Biodegradable microspheres with poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-isopropylacrylamide) Enriched surface: Thermo-responsibility,biodegradation and drug release

Microspheres with thermo-responsible surface were fabricated by PCL-b-PEO-b-PNIPAM triblock copolymers. Thermo-responsible morphological changes of PCL-b-PEO-b-PNIPAM microspheres immersed in aqueous solution at temperatures above the LCST (e.g. 37 °C) were observed from porous surface structure to compact surface layer. Enzymatic degradation and in vitro drug release results showed that the thermo-responsible surface layer greatly influenced the degradation of microspheres as well as the drug release behavior from microspheres. With the copolymerization of PNIPAM block into PCL-b-PEO copolymers, the drug release could be well regulated by changing temperatures and microspheres composition, which revealed the great potentials of microspheres with thermo-responsible surface for controlled drug release.     

Surface Treatment and Biomimetic Mineralization of Porous Microspheres Fabricated by Calcium Gluconate-g-Poly(D,L-lactide)

Porous hybrid microspheres were fabricated by the synthesized calcium gluconate-g-poly(D,L-lactide) (CG-g-PDLLA) composites.These hybrid microspheres were treated with an alkaline solution for different period of time to control the amount of generated carboxylate groups and remained CG on the surface.The microspheres were then incubated in a supersaturated simulated body fluid (1,5 SBF) solution for different time to investigate their biomimetic mineralization behavior.The depositions were found to have a fine cluster morphology,a similar crystal structure and chemical structure to natural hydroxyapatite,and a medium Ca/P of approximately 1.30.The effect of surface treating time on the structure and mineralization behavior of these microspheres has been discussed in detail.The results indicate that the nucleation and growth of apatite on the surface are influenced by the induced carboxylate groups and the remained CG.The hybrid CG-g-PDLLA microspheres have the potential as a novel alternative in bone tissue engineering.     

Chitosan-Based Surface Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Microspheres for Sustained Release of Sinomenine Hydrochloride in Aqueous Media

The surface molecular imprinting technique has been proposed as a prospective strategy for template molecule recognition and separation by devising the recognition sites on the surface of imprinted materials. The purpose of this study was to establish a novel drug delivery system which was developed by surface molecular imprinting method using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)-grafted chitosan (CS) (CS-g-β-CD) microspheres as matrix and sinomenine hydrochloride (SM) as the template molecule. By adjusting the amount of functional monomer and cross-linking agent, we got the more excellent adsorption of CS-g-β-CD molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs-CS-g-β-CD). When the amount of functional monomer was 6 mmol and cross-linking agent was 20 mmol, the maximum binding capacity of MIPs and non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) was 55.9 mg/g and 37.2 mg/g, respectively. The results indicated that the recognition of SM with MIPs was superior to NIPs. The adsorption isotherms of MIPs-CS-g-β-CD indicated that the adsorption behavior fitted better to the Langmuir model, which showed that the adsorption process of polymer was monomolecular layer. In in vitro drug release studies, the accumulative release amount of MIPs-CS-g-β-CD was up to 78% within 24 h. MIPs exhibited an excellent controlled SM release profile without burst release and the mechanism of SM release was shown to conform to non-Fick diffusion. Therefore, MIPs-CS-g-β-CD were successfully applied to extraction of SM and used as the materials for drug delivery system.     

Thermal Rearrangements of 3<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>- and 4<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis>-Pyrazoles Prepared by Reactions of 9-Diazofluoren with Methyl Tetrolate and Methyl 3-Phenylpropiolate

9-Diazofluoren adds in Et₂O at 20°C to methyltetrolate in keeping with Auwers rule and nonregioselectively adds to methyl-3-phenylpropiolate with the formation of spirocyclic 3H-pyrazoles. The methyltetrolate adduct at boiling in toluene converts into methyl 3a-methyl-3aH-dibenzo[e,g]indazole-3-carboxylate, at 190°C in benzene, into methyl 3-methyl-2H-dibenzo[e,g]indazole-2-carboxylate, and at 160°C in methanol, into 3-methyl-2H-dibenzo[e,g]indazole. Auwers adduct of methyl 3-phenylpropiolate at boiling in benzene gives cyclopropene derivative and at boiling in methanol isomerizes into methyl 3a-phenyl-3aHdibenzo[e,g]indazole-3-carboxylate. Anti-Auwers adduct at boiling in benzene isomerizes into methyl 2-phenylpyrazolo[1,5-f]phenanthridine-3-carboxylate.     

