Polymer 4D printing: Advanced shape-change and beyond

4D printing is an exciting branch of additive manufacturing. It relies on established 3D printing techniques to fabricate objects in much the same way. However, structures which fall into the 4D printed category have the ability to change with time, hence the “extra dimension.” The common perception of 4D printed objects is that of macroscopic single-material structures limited to point-to-point shape change only, in response to either heat or water. However, in the area of polymer 4D printing, recent advancements challenge this understanding. A host of new polymeric materials have been designed which display a variety of wonderful effects brought about by unconventional stimuli, and advanced additive manufacturing techniques have been developed to accommodate them. As a result, the horizons of polymer 4D printing have been broadened beyond what was initially thought possible. In this review, we showcase the many studies which evolve the very definition of polymer 4D printing, and reveal emerging areas of research integral to its advancement.     

Hydrophobic Monomers Recognize Microenvironments in Hydrogel Microspheres during Free-Radical-Seeded Emulsion Polymerization

The three-dimensional structure of nanocomposite microgels was precisely determined by cryo-electron micrography. Several nanocomposite microgels that differ with respect to their nanocomposite structure, which were obtained from seeded emulsion polymerization in the presence of microgels, were used as model nanocomposite materials for cryo-electron micrography. The obtained three-dimensional segmentation images of these nanocomposite microgels provide important insights into the interactions between the hydrophobic monomers and the microgels, that is, hydrophobic styrene monomers recognize molecular-scale differences in polarity within the microgels during the emulsion polymerization. This result led to the formation of unprecedented multi-layered nanocomposite microgels, which promise substantial potential in colloidal applications.     

控温相变免疫分析测定雌酮

通过热引发聚合与氧化还原引发聚合，合成水凝胶，作为雌酮全抗原(E1— BSA)载体；以异硫氰基灾光素标记雌酮的单克隆抗体(McAb)作为示踪剂，建立了控温相变竞争免疫分析测定雌酮(EI)的方法并应用于分析血清样品。实验表明：以热引发聚合合成的水凝胶为载体的荧光免疫分析方法具有更高的灵敏度，它的线性范围为10-700μg/L，检出限为1μg／L(n=10，3倍空白)。经水凝胶性质的比较(包括LCST、非特异性吸附、抗原与抗体反应时间及固定化抗原活性)，证明了热引发聚合的水凝胶较氧化还原引发聚合的水凝胶更适合于作为免疫分析的载体。     

Hydrogel nanonetworks with functional core-shell structure

Nanohydrogel particles of poly(acrylonitrile-co-N-isopropylacrylamide (p(AN-c-NIPAM)) were synthesized using a microemulsion polymerization technique. Highly monodisperse nanohydrogel particles e.g. 50-150 nm, and various morphology such as core-shell and connected beads were obtained. It was shown that the shell thickness and the size of particles can be tuned by the monomer concentrations and their ratios as well as by the utilization of different crosslinkers. The hydrophobic core monomer, AN was converted to amidoxime groups to increase the hydrophilicity of the nanogels which provide more hydrophilic character and impart new functionality to the nanonetwork. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques were employed for the particle size characterizations. The amidoximation reaction was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy.     

Non-isothermal kinetics of dehydration of equilibrium swollen poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel</o:p>

Summary Kinetics of dehydration of equilibrium swollen poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel was investigated using methods of non-isothermal thermal analysis. Methods of Kissinger, Coats-Redfern, Van Krevelen and Horowitz-Metzger were applied for determination the kinetics parameters: activation energy (E), pre-exponent (lnA) as well as the kinetics model ƒ(69) for the process of hydrogel dehydration under different heating rates. An existence of good agreement between determined values of kinetic parameters (Eand A), which were obtained applying different methods under the same heating rate. Functional relationship between changes of kinetic parameters of dehydration and changes of heating rate was established. An existence of compensation effect is accepted and explanation of compensation effect appearance during the hydrogel dehydration is suggested.     

