Pub Date : 2026-02-11Epub Date: 2025-12-19DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114462
Soumya Shuvra Smita, Krishna Pramanik
The study aims to develop a biomimetic polymeric matrix consisting of silk fibroin, gelatin, and polycaprolactone polymers with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties by adding different concentrations ranging 1–10 mM of curcumin resulting SGPC1, SGPC2.5, SGPC5, and SGPC10 respectively. All the fabricated mats exhibited morphological similarity and peak shifts in FTIR spectra confirming the interaction between curcumin and SGP mats. SGPC10 and SGPC5 mat possess higher tensile strength of 4.9 ± 0.14 MPa and 4.3 ± 0.2 MPa. An insignificant decrease in transparency was observed as compared to control with the addition of curcumin. Moreover, SGPC5 and SGPC10 mats demonstrated a respective controlled degradation rate of 43.66 ± 1.52 % and 42.66 ± 2.08 %. An enhanced antimicrobial and antioxidant properties achieved with SGPC5 and SGPC10 mats. The cytocompatibility of the mats ensured that the curcumin does not negatively affect the cellular growth and attachment of SIRC (Statens Seruminstitut rabbit cornea) cell line. SGPC5 construct exhibited higher cell viability, cell attachment, and denser cytoskeleton arrangement, indicating its potentiality for regeneration of ocular surface.
{"title":"Curcumin improvised antibacterial and antioxidant activities of silk fibroin/gelatin/polycaprolactone composite nanofibrous matrix performing superior ocular surface regeneration","authors":"Soumya Shuvra Smita, Krishna Pramanik","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114462","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114462","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study aims to develop a biomimetic polymeric matrix consisting of silk fibroin, gelatin, and polycaprolactone polymers with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties by adding different concentrations ranging 1–10 mM of curcumin resulting SGPC<sub>1</sub>, SGPC<sub>2.5</sub>, SGPC<sub>5</sub>, and SGPC<sub>10</sub> respectively. All the fabricated mats exhibited morphological similarity and peak shifts in FTIR spectra confirming the interaction between curcumin and SGP mats. SGPC<sub>10</sub> and SGPC<sub>5</sub> mat possess higher tensile strength of 4.9 ± 0.14 MPa and 4.3 ± 0.2 MPa. An insignificant decrease in transparency was observed as compared to control with the addition of curcumin. Moreover, SGPC<sub>5</sub> and SGPC<sub>10</sub> mats demonstrated a respective controlled degradation rate of 43.66 ± 1.52 % and 42.66 ± 2.08 %. An enhanced antimicrobial and antioxidant properties achieved with SGPC<sub>5</sub> and SGPC<sub>10</sub> mats. The cytocompatibility of the mats ensured that the curcumin does not negatively affect the cellular growth and attachment of SIRC (Statens Seruminstitut rabbit cornea) cell line. SGPC<sub>5</sub> construct exhibited higher cell viability, cell attachment, and denser cytoskeleton arrangement, indicating its potentiality for regeneration of ocular surface.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 114462"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-11Epub Date: 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114473
Yulu Wang , Fengxiang Cao , Gang Liu , Zhen Fang , Zhuhui Qiao
The development of biobased thermosetting materials has garnered considerable interest as a promising alternative to conventional thermosets, which are often constrained by permanent cross-linking and dependence on petroleum-derived feedstocks. Nevertheless, both traditional and bio-based thermosets frequently exhibit limitations in reprocessability and recyclability. In this study, a novel epoxy covalent adaptable network (CAN) incorporating dynamic dual-crosslinking bonds (D-DCB) was synthesized from lignin-derived vanillin (VA) and glycerol propoxylate triglycidyl ether (GPTE). Specifically, a trialdehyde monomer (TAM) was first prepared from VA and GPTE, which subsequently reacted with disulfide-containing compounds (4,4′-diaminodiphenyl disulfide and cystamine) to form bio-based CANs (namely, TAM-APDS and TAM-Cys, respectively). This network synergistically combines imine and disulfide bonds as dynamic covalent units. The imine bonds not only provide fundamental mechanical strength and structural stability but also contribute UV-shielding properties due to their conjugated structure. The disulfide bonds impart reprocessability, self-healing capability, and degradability-enabling rapid disulfide exchange reactions within 1 h using a thiol/ethanol solution at 60 °C. Lap-shear adhesion tests on various substrates demonstrated that the resulting CANs exhibit a high strength of approximately 7 MPa on iron substrates, highlighting their potential as high-performance sustainable adhesives.
