Pub Date : 2026-02-02DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129690
Zhuowei Qu, Zihan Xia, Bo Zhang, Xiaohan Li, Su Zhang, Chengzhi Cui, Peng Sun, Zhongfang Li
Medium-temperature proton exchange membranes (PEMs) with high proton conductivity and low fuel crossover have received ever-growing research interest. Herein, a novel ionomer blend was designed and developed to address the issues that traditional PEMs are facing with: low membrane selectivity, trade-off between proton conductivity and mechanical strength, chemical degradation, phase-separation, and over-swelling. A poly(1,2-benzimidazole) (PBESK) is blended with a sulfonated polymer (SPEEK) to achieve good compatibility ascribed to acid-base interactions, π-π interactions, and hydrogen bonds. This membrane exhibits better mechanical strength, lower swelling ratio, and better durability of proton conductivity than SPEEK while displaying higher chemical stability than both PBESK and SPEEK. At 180°C, the proton conductivity of the PBESK/SPEEK(60%) membrane reaches 0.147 S cm-1, 0.053 S cm-1, and 0.00583 S cm-1 at 100% RH, 50% RH, and 0% RH, respectively. This membrane also shows low methanol permeability, low H2/O2 permeance, and thus high membrane selectivity. This effective design paves the way for the development of next-generation medium-temperature PEMs.
中温质子交换膜具有高质子导电性和低燃料交叉性能，近年来受到越来越多的研究关注。本文设计并开发了一种新型的离聚体混合物，以解决传统PEMs面临的问题：低膜选择性、质子电导率和机械强度之间的权衡、化学降解、相分离和过度膨胀。聚（1,2-苯并咪唑）（PBESK）与磺化聚合物（SPEEK）共混，由于酸碱相互作用、π-π相互作用和氢键而获得良好的相容性。与SPEEK相比，该膜具有更好的机械强度、更低的溶胀率和更好的质子导电性，同时具有比PBESK和SPEEK更高的化学稳定性。在180℃时，PBESK/SPEEK（60%）膜在100% RH、50% RH和0% RH下的质子电导率分别达到0.147 S cm-1、0.053 S cm-1和0.00583 S cm-1。该膜还具有低甲醇渗透率，低H2/O2渗透率，因此具有高膜选择性。这种有效的设计为下一代中温PEMs的发展铺平了道路。
{"title":"A chemically robust, compatible, and low-swelling ionomer blend for medium-temperature proton conduction: old dogs with a new trick","authors":"Zhuowei Qu, Zihan Xia, Bo Zhang, Xiaohan Li, Su Zhang, Chengzhi Cui, Peng Sun, Zhongfang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129690","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129690","url":null,"abstract":"Medium-temperature proton exchange membranes (PEMs) with high proton conductivity and low fuel crossover have received ever-growing research interest. Herein, a novel ionomer blend was designed and developed to address the issues that traditional PEMs are facing with: low membrane selectivity, trade-off between proton conductivity and mechanical strength, chemical degradation, phase-separation, and over-swelling. A poly(1,2-benzimidazole) (PBESK) is blended with a sulfonated polymer (SPEEK) to achieve good compatibility ascribed to acid-base interactions, π-π interactions, and hydrogen bonds. This membrane exhibits better mechanical strength, lower swelling ratio, and better durability of proton conductivity than SPEEK while displaying higher chemical stability than both PBESK and SPEEK. At 180°C, the proton conductivity of the PBESK/SPEEK(60%) membrane reaches 0.147 S cm<sup>-1</sup>, 0.053 S cm<sup>-1</sup>, and 0.00583 S cm<sup>-1</sup> at 100% RH, 50% RH, and 0% RH, respectively. This membrane also shows low methanol permeability, low H<sub>2</sub>/O<sub>2</sub> permeance, and thus high membrane selectivity. This effective design paves the way for the development of next-generation medium-temperature PEMs.","PeriodicalId":405,"journal":{"name":"Polymer","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146098191","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 : 2026-02-02DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129662
Rita Polícia, Lia Campos-Arias, Nikola Perinka, Daniela Maria Correia, José Luis Vilas-Vilela, Senentxu Lanceros-Méndez
{"title":"Advancing In-mold Electronics: Thermoformable inks for Printed Alternate-Current Electroluminescent Devices","authors":"Rita Polícia, Lia Campos-Arias, Nikola Perinka, Daniela Maria Correia, José Luis Vilas-Vilela, Senentxu Lanceros-Méndez","doi":"10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129662","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129662","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":405,"journal":{"name":"Polymer","volume":"74 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110996","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 : 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129680
Qisong Hu, Steven Brockötter, Jean-Paul Lange, M.Pilar Ruiz, Christian Struck, Frederik R. Wurm
The heavy fraction of liquefied wood (LW) serves as a promising renewable precursor for polymeric coatings. Owing to its inherent brittleness and relatively low molecular weight, LW requires crosslinking to form durable films. Previous work demonstrates that LW is curable with bio-based glycerol diglycidyl ether (GDE), yielding wood coatings with favorable properties and recyclability. In this study, we systematically studied two additional, structurally distinct epoxides: bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BDE), the widely used commercial aromatic standard, and poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PDE), which contains long, flexible aliphatic ethers. These chemical differences enable a rigorous investigation of how epoxide structure influences curing behavior, material properties, and circularity. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry confirm successful crosslinking. Analysis of gel content, thermal stability, and nanoindentation reveals dramatic structural effects: BDE produces rigid, dense networks, increasing the glass transition temperature (Tg) up to 83°C (vs. LW at ∼31°C) and maintaining approximately 50% gloss retention after 2.5 month of accelerated weathering. In contrast, PDE leads to soft films exhibiting substantial hydrogel-like swelling, with water uptake reaching 207wt%. Recycling studies via liquefaction verify that both LW–BDE and LW–GDE coatings are chemically recyclable. The LW–PDE system, due to its low crosslink density (gel content below 12wt%), remains soluble and is easily recovered in solution form. These results collectively demonstrate that the choice of epoxide allow to tune the property profile of LW-based renewable coatings while fully preserving their end-of-life circularity.