Preparation,crystal structure and mechanism of thermal decomposition of complex [Dy(<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-MOBA)<Subscript>3</Subscript>Phen]<Subscript>2</Subscript>

1,10-Phenanthrolinetris(4-methoxybenzoate)dysprosium, Dy(p-MOBA)₃Phen (where p-MOBA = p-methoxybenzoate and Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), (I) has been synthesized. The complex was characterized by various techniques including elemental analysis, UV, IR, XRD, molar conductance, and TG-DTG. The crystals consist of binuclear molecules and monoclinic, space group P2 ₁/n: a = 14.143(6) Å, b = 17.550(7) Å, c = 14.493(6) Å, β = 117.357(4)°, Z = 2, ρ _c = 1.655 g cm^?3, F(000) = 1588; R ₁ = 0.0176, wR ₂ = 0.0455. In the complex, each Dy³⁺ ion is nine-coordinate to one 1,10-phenanthroline molecule, one bidentate chelating carboxylate group, and four bridging carboxylate groups in which the carboxylate groups are bonded to the Dy³⁺ ions in three modes: bridging bidentate, bridging tridentate, and chelating bidentate. The thermal decomposition mechanism of I has been determined on the basis of thermal analysis. In addition, the lifetime equation at a weight-loss of 10% was deduced as lnτ = ?28.8361 + 19478.37/T by isothermal thermogravimetric analysis.     

Molecular structure of ErCl<Subscript>3</Subscript> and YbCl<Subscript>3</Subscript> according to the data of the simultaneous electron diffraction and mass spectrometric experiment

The saturated vapors of ErCl₃ and YbCl₃ were studied in a simultaneous electron diffraction and mass spectrometric experiment at 1165 K and 1170 K, respectively. In the vapors of these compounds, we found up to 3 mol.% dimers along with the monomers. The parameters of the r _g effective configuration of the monomer molecules were determined. For ErCl₃ and YbCl₃, the internuclear distances r _g(Ln-Cl) were 2.436(5) Å and 2.416(5) Å, and the bond angles ∠_g(Cl-Ln-Cl) were 117.0(10)° and 117.2(10)°, respectively. The equilibrium configurations and vibration frequencies of the monomer and dimer molecules were calculated by the HF, B3LYP, and MP2 methods using the combination of the ECP_D energy-consistent quasirelativistic core potential, including 4f electrons [Kr4d ¹⁰4f ⁿ ], and the contracted [5s4p3d] valence basis set for Er and Yb atoms and the MIDIX [4s3p1d] basis set for Cl atoms. The parameters of the effective r _g configuration of the monomer molecules corresponding to the temperature of the experiment were calculated. The difference between the calculated equilibrium r _e(Ln-Cl) and temperature-averaged r _g(Ln-Cl) distances was found to be 0.001–0.002 Å and did not exceed the error of the r _g(Ln-Cl) parameter determined in the electron diffraction experiment. The experimental parameters of the r _g structure were shown to be consistent with the idea about the planar equilibrium geometrical configuration of ErCl₃ and YbCl₃ molecules.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Biofixation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Actinobacillus succinogenes</Emphasis> Through Novel Amine-Functionalized Polystyrene Microsphere Materials

CO₂-derived succinate production was enhanced by Actinobacillus succinogenes through polystyrene (PSt) microsphere materials for CO₂ adsorption in bioreactor, and the adhesion forces between A. succinogenes bacteria and PSt materials were characterized. Synthesized uniformly sized and highly cross-linked PSt microspheres had high specific surface areas. After modification with amine functional groups, the novel amine-functionalized PSt microspheres exhibited a high adsorption capacity of 25.3 mg CO₂/g materials. After addition with the functionalized microspheres into the culture broth, CO₂ supply to the cells increased. Succinate production by A. succinogenes can be enhanced from 29.6 to 48.1 g L^?1. Moreover, the characterization of interaction forces between A. succinogenes cells and the microspheres indicated that the maximal adhesive force was about 250 pN. The amine-functionalized PSt microspheres can adsorb a large amount of CO₂ and be employed for A. succinogenes anaerobic cultivation in bioreactor for high-efficiency production of CO₂-derived succinate.     