{"title":"Orthogonal imine and disulfide exchange in a biobased covalent adaptable network: toward healable and recyclable thermosets","authors":"Yulu Wang , Fengxiang Cao , Gang Liu , Zhen Fang , Zhuhui Qiao","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114473","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114473","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of biobased thermosetting materials has garnered considerable interest as a promising alternative to conventional thermosets, which are often constrained by permanent cross-linking and dependence on petroleum-derived feedstocks. Nevertheless, both traditional and bio-based thermosets frequently exhibit limitations in reprocessability and recyclability. In this study, a novel epoxy covalent adaptable network (CAN) incorporating dynamic dual-crosslinking bonds (D-DCB) was synthesized from lignin-derived vanillin (VA) and glycerol propoxylate triglycidyl ether (GPTE). Specifically, a trialdehyde monomer (TAM) was first prepared from VA and GPTE, which subsequently reacted with disulfide-containing compounds (4,4′-diaminodiphenyl disulfide and cystamine) to form bio-based CANs (namely, TAM-APDS and TAM-Cys, respectively). This network synergistically combines imine and disulfide bonds as dynamic covalent units. The imine bonds not only provide fundamental mechanical strength and structural stability but also contribute UV-shielding properties due to their conjugated structure. The disulfide bonds impart reprocessability, self-healing capability, and degradability-enabling rapid disulfide exchange reactions within 1 h using a thiol/ethanol solution at 60 °C. Lap-shear adhesion tests on various substrates demonstrated that the resulting CANs exhibit a high strength of approximately 7 MPa on iron substrates, highlighting their potential as high-performance sustainable adhesives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 114473"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-11Epub Date: 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114469
Ivan A. Strelkov , Tatiana P. Gerasimova , Sergey A. Katsyuba , Artemiy G. Shmelev , Elmira A. Vasilieva , Ayrat R. Khamatgalimov , Radis R. Gainullin , Kirill V. Kholin , Almaz A. Zagidullin
Unconventional luminescence caused by hindered intra- and intermolecular mobility of molecules is of great research interest in science and technology. However, the lack of data on the effect of the structure of such compounds on the process of aggregation-induced emission and the underdevelopment of existing synthetic approaches make these studies difficult. We have developed new non-classical luminophores based on amidophosphonate and amidophosphate containing polysilsesquioxanes obtained by a simple two-stage synthetic route: monomers were obtained by nucleophilic substitution reactions at the P(V) atom, and the corresponding polymers were obtained by hydrolytic polymerization. Luminescent properties of both monomers and polymers were described, and it was shown that luminescence by cluster aggregation is also characteristic of low-molecular luminophores.
{"title":"Triethoxysilyl group containing amidophosphonates and amidophosphates and polysilsesquioxanes based on them: synthesis and non-conventional luminescent properties","authors":"Ivan A. Strelkov , Tatiana P. Gerasimova , Sergey A. Katsyuba , Artemiy G. Shmelev , Elmira A. Vasilieva , Ayrat R. Khamatgalimov , Radis R. Gainullin , Kirill V. Kholin , Almaz A. Zagidullin","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114469","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114469","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Unconventional luminescence caused by hindered intra- and intermolecular mobility of molecules is of great research interest in science and technology. However, the lack of data on the effect of the structure of such compounds on the process of aggregation-induced emission and the underdevelopment of existing synthetic approaches make these studies difficult. We have developed new non-classical luminophores based on amidophosphonate and amidophosphate containing polysilsesquioxanes obtained by a simple two-stage synthetic route: monomers were obtained by nucleophilic substitution reactions at the P(V) atom, and the corresponding polymers were obtained by hydrolytic polymerization. Luminescent properties of both monomers and polymers were described, and it was shown that luminescence by cluster aggregation is also characteristic of low-molecular luminophores.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 114469"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145882468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