一种具有二维状组装体结构的氢键结合超分子水凝胶的制备

近年来,基于低分子量有机凝胶因子(low molecular mass organic gelators)[1]形成的超分子水凝胶得到了广泛关注.     

Swelling equilibria and dye adsorption studies of chemically crosslinked superabsorbent acrylamide/maleic acid hydrogels

Superswelling acrylamide (AAm)/maleic acid (MA) hydrogels were prepared by free radical polymerization in aqueous solution of AAm with MA as comonomer with some multifunctional crosslinkers such as trimethylolpropane triacrylate and 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate. AAm/MA hydrogels were used in experiments on swelling and adsorption of a water-soluble monovalent cationic dye such as Basic Blue 17 (Toluidin Blue). As a result of dynamic swelling tests, the influence of relative content of MA on the swelling properties of the hydrogel systems was examined. AAm/MA hydrogels were swollen in the range 1660-6050% in water, while AAm hydrogels swelled in the range 780-1360%. Equilibrium water content of AAm/MA hydrogels were calculated in the range 0.8873-0.9837. Water intake of hydrogels followed a non-Fickian type diffusion. The uptake of the cationic dye, BB-17 to AAm/MA hydrogels is studied by batch adsorption technique at 25 °C. In the experiments of the adsorption equilibrium, S-type adsorption in Giles's classification system was found. The binding ratio of hydrogel/dye systems was gradually increased with the increase of MA content in the AAm/MA hydrogels.     

Interactions between temperature-sensitive hydrogel microspheres and granulocytes

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) has a low critical solution temperature (LCST) at 32°C in water and the hydrophilicity changes through the LCST. The microspheres whose surface was composed of PNIPAM exhibited phase transition behavior around 32°C. Therefore, the interactions between PNIPAM micropheres and granulocytes depended on the temperature. That is, the oxygen consumption and active oxygen production by cells in contact with PNIPAM-containing microspheres and adhesion of the microspheres to the cell surface were more enhanced above the LCST of PNIPAM than below it, whereas no significant temperature dependence of cell–microspheres interaction was observed in nonthermosensitive microsphere systems. It was suggested that the function of cells could be controlled with temperature using the temperature-sensitive microspheres.     

基于氢键作用由低分子量凝胶因子形成的超分子水凝胶

利用对羟基吡啶及均苯四甲酸合成的超分子单体, 基于分子间氢键作用, 在水中成功地制备出了具有温度响应性的超分子凝胶, 研究了制备条件对凝胶结构的影响.     

Poly(n-vinylpyrrolidone) hydrogels: 2.Hydrogel composites as wound dressing for tropical environment

POLY(N-VINYLPYRROLIDONE) HYDROGELS: 2. HYDROGEL COMPOSITES AS WOUND DRESSING FOR TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT. The effects of irradiation on hydration and other properties of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) hydrogel composites have been investigated. The aqueous solution of vinylpyrrolidone (VP) 10 wt % was mixed with several additives such as agar and polyethylen glycol (PEG). The solution was then irradiated with gamma rays from Cobalt-60 source at room temperature. Several parameters such as elongation at break (EB), tensile strength (TS), degree of swelling (DS), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), equilibrium water content (EWC), microbial growth and penetration test, and water activity (Aw) were analysed at room temperature of 29 ±2°C humidity of 80 ± 10%. Results show that elongation at break of hydrogel membranes with initial composition of VP with agar, VP with agar and PEG were 240 % and 250 % kGy, the equilibrium water content of membranes were 96 to 90%, whereas degree of swelling were 55 to 10. The WVTR of hydrogel membranes with initial composition of VP with agar and PEG was 70 g m^-2h^-1, while the water activity was 0.9. Such hydrogel membranes exhibits the following properties: They are elastic, transparent, flexible, impermeable for bacteria. They absopt a high capacity of water, attached to healthy skin but not to the wound and they are easy to remove. These properties of the hydrogel membranes allow for applying as a wound dressings in tropical environment.