{"title":"Renewable Coatings from Liquefied Wood: Linking Epoxide Structure to Material Properties and Chemical Recyclability","authors":"Qisong Hu, Steven Brockötter, Jean-Paul Lange, M.Pilar Ruiz, Christian Struck, Frederik R. Wurm","doi":"10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129680","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129680","url":null,"abstract":"The heavy fraction of liquefied wood (LW) serves as a promising renewable precursor for polymeric coatings. Owing to its inherent brittleness and relatively low molecular weight, LW requires crosslinking to form durable films. Previous work demonstrates that LW is curable with bio-based glycerol diglycidyl ether (GDE), yielding wood coatings with favorable properties and recyclability. In this study, we systematically studied two additional, structurally distinct epoxides: bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BDE), the widely used commercial aromatic standard, and poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (PDE), which contains long, flexible aliphatic ethers. These chemical differences enable a rigorous investigation of how epoxide structure influences curing behavior, material properties, and circularity. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry confirm successful crosslinking. Analysis of gel content, thermal stability, and nanoindentation reveals dramatic structural effects: BDE produces rigid, dense networks, increasing the glass transition temperature (<em>T</em>g) up to 83°C (vs. LW at ∼31°C) and maintaining approximately 50% gloss retention after 2.5 month of accelerated weathering. In contrast, PDE leads to soft films exhibiting substantial hydrogel-like swelling, with water uptake reaching 207wt%. Recycling studies via liquefaction verify that both LW–BDE and LW–GDE coatings are chemically recyclable. The LW–PDE system, due to its low crosslink density (gel content below 12wt%), remains soluble and is easily recovered in solution form. These results collectively demonstrate that the choice of epoxide allow to tune the property profile of LW-based renewable coatings while fully preserving their end-of-life circularity.","PeriodicalId":405,"journal":{"name":"Polymer","volume":"232 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146095658","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 : 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129684
Yu Fang, Qi Shi, Jinping Qu, Xiang Lu
{"title":"Single molecule coupling of light and thermal for programmable energy storage","authors":"Yu Fang, Qi Shi, Jinping Qu, Xiang Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129684","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129684","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":405,"journal":{"name":"Polymer","volume":"116 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146095661","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 : 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129682
Manuel Gomez-Menendez, Vasiliki Maria Stavropoulou, Isabel Asenjo-Sanz, José A. Pomposo, Ester Verde-Sesto, Silvia Arrese-Igor, Jon Maiz
The dynamic behavior of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) in blends with either a PMMA-based linear precursor copolymer or its single-chain nanoparticle (SCNP) counterpart was investigated using broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) over 125-500 K. Structural and thermal characterization revealed that both the precursor and SCNP components remain glassy under these conditions, while PVDF exhibits active segmental mobility near its α-relaxation. In PVDF-rich blends, SCNPs induce phase separation, preserving the intrinsic α- and β-relaxations of PVDF, whereas the linear precursor promotes partial mixing, attenuating the α-relaxation and lowering the apparent glass transition temperature due to the surrounding glassy component. At intermediate and low PVDF contents, both blend types exhibit more complex relaxation spectra, reflecting enhanced interfacial interactions and confinement effects. Analysis of the characteristic relaxation times shows that the activation energy (Ea) of the secondary relaxation increases with the fraction of precursor or SCNPs, indicating hindered local motions due to interfacial constraints or nanoconfinement. Overall, the precursor and SCNP components modulate PVDF dynamics via distinct mechanisms: partial miscibility and dynamic coupling for the precursor, and nanoscale confinement with phase separation for SCNPs, providing strategies to tune segmental dynamics in hybrid glassy polymer systems.