How to develop mechanically robust and recyclable silicone elastomers is still a challenge in polymer field. Polysiloxane-urethane (PDMS-PU) elastomers with hydrogen bonds and aromatic disulfide bonds as dual dynamic bonds were synthesized. Vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) prepared by anionic ring-opening polymerization of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane was modified by β-mercaptoethanol to introduce hydroxyl group via a thiol-ene click reaction, and the resultant modified PDMS was mixed with dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate and bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) disulfide to obtain PDMS-PU elastomers. To further improve the mechanical properties of the PDMS-PU elastomers, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) was introduced to partially substitute the modified PDMS as a secondary soft segment, obtaining PB modified PDMS-PU elastomers. The spectra of 1H NMR and FTIR verified the successful incorporation of dual dynamic bonds in all the elastomers. DSC curves verified there were two phases in the domain of soft segments, corresponding to the two components of PDMS and PB. XRD and SAXS curves verified the partial substitution of HTPB promote the refinement of the microdomains. All the elastomers have good mechanical properties, with the tensile strength in the range of 6.6–12.2 MPa and the elongation at break in the range of 354 %–455 %. Moreover, all the elastomers demonstrate excellent reprocessability via hot-pressing due to the multiple dynamic bonds, retaining the tensile strength over 6 MPa and the elongation at break about 300 % after three recycling cycles. The integration of robustness, toughness, and recyclability renders these polysiloxane-urethane elastomers promising candidates for sustainable flexible devices operating in low-temperature environments.
{"title":"Recyclable polysiloxane-urethane elastomers with high robustness via dual phase separation strategy","authors":"Shengqiang Wang , Zhiyao Qiao , Yier Zhao , Yong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114481","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114481","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>How to develop mechanically robust and recyclable silicone elastomers is still a challenge in polymer field. Polysiloxane-urethane (PDMS-PU) elastomers with hydrogen bonds and aromatic disulfide bonds as dual dynamic bonds were synthesized. Vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) prepared by anionic ring-opening polymerization of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane was modified by <em>β</em>-mercaptoethanol to introduce hydroxyl group via a thiol-ene click reaction, and the resultant modified PDMS was mixed with dicyclohexylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate and bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) disulfide to obtain PDMS-PU elastomers. To further improve the mechanical properties of the PDMS-PU elastomers, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) was introduced to partially substitute the modified PDMS as a secondary soft segment, obtaining PB modified PDMS-PU elastomers. The spectra of <sup>1</sup>H NMR and FTIR verified the successful incorporation of dual dynamic bonds in all the elastomers. DSC curves verified there were two phases in the domain of soft segments, corresponding to the two components of PDMS and PB. XRD and SAXS curves verified the partial substitution of HTPB promote the refinement of the microdomains. All the elastomers have good mechanical properties, with the tensile strength in the range of 6.6–12.2 MPa and the elongation at break in the range of 354 %–455 %. Moreover, all the elastomers demonstrate excellent reprocessability via hot-pressing due to the multiple dynamic bonds, retaining the tensile strength over 6 MPa and the elongation at break about 300 % after three recycling cycles. The integration of robustness, toughness, and recyclability renders these polysiloxane-urethane elastomers promising candidates for sustainable flexible devices operating in low-temperature environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 114481"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biobased 2,4-furandicarboxylic acid (2,4-FDCA), a structural isomer of 2,5-FDCA, has recently led to the synthesis of high molecular weight polyesters with promising properties for food packaging. Among them, poly(propylene 2,4-furanoate) (2,4-PPF), the only polymer in the glassy state at room temperature, showed limited functional performance, attributed to its reduced macromolecular mobility. To address this, 2,4-PPF was copolymerized with biobased poly(propylene succinate) (PPS) via reactive blending, aiming to optimize Tg and chain flexibility. A physical blend, block and random copolymers were processed into freestanding films and thoroughly characterized (NMR, GPC, WAXD, DSC, TGA, tensile and gas permeability tests). Block and random copolymers showed excellent mechanical properties, including elongation at break exceeding 2400%, and outstanding gas barrier, competitive with commercial poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol). These enhancements are attributed to the predicted enhancement intermolecular interactions caused by the Tg close to room temperature, which increased chain mobility, thus optimized interchain hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions. Biodegradation under composting conditions was also assessed. Gravimetric, NMR, GPC, DSC, and WAXD analyses revealed preferential degradation of PPS segments and significant molecular weight reduction in the copolymers. Overall, our results demonstrate the potential of copolymers based on 2,4-PPF as biobased, flexible, monolayer and partially biodegradable materials for sustainable food packaging. Most importantly, this work highlights the critical importance of intermolecular interactions as a tool for the ecodesign of furan-based polymers, to unlock higher levels of functional and sustainable performance.
