electrothermal actuation are essential for aerospace applications, wearable thermal devices, and deployable heating systems. However, optimizing fiber architecture to balance self-heating efficiency, mechanical strength, shape memory performance, and electromagnetic properties remains challenging. This study systematically investigated the influence of fiber architecture on the coupled performance of carbon fiber reinforced PETG shape memory polymers through experimental design varying fiber layer number and spacing. Quantitative relationships were established between structural parameters and electrothermal heating, mechanical properties, shape memory behavior, and electromagnetic absorption. Multi-criteria optimization identified that increasing fiber layers from 2 to 8 reduced electrical resistance by 72% from 164.5 Ω to 46.3 Ω, enabling rapid self-heating to 167 °C at 20 V. The optimal 4-layer configuration with 2.0 mm spacing achieved shape recovery ratio of 95.6%. Notably, shape memory reconfiguration enables tunable electromagnetic absorption characteristics through structural transformation. This work provides quantitative design guidelines for application-specific customization of electrothermal-responsive functional polymers with reconfigurable electromagnetic properties targeting aerospace applications, wearable devices, and deployable structures.
{"title":"Fiber architecture optimization in 4D printed CCF/PETG shape memory composites with enhanced electrothermal response and multifunctionality","authors":"Licheng Lu , Long Chen , Yukui Cai , Yunqing Tang , Xing Li , Zhanqiang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrically conductive shape memory polymers combining mechanical reinforcement with rapid electrothermal actuation are essential for aerospace applications, wearable thermal devices, and deployable heating systems. However, optimizing fiber architecture to balance self-heating efficiency, mechanical strength, shape memory performance, and electromagnetic properties remains challenging. This study systematically investigated the influence of fiber architecture on the coupled performance of carbon fiber reinforced PETG shape memory polymers through experimental design varying fiber layer number and spacing. Quantitative relationships were established between structural parameters and electrothermal heating, mechanical properties, shape memory behavior, and electromagnetic absorption. Multi-criteria optimization identified that increasing fiber layers from 2 to 8 reduced electrical resistance by 72% from 164.5 Ω to 46.3 Ω, enabling rapid self-heating to 167 °C at 20 V. The optimal 4-layer configuration with 2.0 mm spacing achieved shape recovery ratio of 95.6%. Notably, shape memory reconfiguration enables tunable electromagnetic absorption characteristics through structural transformation. This work provides quantitative design guidelines for application-specific customization of electrothermal-responsive functional polymers with reconfigurable electromagnetic properties targeting aerospace applications, wearable devices, and deployable structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 106718"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-03-02DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106708
Hani Nasser Abdelhamid , Samar A. Salim
The electrospinning of the polymer of intrinsic microporosity-1 (PIM-1) poses challenges due to its limited solubility and tendency to form bead-like structures at high concentrations. This work details the synthesis and analysis of electrospun composite fibers made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and PIM-1 for electrochemical applications. The data analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of PIM-1 into the PAN matrix. The fiber characteristics were significantly influenced by PIM-1 loading (1–10%), resulting in fiber diameters ranging from 0.8 to 1.7 μm. A 10% concentration of PIM-1 results in the formation of macropores with diameters ranging from 0.5 to 1.7 μm. Optical analysis using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and Tauc plots indicated a decrease in the band gap from 2.2 eV for pure PIM-1 to 1.8 eV, thereby enhancing light absorption. The electrochemical performance was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and chronoamperometry (CA), demonstrating that PAN/PIM-1 fibers exhibit superior electrochemical performance. The composite fibers were later evaluated as electrodes for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), demonstrating selectivity for pyridine. A direct correlation was seen between current responsiveness and pyridine content (1.2–6.1 mmol), with detection limits of 1 mmol for adsorption and 1 μmol for direct addition to PAN/PIM-1 electrospun fibers. The findings highlight the potential of PAN/PIM-1 electrospun fibers for electrochemical and environmental sensing applications.