{"title":"Tuning Segmental Dynamics of PVDF in Blends with Linear Precursors and Single-Chain Nanoparticles: Insights from Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy","authors":"Manuel Gomez-Menendez, Vasiliki Maria Stavropoulou, Isabel Asenjo-Sanz, José A. Pomposo, Ester Verde-Sesto, Silvia Arrese-Igor, Jon Maiz","doi":"10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129682","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129682","url":null,"abstract":"The dynamic behavior of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) in blends with either a PMMA-based linear precursor copolymer or its single-chain nanoparticle (SCNP) counterpart was investigated using broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) over 125-500 K. Structural and thermal characterization revealed that both the precursor and SCNP components remain glassy under these conditions, while PVDF exhibits active segmental mobility near its α-relaxation. In PVDF-rich blends, SCNPs induce phase separation, preserving the intrinsic α- and β-relaxations of PVDF, whereas the linear precursor promotes partial mixing, attenuating the α-relaxation and lowering the apparent glass transition temperature due to the surrounding glassy component. At intermediate and low PVDF contents, both blend types exhibit more complex relaxation spectra, reflecting enhanced interfacial interactions and confinement effects. Analysis of the characteristic relaxation times shows that the activation energy (<em>E</em><sub>a</sub>) of the secondary relaxation increases with the fraction of precursor or SCNPs, indicating hindered local motions due to interfacial constraints or nanoconfinement. Overall, the precursor and SCNP components modulate PVDF dynamics via distinct mechanisms: partial miscibility and dynamic coupling for the precursor, and nanoscale confinement with phase separation for SCNPs, providing strategies to tune segmental dynamics in hybrid glassy polymer systems.","PeriodicalId":405,"journal":{"name":"Polymer","volume":"80 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146095955","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 : 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129686
Wei Zhao, Jian-wu Zhang, Yin You, Jin-hui Song, Ao Zhang, Xu Li, Bo Song
OLEDs with light-emitting scales as small as hundreds of nanometers represent one of the future challenges in display technology. Here, through the introduction of an innovative structural design utilizing the polymer Poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA), we have successfully designed and fabricated the nanodot matrix OLEDs (NMOLEDs) with individual light-emitting diameters reaching the hundreds of nanometers scale. It is observed that the light-emitting phenomenon of such small-sized OLEDs is examined under optical microscopy, and their micro-nano structures at key locations are analyzed using electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. We discovered a significant red shift in the electroluminescence spectrum as the emission diameter decreased from 10 micrometers to 160 nm, experimentally ruling out microcavity effects. By simplifying the NMOLED structure into step-index fibers, we calculated the longitudinal and transverse electromagnetic field components and characteristic equations using Maxwell's equations. Finally, finite-difference time-domain simulations revealed that the nanostructures within the NMOLEDs absorb visible light at specific wavelengths, reducing or even blocking transmission. The transmission wavelength shifts toward the red end of the spectrum as the emission diameter decreases. This study further confirms the pivotal role of polymer PMMA in novel optoelectronic devices, providing technical guidance and theoretical support for the future development and application of nanoscale OLEDs. It also reveals the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
{"title":"Redshift Phenomenon in the Electroluminescence Spectrum of Nanodot Matrix OLEDs","authors":"Wei Zhao, Jian-wu Zhang, Yin You, Jin-hui Song, Ao Zhang, Xu Li, Bo Song","doi":"10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129686","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129686","url":null,"abstract":"OLEDs with light-emitting scales as small as hundreds of nanometers represent one of the future challenges in display technology. Here, through the introduction of an innovative structural design utilizing the polymer Poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA), we have successfully designed and fabricated the nanodot matrix OLEDs (NMOLEDs) with individual light-emitting diameters reaching