{"title":"Optimization of intermolecular interactions in poly(propylene 2,4-furanoate) copolymers: an ecodesign case study towards high-performance, biobased, biodegradable food packaging","authors":"Enrico Bianchi , Michelina Soccio , Valentina Siracusa , Shanmugam Thiyagarajan , Nadia Lotti","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114480","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114480","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biobased 2,4-furandicarboxylic acid (2,4-FDCA), a structural isomer of 2,5-FDCA, has recently led to the synthesis of high molecular weight polyesters with promising properties for food packaging. Among them, poly(propylene 2,4-furanoate) (2,4-PPF), the only polymer in the glassy state at room temperature, showed limited functional performance, attributed to its reduced macromolecular mobility. To address this, 2,4-PPF was copolymerized with biobased poly(propylene succinate) (PPS) via reactive blending, aiming to optimize T<sub>g</sub> and chain flexibility. A physical blend, block and random copolymers were processed into freestanding films and thoroughly characterized (NMR, GPC, WAXD, DSC, TGA, tensile and gas permeability tests). Block and random copolymers showed excellent mechanical properties, including elongation at break exceeding 2400%, and outstanding gas barrier, competitive with commercial poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol). These enhancements are attributed to the predicted enhancement intermolecular interactions caused by the T<sub>g</sub> close to room temperature, which increased chain mobility, thus optimized interchain hydrogen bonding and π–π interactions. Biodegradation under composting conditions was also assessed. Gravimetric, NMR, GPC, DSC, and WAXD analyses revealed preferential degradation of PPS segments and significant molecular weight reduction in the copolymers. Overall, our results demonstrate the potential of copolymers based on 2,4-PPF as biobased, flexible, monolayer and partially biodegradable materials for sustainable food packaging. Most importantly, this work highlights the critical importance of intermolecular interactions as a tool for the ecodesign of furan-based polymers, to unlock higher levels of functional and sustainable performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 114480"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-11Epub Date: 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114461
Ruijia Wang , Xijia Fu , Yibo Sun , Zhuang Li
Hydrogel sensors as an emerging representative of flexible electronic devices, have demonstrated significant application potential in fields such as biomedicine, wearable devices, and smart healthcare. However, the existing hydrogel sensors have the problem of bacterial growth while maintaining high sensitivity. This not only may pose an infection risk, but also significantly shortens the lifespan of the devices. Herein, a conductive antibacterial hydrogel sensor based on a polyvinyl alcohol-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) double-network structure was prepared by the freeze–thaw method. By introducing Polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB), the hydrogel is endowed with antibacterial properties and long-term stability against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Hydrogels possess remarkable toughness and elasticity, enabling the construction and printing of complex three-dimensional structures. The hydrogel sensor can accurately capture human movement signals such as finger bending as well as vocalization, and sensitively detect weak electromyographic signals. The hydrogel sensors with antibacterial properties, anti-fatigue performance and rapid response capabilities provide important theoretical support for the research and development of new generation intelligent medical devices and their applications in health monitoring.