{"title":"Co-electrospinning polyacrylonitrile (PAN) / polymer of intrinsic microporosity-1 (PIM-1) for electrochemical-based sensor for pyridine detection and Absorption","authors":"Hani Nasser Abdelhamid , Samar A. Salim","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106708","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106708","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The electrospinning of the polymer of intrinsic microporosity-1 (PIM-1) poses challenges due to its limited solubility and tendency to form bead-like structures at high concentrations. This work details the synthesis and analysis of electrospun composite fibers made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and PIM-1 for electrochemical applications. The data analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of PIM-1 into the PAN matrix. The fiber characteristics were significantly influenced by PIM-1 loading (1–10%), resulting in fiber diameters ranging from 0.8 to 1.7 μm. A 10% concentration of PIM-1 results in the formation of macropores with diameters ranging from 0.5 to 1.7 μm. Optical analysis using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and Tauc plots indicated a decrease in the band gap from 2.2 eV for pure PIM-1 to 1.8 eV, thereby enhancing light absorption. The electrochemical performance was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and chronoamperometry (CA), demonstrating that PAN/PIM-1 fibers exhibit superior electrochemical performance. The composite fibers were later evaluated as electrodes for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), demonstrating selectivity for pyridine. A direct correlation was seen between current responsiveness and pyridine content (1.2–6.1 mmol), with detection limits of 1 mmol for adsorption and 1 μmol for direct addition to PAN/PIM-1 electrospun fibers. The findings highlight the potential of PAN/PIM-1 electrospun fibers for electrochemical and environmental sensing applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 106708"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This work presents an eco-friendly and easily scalable process to modify the surface of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH) films, a bioplastic of relevant application interest, making them magnetically active while preserving the intrinsic properties of the polymer. To achieve this, ∼10 nm spinel iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), synthesized via coprecipitation method, were assembled using Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition with two bio-sourced polyelectrolytes: DNA (polyanion) and chitosan (polycation). An aminolysis reaction was employed to strengthen the interactions between the polymer substrate and the first coating layer. Additionally, the optimal reaction time was determined to maximize surface amine functionalization while minimizing film degradation. The effectiveness of the deposition was demonstrated by both the linear growth of the LbL assembly on a model silicon substrate using FT-IR measurements and by studying the morphology of the coated PHBH films through FE-SEM. These latter measurements showed the formation of a uniform coating after the deposition of 10 bilayers (BL). The 10 BL coated films demonstrated efficient magnetic separation from a mixed polymer waste scraps under a static applied magnetic field. Moreover, these materials undergo enzymatic degradation, with the MNPs that could be easily recovered from the enzymatic solution via magnetic separation, enabling their potential reuse. The proposed approach offers an alternative strategy aimed at tackling the issue of plastic contamination and material sorting during recycling.
{"title":"Easily sortable PHBH films functionalized via a magnetic Layer-by-Layer coating deposition","authors":"Francesco Papatola , Giacomo Damonte , Lorenza Abbà , Sawssen Slimani , Federico Carosio , Davide Peddis , Orietta Monticelli , Alessandro Pellis","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106711","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106711","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work presents an eco-friendly and easily scalable process to modify the surface of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-<em>co</em>-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH) films, a bioplastic of relevant application interest, making them magnetically active while preserving the intrinsic properties of the polymer. To achieve this, ∼10 nm spinel iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), synthesized via coprecipitation method, were assembled using Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition with two bio-sourced polyelectrolytes: DNA (polyanion) and chitosan (polycation). An aminolysis reaction was employed to strengthen the interactions between the polymer substrate and the first coating layer. Additionally, the optimal reaction time was determined to maximize surface amine functionalization while minimizing film degradation. The effectiveness of the deposition was demonstrated by both the linear growth of the LbL assembly on a model silicon substrate using FT-IR measurements and by studying the morphology of the coated PHBH films through FE-SEM. These latter measurements showed the formation of a uniform coating after the deposition of 10 bilayers (BL). The 10 BL coated films demonstrated efficient magnetic separation from a mixed polymer waste scraps under a static applied magnetic field. Moreover, these materials undergo enzymatic degradation, with the MNPs that could be easily recovered from the enzymatic solution via magnetic separation, enabling their potential reuse. The proposed approach offers an alternative strategy aimed at tackling the issue of plastic contamination and material sorting during recycling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"223 ","pages":"Article 106711"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147388149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106665
Alexander O. Malakhov , Stepan E. Sokolov , Evgenia A. Grushevenko , Stepan D. Bazhenov , Anton L. Maksimov
Sorption and permeation properties of membrane based on polycetylmethylsiloxane (PCMS) were described for the first time. The sorption of methane and butane was studied using the gravimetric method over the temperature range of 5–45 °C. Gas permeability was measured using the constant-volume/variable-pressure technique. DSC and density measurements revealed that the PCMS membrane has a melting transition due to side chain crystallization at near-room temperature. The effects of temperature and pressure on solubility and permeability for methane and n-butane are explored and discussed. It was found that the sorption selectivity of n-butane over methane increases as the temperature decreases, both for amorphous and semi-crystalline states of the polymer. The n-butane/methane ideal perm-selectivity exhibits an extremal temperature dependence. The maximum perm-selectivity α increases and shifts towards lower temperatures as the transmembrane pressure increases. The value of α increases from 12 to 200 as the feed pressure of n-butane increases from 0 to 1 bar at 20 °C. The achieved n-butane/methane perm-selectivity is an order of magnitude higher than previously reported values for polymer membranes, including polyalkylmethylsiloxanes.