Crystal structure and luminescence of a terbium complex with <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-methyl benzoate and 1,10-phenanthroline

A terbium p-methyl benzoate complex with 1,10-phenanthroline, [Tb(p-MBA)₃(Phen)]₂ (p-MBA = p-methyl benzoate and Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), has been prepared and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. It crystallizes in triclinic system, space group P \(\bar 1\) with a = 12.8064(12), b = 13.3589(12), c = 19.8277(19) Å, α = 91.668(2)°, β = 97.775(2)°, γ = 106.312(2)°, C₇₂H₅₈N₄O₁₂Tb₂, M _r = 1489.06, V = 3217.6(5) ų, Z = 2, ρ _c = 1.537 g/cm³, μ(MoK _α) = 2.246 mm^?1, F(000) = 1488, the final R = 0.0622 and wR = 0.0962 for 14128 independent reflections with R _int = 0.0843. It consists of two types of crystallographically independent dimeric molecules [Tb(p-MBA)₃(Phen)]₂ noted as [Tb-1] and [Tb-2]. In the dimeric molecule [Tb-1], each Tb(III) is eight-coordinated with one Phen molecule, two bridging carboxylate groups, and two bidentate chelating carboxylate groups, while in [Tb-2] each Tb(III) is eight-coordinated with one Phen molecule, four bridging carboxylate groups, and one bidentate chelating carboxylate group. The title complex shows intense green luminescence under UV light at room temperature.     

EPR study of the nature of the impurity centers responsible for the scintillation properties of the Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>Zn<Subscript>2</Subscript>(MoO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript> crystal

The binary molybdate Li₂Zn₂(MoO₄)₃ of a new crystal type was characterized by EPR, optical spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction methods. The crystals have the Pnma symmetry group and the lattice parameters a = 5.1139(5) Å, b = 10.4926(13) Å, c = 17.6445(22) Å; Z = 4. The crystals possess scintillation properties; emission is caused by the presence of impurity levels in the forbidden band. The EPR studies of the nature of the impurity centers responsible for the scintillation characteristics of the crystal showed that the centers were Cu²⁺ ions substituted for zinc ions in the oxygen octahedra. The directions of the main values of the g and tensors (g _zz , A _zz ) correspond to the direction of O-Cu-O of the oxygen octahedron distorted along the Z axis. The EPR spectra of the copper ions are described by the spin Hamiltonian with the parameters g _‖ = 2.38, g _⊥ = 2.06; A _‖ = 116 G, A _⊥ = 0 G.     

Tracing drug release process with dual-modal hyperbranched polymer-gold nanoparticle complexes

Dual-modal surface enhanced Raman spectrum(SERS)-fluorescence polymer/metal hybrid complexes have been prepared for tracing drug release process in tumor cells. Firstly, the hyperbranched poly((S-(4-vinyl) benzyl S′-propyltrithiocarbonate)-co-(poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate))(HPVBEG) was synthesized via the combination of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer(RAFT) polymerization and self-condensing vinyl polymerization(SCVP). Subsequently, the anticancer drug doxorubicin(DOX) was linked to HPVBEG via pH sensitive Schiff base bonds to form HPVBEG-g-DOX conjugates.Through aminolysis reaction, HPVBEG-g-DOX was coordinated with gold nanoparticles(GNP), resulting in the formation of HPVBEG-g-DOX/GNP complexes. In neutral condition, the HPVBEG-g-DOX/GNP complexes were stable, and DOX was bound to the surface of GNPs. Therefore, the SERS of DOX could be observed, while the fluorescence of DOX was quenched by GNPs. Under an acidic environment, DOX was released from the surface of GNPs with breakage of Schiff base bonds.Thus, the SERS signal of DOX was gradually reduced. Correspondingly, the fluorescence signal of DOX was enhanced.Through dual-modal SERS-fluorescence technique, the DOX delivery and release process was traced in tumor cells. Moreover,the viability of MCF-7 cells incubated with HPVBEG-g-DOX/GNP complexes was investigated by Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8) assay. The experimental results showed that HPVBEG-g-DOX/GNP complexes had similar proliferation inhibition effect compared with free DOX. Definitely, the dual-modal SERS-fluorescence complexes for tracing drug delivery and release will have promising prospects on tumor diagnosis and therapy.     