{"title":"3D printing, biocompatibility and long-lasting antibacterial hydrogel with recognizing stimuli for electromyographic signal","authors":"Ruijia Wang , Xijia Fu , Yibo Sun , Zhuang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114461","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114461","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrogel sensors as an emerging representative of flexible electronic devices, have demonstrated significant application potential in fields such as biomedicine, wearable devices, and smart healthcare. However, the existing hydrogel sensors have the problem of bacterial growth while maintaining high sensitivity. This not only may pose an infection risk, but also significantly shortens the lifespan of the devices. Herein, a conductive antibacterial hydrogel sensor based on a polyvinyl alcohol-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) double-network structure was prepared by the freeze–thaw method. By introducing Polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB), the hydrogel is endowed with antibacterial properties and long-term stability against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Hydrogels possess remarkable toughness and elasticity, enabling the construction and printing of complex three-dimensional structures. The hydrogel sensor can accurately capture human movement signals such as finger bending as well as vocalization, and sensitively detect weak electromyographic signals. The hydrogel sensors with antibacterial properties, anti-fatigue performance and rapid response capabilities provide important theoretical support for the research and development of new generation intelligent medical devices and their applications in health monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 114461"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145824178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The utilization of bio-based materials constitutes a crucial strategy for reducing carbon emissions. Among them, biomass-derived dilinoleic diol (DD) has substantial potential in elastomer research due to its abundant availability and favorable monomeric properties. In this study, a series of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) copolymers containing multiple soft segments was synthesized via a two-step melt-polycondensation method using terephthalic acid (PTA), 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO), and DD as raw materials. The resulting structure consists of a soft segment (DT) derived from DD and PTA, and a hard segment based on butylene terephthalate (BT). By modulating the hard-to-soft segment ratio (0 to 75.2 mol%, 0 to 90.2 wt%), the properties of the material can be tuned from those of a tough thermoplastic to those of a flexible elastomer. To gain deeper insight, a series of detailed investigations was conducted on the thermal, crystallization, mechanical, and rheological properties of the materials. The results show that with the continuous introduction of DD, the elongation at break of the materials increased from 200 % to 3500 %, which corresponds to a 17.5-fold increase. Meanwhile, the elasticity of the materials was continuously enhanced, with the final elastic recovery rate reaching 90.0 %. The experimental scale was expanded to a 2 L reactor to explore industrial-scale production. Additionally, the 3D printing capability of these materials was explored in an effort to broaden their application fields. The results showed that it possesses broad application prospects in the field of fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology.
{"title":"Regulating sustainable Poly(butylene terephthalate) copolyesters toward elastomer from thermoplastic by introducing biobased dilinoleic diol comonomer","authors":"Qingxi Wang, Lizheng Wang, Minglong Li, Jiaming Liang, Zhiyong Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114478","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114478","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The utilization of bio-based materials constitutes a crucial strategy for reducing carbon emissions. Among them, biomass-derived dilinoleic diol (DD) has substantial potential in elastomer research due to its abundant availability and favorable monomeric properties. In this study, a series of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) copolymers containing multiple soft segments was synthesized via a two-step melt-polycondensation method using terephthalic acid (PTA), 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO), and DD as raw materials. The resulting structure consists of a soft segment (DT) derived from DD and PTA, and a hard segment based on butylene terephthalate (BT). By modulating the hard-to-soft segment ratio (0 to 75.2 mol%, 0 to 90.2 wt%), the properties of the material can be tuned from those of a tough thermoplastic to those of a flexible elastomer. To gain deeper insight, a series of detailed investigations was conducted on the thermal, crystallization, mechanical, and rheological properties of the materials. The results show that with the continuous introduction of DD, the elongation at break of the materials increased from 200 % to 3500 %, which corresponds to a 17.5-fold increase. Meanwhile, the elasticity of the materials was continuously enhanced, with the final elastic recovery rate reaching 90.0 %. The experimental scale was expanded to a 2 L reactor to explore industrial-scale production. Additionally, the 3D printing capability of these materials was explored in an effort to broaden their application fields. The results showed that it possesses broad application prospects in the field of fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 114478"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145882470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-11Epub Date: 2025-12-29DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114476
Sheng-Li Han , Hui-Qin Zhang , Feng Yang , Yun Liu , Hong-Hui Shu , Lian-Bing Zhang , Cheng-Mei Liu
Value-added utilisation of industrial and agricultural residues is an attractive strategy to address resource shortages and promote greener chemical production. PH3, a hazardous by-product of hypophosphite preparation, requires careful handling due to its high toxicity and flammability. In this study, we developed a method to convert PH3 tail gas into hydrolytically stable single-ion conducting polymers (SICPs) with potential recyclability after service. Oligoether-containing styrenic monomers (VBP-nEO) were synthesised from 4-vinylbenzyl(bis(hydromethyl))phosphine oxide (VBzHPO) via Williamson etherification in water, and the resulting functional monomers underwent conventional free-radical polymerisation to produce both homo- and co-polymers. The water-soluble homopolymers exhibited high hydrolysis resistance under both acidic and basic conditions because the phosphorus atom was covalently bonded to three substituents through P–C bonds. The co-polymers containing dissociable lithium salt segments exhibited promising ionic conductivity at moderate temperatures (4.48 × 10−6 S/cm at 90 °C), which depended on the ethylene oxide (EO) content and EO/Li+ ratio within the co-polymers. All co-polymers showed high thermal stability, with initial decomposition temperatures exceeding 300 °C and calculated LOI values above 21 %.