{"title":"Sorption and permeation properties of polycetylmethylsiloxane to methane and n-butane","authors":"Alexander O. Malakhov , Stepan E. Sokolov , Evgenia A. Grushevenko , Stepan D. Bazhenov , Anton L. Maksimov","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106665","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106665","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sorption and permeation properties of membrane based on polycetylmethylsiloxane (PCMS) were described for the first time. The sorption of methane and butane was studied using the gravimetric method over the temperature range of 5–45 °C. Gas permeability was measured using the constant-volume/variable-pressure technique. DSC and density measurements revealed that the PCMS membrane has a melting transition due to side chain crystallization at near-room temperature. The effects of temperature and pressure on solubility and permeability for methane and <em>n</em>-butane are explored and discussed. It was found that the sorption selectivity of <em>n</em>-butane over methane increases as the temperature decreases, both for amorphous and semi-crystalline states of the polymer. The <em>n</em>-butane/methane ideal perm-selectivity exhibits an extremal temperature dependence. The maximum perm-selectivity <em>α</em> increases and shifts towards lower temperatures as the transmembrane pressure increases. The value of <em>α</em> increases from 12 to 200 as the feed pressure of <em>n</em>-butane increases from 0 to 1 bar at 20 °C. The achieved <em>n</em>-butane/methane perm-selectivity is an order of magnitude higher than previously reported values for polymer membranes, including polyalkylmethylsiloxanes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 106665"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146096030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106643
Zhenpeng Wang , Yalu Liu , Yapeng Zhang , Jiutao Hu , Youjie Rong , Jing Lv , Xiaobo Huang
In recent years, with the rapid development of photopolymerization 3D printing technology, ion-conductive gels have been widely used in the field of wearable flexible sensors owing to their excellent flexibility and electrical conductivity. Gels prepared by the photocurable 3D printing are mainly formed through covalent cross-linking. However, due to the lack of sufficient energy dissipation mechanisms, such gels are susceptible to fatigue fracture under dynamic loading. Herein, we report an ionogel with outstanding tear resistance constructed through strong electrostatic interactions between [2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (AETC) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][TFSI]). The molecular sieve SBA-15-4.2 is incorporated as a microscale physical crosslinker. The physical barrier formed by the molecular sieve under stress effectively disperses stress concentration at crack tips, thereby inhibiting gel fracture. Under external stress, molecular sieves permit polymer chains to migrate internally, thereby alleviating the restrictions imposed by covalent crosslinking on the fluidity of the polymer network. The elongation of this gel exceeds 1800%, and its fracture strength is 680 kPa. Even with notches, it retains 98% of the tensile strain of the unnotched sample. Its high sensitivity (GF = 6.01) facilitates rapid electrical signal transmission. This work provides new insights for developing advanced wearable devices and smart electronics.