The dynamics of nonadiabatic transitions in collisions between the I<Subscript>2</Subscript>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>) and I<Subscript>2</Subscript>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">X</Emphasis>) molecules

The paper presents the results of a theoretical study of the dynamics of nonadiabatic transitions between the ion-pair states E0 _g ⁺ and D0 _u ⁺ of the I₂ molecule induced by collisions with the I₂ molecule in the ground electronic state X0 _g ⁺ . The potential energy surfaces and diabatic coupling matrix elements of electronic states were obtained using a model based on the diatomics-in-molecule approximation. Special perturbation theory for intermolecular interaction was used to show that the large transition dipole moment between the E0 _g ⁺ and D0 _u ⁺ states caused the appearance of additional long-range corrections, an electrostatic dipole-quadrupole correction to the diabatic coupling matrix elements and induction dipole-dipole correction to the potential energy surface. The influence of these corrections on nonadiabatic dynamics was studied at the level of the semiclassical approximation. The electrostatic correction was found to sharply increase the contribution of resonance (accompanied by minimum kinetic energy changes) vibronic transitions at large distances between the colliding molecules. The induction correction had the opposite effect because of the high transition probability at short distances. The results obtained were in qualitative agreement with experimental data. The conclusion was drawn that obtaining quantitative agreement required a more balanced inclusion of interactions at short and long distances.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tetra</Emphasis>-EDOT substituted 3D electrochromic polymers with lower band gaps

A couple of novel electrochromic materials poly(2,3,4,5-tetrakis(2,3-hydrothieno[3,4-b]dixin-5-yl)-1-methyl-1H-pyrrole) (P(t-EDOT-mPy)) and poly(5,5′,5′′,5′′′-(thiophene-2,3,4,5-tetrayl)tetrakis(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxine)) (P(t-EDOT-Th)) are electrodeposited via multi-position polymerization of their tetra-EDOT substituted monomers t-EDOT-mPy and t-EDOT-Th, respectively. Compared with the linear 2D structured poly(thiophene) (E _g=2.2 eV) and poly(2,5-bis(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-5-yl)thiophene) (E _g=1.7 eV), P(t-EDOT-Th) (E _g=1.62 eV) has the lowest band gap. Hence, we speculate that the band gaps of the two polymers, having 3D structures, are decreased in contrast to non-substituted polymers or bi-EDOT substituted polymers, thiophene and 1-methyl-1H-pyrrole. The results indicated that P(t-EDOT-Th) thin films are more stable and show higher transmittance amid two polymers, which may find their utilization in organic optoelectronics.     

Study on anti-UV aging mechanism of PP-<Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>-AN in the PP/PP-<Emphasis Type="Italic">g</Emphasis>-AN blend

In order to verify the anti-UV aging mechanism about polypropylene-grafting-acrylonitrile (PP-g-AN) to polypropylene (PP), the structural analysis of the PP/PP-g-AN blend before and after aging was carried out via the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) and UV-visible Absorbance Spectrum (UV–Vis). Inference on PP-g-AN anti-aging process was proposed and confirmed.     

Comparison of catalytic performance of synthesized EU-1 zeolite with dealuminated EU-1 zeolite for <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>-xylene isomerization reaction

EU-1 zeolite was synthesized with high purity by a hydrothermal method and under optimum conditions: synthesis time 72 h, temperature 200°C, and aging time 12 h. Then, the synthesized EU-1 zeolite was modified by dealumination with nitric acid and the changes of the properties such as surface area, pore volume, and Si/Al ratio were investigated. The catalytic performance of these two catalysts was studied and compared with a commercial mordenite catalyst for meta-xylene isomerization reaction in a fixed bed reactor. The results showed that the modification of catalyst with acid increases Si/Al ratio from 25 to 50 due to the removal of a number of aluminium atoms from the framework of zeolite. Also the catalyst surface area increased from 300.237 m² g^?1 for EU-1 to 333.639 m² g^?1 for modified EU-1. According to results, the modified Eu-1 had higher para/ortho ratio, meta-xylene conversion, and para-xylene yield than EU-1 and commercial mordenite in the meta-xylene isomerization reaction.     