the hundreds of nanometers scale. It is observed that the light-emitting phenomenon of such small-sized OLEDs is examined under optical microscopy, and their micro-nano structures at key locations are analyzed using electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. We discovered a significant red shift in the electroluminescence spectrum as the emission diameter decreased from 10 micrometers to 160 nm, experimentally ruling out microcavity effects. By simplifying the NMOLED structure into step-index fibers, we calculated the longitudinal and transverse electromagnetic field components and characteristic equations using Maxwell's equations. Finally, finite-difference time-domain simulations revealed that the nanostructures within the NMOLEDs absorb visible light at specific wavelengths, reducing or even blocking transmission. The transmission wavelength shifts toward the red end of the spectrum as the emission diameter decreases. This study further confirms the pivotal role of polymer PMMA in novel optoelectronic devices, providing technical guidance and theoretical support for the future development and application of nanoscale OLEDs. It also reveals the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.","PeriodicalId":405,"journal":{"name":"Polymer","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146095657","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}
High-voltage direct-current (HVDC) cables are essential for reliable and efficient transmission of large-scale renewable energy, while it has been an obstacle to develop high-performance insulating materials. Specifically, achieving simultaneous suppression of space charge and stabilization of conductivity across a wide temperature range has remained elusive. Here, we prepared dynamically cross-linked polyethylene (PE-SHx) samples through a byproduct-free thiol-anhydride click-like reaction to address this contradiction. Reversible thioester bonds construct a recyclable and repairable network, while functioning as thermally robust polar traps. The optimized PE-SH100 sample exhibited comprehensive improvements over the state-of-art commercial XLPE. Its conductivity was reduced by 47% at 30°C and 93% at 90°C with a sufficiently lowed activation energy of 0.27 eV. In addition, space charge accumulation was suppressed by 94% and electric field distortion remained below 5% even at 90 °C. This study established dynamic thioester bonds as an effective molecular strategy to reconcile trap regulation with conductivity stabilization, thereby endowing next-generation HVDC cable insulation with superior electrical insulation, wide-temperature-range stability, and reprocessability.
{"title":"Dynamically cross-linked polyethylene cable insulation with superior wide-temperature-range dielectric stability and reprocessability","authors":"Zhuolin Zhang, Haoran Sui, Zelin Zhang, Kaiying Chang, Youshen Wu, Jian Gao, Kai Yang, Peng Zhao, Benhong Ouyang, Jianying Li, Kangning Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129685","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2026.129685","url":null,"abstract":"High-voltage direct-current (HVDC) cables are essential for reliable and efficient transmission of large-scale renewable energy, while it has been an obstacle to develop high-performance insulating materials. Specifically, achieving simultaneous suppression of space charge and stabilization of conductivity across a wide temperature range has remained elusive. Here, we prepared dynamically cross-linked polyethylene (PE-SH<sub><em>x</em></sub>) samples through a byproduct-free thiol-anhydride click-like reaction to address this contradiction. Reversible thioester bonds construct a recyclable and repairable network, while functioning as thermally robust polar traps. The optimized PE-SH<sub>100</sub> sample exhibited comprehensive improvements over the state-of-art commercial XLPE. Its conductivity was reduced by 47% at 30°C and 93% at 90°C with a sufficiently lowed activation energy of 0.27 eV. In addition, space charge accumulation was suppressed by 94% and electric field distortion remained below 5% even at 90 °C. This study established dynamic thioester bonds as an effective molecular strategy to reconcile trap regulation with conductivity stabilization, thereby endowing next-generation HVDC cable insulation with superior electrical insulation, wide-temperature-range stability, and reprocessability.","PeriodicalId":405,"journal":{"name":"Polymer","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146095659","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}
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