{"title":"Photocurable 3D-printed anti-tearing ionogels for flexible sensors","authors":"Zhenpeng Wang , Yalu Liu , Yapeng Zhang , Jiutao Hu , Youjie Rong , Jing Lv , Xiaobo Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106643","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106643","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, with the rapid development of photopolymerization 3D printing technology, ion-conductive gels have been widely used in the field of wearable flexible sensors owing to their excellent flexibility and electrical conductivity. Gels prepared by the photocurable 3D printing are mainly formed through covalent cross-linking. However, due to the lack of sufficient energy dissipation mechanisms, such gels are susceptible to fatigue fracture under dynamic loading. Herein, we report an ionogel with outstanding tear resistance constructed through strong electrostatic interactions between [2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (AETC) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][TFSI]). The molecular sieve SBA-15-4.2 is incorporated as a microscale physical crosslinker. The physical barrier formed by the molecular sieve under stress effectively disperses stress concentration at crack tips, thereby inhibiting gel fracture. Under external stress, molecular sieves permit polymer chains to migrate internally, thereby alleviating the restrictions imposed by covalent crosslinking on the fluidity of the polymer network. The elongation of this gel exceeds 1800%, and its fracture strength is 680 kPa. Even with notches, it retains 98% of the tensile strain of the unnotched sample. Its high sensitivity (GF = 6.01) facilitates rapid electrical signal transmission. This work provides new insights for developing advanced wearable devices and smart electronics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 106643"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106646
Elizangela Hafemann Fragal , Kamila Augusta Leão de Oliveira , Elisangela Pacheco da Silva , Karina Miyuki Retamiro , Celso Vataru Nakamura , Rafael Silva , Elias Basile Tambourgi , Adley Forti Rubira
A natural bioactive compound named berberine (Ber) has shown high therapeutic potential for chronic diseases, but suffers from extremely low gastrointestinal absorption, which limits its clinical application. In this work, we developed pH-responsive hybrid hydrogels based on sodium alginate (SA), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSPM) to enhance the intestinal bioavailability of Ber. The synthesis approach involved vinyl-functionalizing the SA and CNC to enable covalent crosslinking with the TMSPM via free-radical polymerization. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed the formation mechanism of the hybrid network, revealing covalent linkages (C-C, Si-O-C, and Si-O-Si) and non-covalent interactions (hydrogen bonding) among SA, CNC, and TMSPM. The hydrogel composed of SA containing 10% of CNC and 10% of TMPSM showed a Young's modulus 1.8-fold higher than that of the hydrogel containing 100% of SA. Swelling and release studies exhibited strong pH responsiveness, with sustained release at pH 7.4 (simulated intestinal fluid, SIF) and reduced diffusion at pH 1.2 (simulated gastric fluid, SGF). The optimized formulations sustained Ber release for up to 150 h, achieving 70–80% release at pH 7.4. The release of Ber was governed by super transport case II at pH 1.2 (faster release) and anomalous transport at pH 7.4 in a slower release, as confirmed by a reduced release rate constant. Cytotoxicity tests using the L929 fibroblast assay confirmed the biocompatibility of these hydrogels, supporting their potential as long-term, pH-responsive carriers for intestinal drug delivery and controlled therapeutic release.
{"title":"Exploring the use of pH-responsive alginate, cellulose nanocrystal and organosilane hybrid hydrogels for controlled berberine release","authors":"Elizangela Hafemann Fragal , Kamila Augusta Leão de Oliveira , Elisangela Pacheco da Silva , Karina Miyuki Retamiro , Celso Vataru Nakamura , Rafael Silva , Elias Basile Tambourgi , Adley Forti Rubira","doi":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106646","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106646","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A natural bioactive compound named berberine (Ber) has shown high therapeutic potential for chronic diseases, but suffers from extremely low gastrointestinal absorption, which limits its clinical application. In this work, we developed pH-responsive hybrid hydrogels based on sodium alginate (SA), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSPM) to enhance the intestinal bioavailability of Ber. The synthesis approach involved vinyl-functionalizing the SA and CNC to enable covalent crosslinking with the TMSPM via free-radical polymerization. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed the formation mechanism of the hybrid network, revealing covalent linkages (C-C, Si-O-C, and Si-O-Si) and non-covalent interactions (hydrogen bonding) among SA, CNC, and TMSPM. The hydrogel composed of SA containing 10% of CNC and 10% of TMPSM showed a Young's modulus 1.8-fold higher than that of the hydrogel containing 100% of SA. Swelling and release studies exhibited strong pH responsiveness, with sustained release at pH 7.4 (simulated intestinal fluid, SIF) and reduced diffusion at pH 1.2 (simulated gastric fluid, SGF). The optimized formulations sustained Ber release for up to 150 h, achieving 70–80% release at pH 7.4. The release of Ber was governed by super transport case II at pH 1.2 (faster release) and anomalous transport at pH 7.4 in a slower release, as confirmed by a reduced release rate constant. Cytotoxicity tests using the L929 fibroblast assay confirmed the biocompatibility of these hydrogels, supporting their potential as long-term, pH-responsive carriers for intestinal drug delivery and controlled therapeutic release.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20916,"journal":{"name":"Reactive & Functional Polymers","volume":"221 ","pages":"Article 106646"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145979970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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