Effects of poly-(p-phenylene terephthamide) powder coated with polydopamine on ethylene-propylene-diene-terpolymer grafted maleic anhydride

In this paper, we reported a technique for the surface modification of poly-(p-phenylene terephthamide) (PPTA) powder coated with polydopamine (PDOPA). We used air oxidation to self-polymerize dopamine (DOPA) to ensure that the PPTA powder was coated. Our results indicate that the modified surface of PPTA powder enhances compatibility with the polymer matrix without damaging its structure. Additionally, it is possible to control the coating thickness of PDOPA by regulating the reaction time. The modified PPTA powder improved the comprehensive property of ethylene-propylene-diene-terpolymer grafted maleic anhydride (EPDM-g-MAH), and it proved that this method can enhance the strength and electric insulativity of EPDM-g-MAH.     

Correlation of Morphology Evolution with Superior Mechanical Properties in PA6/PS/PP/SEBS Blends Compatibilized by Multi-phase Compatibilizers

In this study,the maleic anhydride(MAH)and styrene(St)dual monomers grafted polypropylene(PP)and poly[styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene](SEBS),i.e.PP-g-(MAH-co-St)and SEBS-g-(MAH-co-St)are prepared as multi-phase compatibilizers and used to compatibilize the PA6/PS/PP/SEBS(70/10/10/10)model quaternary blends.Both PS and SEBS are encapsulated by the hard shell of PP-g-(MAH-co-St)in the dispersed domains(about 2μm)of the PA6/PS/PP-g-(MAH-co-St)/SEBS(70/10/10/10)quaternary blend.In contrast,inside the dispersed domains(about 1μm)of the PA6/PS/PP/SEBS-g-(MAH-co-St)(70/10/10/10)quaternary blend,the soft SEBS-g-(MAH-co-St)encapsulates both the hard PS and PP phases and separates them.With increasing the content of the compatibilizers equally,the morphology of the PA6/PS/(PP+PP-g-(MAH-co-St))/(SEBS+SEBS-g-(MAH-co-St))(70/10/10/10)quaternary blends evolves from the soft(SEBS+SEBS-g-(MAH-co-St))encapsulating PS and partially encapsulating PP(about 1μm),then to PS exclusively encapsulated by the soft SEBS-g-(MAH-co-St)and then separated by PP-g-(MAH-co-St)inside the smaller domains(about 0.6μm).This morphology evolution has been well predicted by spreading coefficients and explained by the reaction between the matrix PA6 and the compatibilizers.The quaternary blends compatibilized by more compatibilizers exhibit stronger hierarchical interfacial adhesions and smaller dispersed domain,which results in the further improved mechanical properties.Compared to the uncompatibilized blend,the blend with both 10 wt%PP-g-(MAH-co-St)and 10 wt%SEBS-g-(MAH-co-St)has the best mechanical properties with the stress at break,strain at break and impact failure energy improved significantly by 97%,71%and 261%,respectively.There is a strong correlation between the structure and property in the blends.     

EPR of copper ions in Pb<Subscript>2</Subscript>MoO<Subscript>5</Subscript> crystals

The article presents the results of EPR studies of Pb₂MoO₅ crystals containing a copper impurity. Based on the analysis of angular dependences of the EPR spectra, it is found that copper ions incorporate into the structure of the Pb₂MoO₅ crystal in the Cu²⁺ state and occupy the molybdenum site with the formation of a linear extended Cu(II)–V(O)–Pb(IV) defect along the а axis of the crystal. An oxygen vacancy appears in the structure of the defect to compensate the charge and the lead ion acquires the Pb⁴⁺ charge state. According to the structure of this center, one magnetically non-equivalent position with the direction of main values of А and g of A(Cu)_zz and g_zz tensors parallel to the а axis is observed in the EPR spectra. Moreover, the EPR spectra exhibit an addition hyperfine structure from one lead atom on which the unpaired electron density is 0.061%. The obtained data on the structure of the defect formed when the copper impurity incorporates into the Pb₂MoO₅ crystal provided the assumption that the observed light scattering when the light beam is directed perpendicular to the а axis may be due to the cooperative effect of the presence of di- and tetravalent ions substituting for molybdenum in the linear configuration of Pb–O–Mo bonds.     

