Progress in Polymer Science最新文献

The last few decades have witnessed the great progress in surface modification through the use of functional polymer coatings. Surface-grafted polymers with thickness ranging from several nanometers to micrometers have been proven to significantly improve the surface properties of materials, thus enabling diverse, customizable, and controllable performances. Consequently, surface-grafting has become a key tool in scientific research on surface/interface and in surface engineering applications. The interface adhesion and friction between materials and their environments can be precisely controlled by grafting specially designed polymer coatings on material surfaces. As a result, the use of surface-grafted polymers to control the adhesion and friction of materials has attracted extensive attention across various disciplines, from polymer chemistry, physics, and materials science to biology and medical science. This review starts with a discussion of functional surfaces in nature that exhibit unique adhesion and friction phenomena. It then introduces the fundamental principles of tribology and the adhesion and friction behaviors of polymer surfaces. It covers different methods for producing polymer coatings and the corresponding strategies for controlling adhesion and friction. Finally, the challenges and barriers that prevent broader application of surface-grafted polymers are discussed and an outlook of future opportunities is presented.

The design and manufacture of new biodegradable and bioderived polymeric materials has traditionally taken place through experimentation and material characterisation. However, cutting-edge computational methods now provide a less expensive and more efficient approach to innovative biopolymer design and scale-up. In particular, the holistic framework provided by Materials 4.0 combines multiscale simulations and computational modelling with theory and next-generation informatics (big data integration and artificial intelligence) to model biopolymer structures, understand their flow and processibility, and predict their properties. These computational methods are being utilised to model and forecast the properties of a wide variety of biopolymeric materials, including the large family of biodegradable polyesters along with lignocellulosics, polysaccharides, proteinaceous materials, natural rubber, and so on. Ranging from quantum- to macroscale, computational modelling acts as a complement to traditional experimental techniques, probing molecular structure and intramolecular interactions as well as reaction mechanisms. This enables further kinetic modelling studies and molecular simulations. The research has been further expanded to include the use of machine learning approaches for material property optimisation in conjunction with expert knowledge and relevant experimental data. Aside from the modelling of structure-property relationships, computational modelling has also been used to predict the effect of biopolymer modifications and the influence of external factors such as the application of external fields or applied stress and the effects of moisture. In summary, there is a fast-developing library of computational modelling data for biopolymers, and the development of Materials 4.0 in this sector has enabled greater flexibility in design and processing options in advance of more expensive and time-consuming testing.

In this perspective, we explore the historical evolution, photochemical processes, and distinct utility of photoiniferter polymerization. We aim to provide a practical guide encompassing the selection of iniferter and monomer, coupled with the optimization of light wavelengths to conduct efficient photoiniferter polymerizations. We delve into the impact of iniferter structure on photophysical properties and the resulting polymerization behavior. Furthermore, we highlight ongoing research efforts employing photoiniferter polymerization, emphasizing its potential applications in cutting-edge areas of research such as 3D printing and the synthesis of ultra-high molecular weight polymers ($\ge$10⁶ g mol^-1). Through this perspective, we aim to clarify both the fundamental principles and the practical considerations of photoiniferter polymerization, ultimately advancing its utility and paving the way for innovative applications in polymer science.