{"title":"Valorisation of phosphine tail gas into phosphorus-containing single-ion conducting polymers with high hydrolytic stability and potential recyclability","authors":"Sheng-Li Han , Hui-Qin Zhang , Feng Yang , Yun Liu , Hong-Hui Shu , Lian-Bing Zhang , Cheng-Mei Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114476","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114476","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Value-added utilisation of industrial and agricultural residues is an attractive strategy to address resource shortages and promote greener chemical production. PH<sub>3</sub>, a hazardous by-product of hypophosphite preparation, requires careful handling due to its high toxicity and flammability. In this study, we developed a method to convert PH<sub>3</sub> tail gas into hydrolytically stable single-ion conducting polymers (SICPs) with potential recyclability after service. Oligoether-containing styrenic monomers (VBP-nEO) were synthesised from 4-vinylbenzyl(bis(hydromethyl))phosphine oxide (VBzHPO) via Williamson etherification in water, and the resulting functional monomers underwent conventional free-radical polymerisation to produce both homo- and co-polymers. The water-soluble homopolymers exhibited high hydrolysis resistance under both acidic and basic conditions because the phosphorus atom was covalently bonded to three substituents through P–C bonds. The co-polymers containing dissociable lithium salt segments exhibited promising ionic conductivity at moderate temperatures (4.48 × 10<sup>−6</sup> S/cm at 90 °C), which depended on the ethylene oxide (EO) content and EO/Li<sup>+</sup> ratio within the co-polymers. All co-polymers showed high thermal stability, with initial decomposition temperatures exceeding 300 °C and calculated LOI values above 21 %.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":315,"journal":{"name":"European Polymer Journal","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 114476"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145882473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-11Epub Date: 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.114452
Zhi Li , Jincheng Xia , Yilun Hu , Wenjing Zhao , Wei Hong , Weizhong Yuan
Solvent-free solid-state fabrication of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) products with high strength and modulus properties such as fibers or films has emerged as a significant research area. Commonly, solvent-free preparation of high-performance UHMWPE films relies on low entanglement UHMWPE resins. To date, low-entanglement UHMWPE (LE-UHMWPE) could only be synthesized through single-site catalysts or specially modified Ziegler-Natta catalysts; however, these approaches remain limited in commercial viability due to elevated production costs associated with their low catalytic activity. In this study, LE-UHMWPE resin was successfully prepared using a conventional Ziegler-Natta catalyst combined with a post-polymerization extraction process. The LE-UHMWPE resin, serving as the core component of the original UHMWPE (O-UHMWPE) resin, was successfully isolated through a process analogous to peeling an egg. The normalized molecular chain entanglement density of the resin was reduced from 74.2% prior to treatment to 40.7% after the extraction procedure. Experimental results demonstrated that LE-UHMWPE extracted under a 10% solid content exhibited higher crystallinity (74.7%) compared to O-UHMWPE (66.8%). Compared to O-UHMWPE resin, LE-UHMWPE resin demonstrated the ability to undergo solid-state processing at temperatures below its melting point. Through solid-state stretching molding conducted below the melting temperature, the processed LE-UHMWPE tapes achieved a crystallinity of 91.5%, along with tensile strength and modulus values of 1.3 GPa and 68.0 GPa, respectively. These findings indicate that the combination of conventional high-activity Ziegler-Natta slurry polymerization with a straightforward post-treatment methodology enables efficient production of low-entanglement UHMWPE resin. The continuous integration of Ziegler-Natta catalytic polymerization with extraction treatment for UHMWPE could offer a cost-effective approach to the large-scale production of high-performance UHMWPE. Furthermore, this study contributes to challenging the long-held belief that conventional Ziegler-Natta catalysts are unsuitable for the synthesis of LE-UHMWPE.
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