Synthesis,structure, and antibacterial properties of ternary rare-earth complexes with <Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-methylbenzoic Acid and 1,10-phenanthroline

Ternary rare-earth complexes with o-methylbenzoic acid (o-MBA) and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) Ln₂(o-MBA)₆(Phen)₂ · nH₂O(n = 0, 1) (Ln = La, Pr, Y, Yb) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, X-ray diffraction, and TG-DTG means. The complex La₂(o-MBA)₆(Phen)₂ · H₂O (I) is composed of two species of binuclear molecules in which the La³⁺ ion is coordinated with two nitrogen atoms of Phen and seven oxygen atoms of carboxylate groups. The carboxylate groups were bonded to La³⁺ in three modes: chelating-bidentate, bridging-bidentate, and chelating-bridging tridentate. The La³⁺ ion adopted a vigorous distorted monocapped square antiprism geometry. Complex I belongs to the triclinic crystal system, P space group, lattice parameters: a = 13.058(3), b = 12.7584(11), c = 20.773(4) Å, α = 101.18(3)°, β = 93.88(3)°, γ = 115.82(3)°, V = 3283.0(11)ų, Z = 2, ρ_calcd = 1.484 mg/m³, M _r = 1467.06, F(000) = 1476, μ = 1.350 mm^-1. The structure was refined to R _l = 0.0631 and wR ₂ = 0.1504. The antibacterial activity test indicates that these complexes exhibit better antibacterial ability against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus than the corresponding rare-earth chloride or o-MBA.     

Extensional rheology of cellulose/NaOH/urea/H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O solutions

The extensional flow behaviors of cellulose/NaOH/urea/H₂O solution were investigated by using capillary breakup extensional rheometry (CaBER). The effects of temperature, storage time and cellulose concentrations on both the storage modulus G′ and the loss modulus G″ were also analyzed. For 2 wt% cellulose solution, the G′, G″ and filament lifetime remained unchanged after long storage time. While, for 4 wt% cellulose solution, physical gels could form at either higher temperature or for longer storage time, and the filament lifetime, the relaxation time (λ _e ) and the initial extensional viscosity (η _e0) first increased and then decreased with increase of the storage time. The transition points of the filament lifetime shifted to lower storage time with the increase of the temperature. The η _e0 is proportional to λ _e . The results presented suggest that the extensional properties of the cellulose/NaOH/urea/H₂O solution first increase and then decrease during the gelation process, and the spinning time, which decreases linearly with the increase in the storage temperature, must be controlled below the time that η _e0 starts to decrease.     

One-step preparation of sulfonated carbon and subsequent preparation of hybrid material with polyaniline salt: a promising supercapacitor electrode material

The present trend to increase the energy density of electrochemical supercapacitor is to hybrid the electrochemical double layer capacitance electrode materials of carbon with loading or encapsulation of transition metal oxide or conductive polymeric pseudocapacitor materials as the binary or ternary hybrid electrochemical active materials. In this work, we selected polyaniline salt-sulfonated carbon hybrid (PANI-SA?C _SA ) as a cheaper electrode material for supercapacitor electrode. Sulfonated carbon (C _SA ) was prepared from hydrothermal carbonization of furaldehyde and p-toluenesulfonic acid. Polyaniline-sulfate salt containing sulfonated carbon was prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline using ammonium persulfate in presence of sulfuric acid and sulfonated carbon via aqueous, emulsion and interfacial polymerization pathways. Formation of hybrid material was confirmed from scanning electron microscopy. Among the hybrid prepared with three different polymerization pathways, hybrid prepared by aqueous polymerization pathway showed better electrochemical performance. The specific capacitance of the hybrid prepared via aqueous polymerization was 600 F g^?1, which is higher than that of the pristine PANI-SA (350 F g^?1) and C _SA (30 F g^?1). Hybrid material was subjected for 8000 charge-discharge cycles and at 8000 cycles; it showed 88% retention of its original specific capacitance value of 485 F g^?1 with coulombic efficiency (97–100%). These results showed that C _SA micro spheres prevent the degradation of PANI-SA chains during charge/discharge cycles. Specific capacitance, cycle life, low solution resistance, low charge transfer resistance and high phase angle value of PANI-SA?C _SA supercapacitor cell indicates a higher performance supercapacitor system.

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Graphical abstract Synthesis of hybrid of sulfonated carbon with polyaniline sulfate salt and its supercapacitor performance Ravi Bolagam, Palaniappan Srinivasan,^* Rajender Boddula