Nine different perylene derivatives are prepared and their ability to initiate, when combined with an iodonium salt (and optionally N‐vinylcarbazole), a ring‐opening cationic photopolymerization of epoxides under very soft halogen lamp irradiation is investigated. One of them is particularly efficient under a red laser diode exposure at 635 nm and belongs now to the very few systems available at this wavelength. The photochemical mechanisms are studied by steady‐state photolysis, electron spin resonance spin trapping, fluorescence, cyclic voltammetry, and laser flash photolysis techniques.
Electrohydrodynamic cojetting has been employed to synthesize compartmentalized microfibers from thermally responsive hydrogels. The synthesis of the hydrogels as well as their transformation into compartmentalized microcylinders is discussed. After programmable shape‐shifting, snail‐like particles are obtained that undergo functional and structural reconfiguration in response to a change in temperature.
A recent response on a publication from our team investigating solvent effects on propagation rate coefficients is commented. Among other issues, we point to the fact that the response interprets only a subset of the data provided in our original contribution.
The present review focuses on the recent progress made in thin film orientation of semi‐conducting polymers with particular emphasis on methods using epitaxy and shear forces. The main results reported in this review deal with regioregular poly(3‐alkylthiophene)s and poly(dialkylfluorenes). Correlations existing between processing conditions, macromolecular parameters and the resulting structures formed in thin films are underlined. It is shown that epitaxial orientation of semi‐conducting polymers can generate a large palette of semi‐crystalline and nanostructured morphologies by a subtle choice of the orienting substrates and growth conditions.
The ruthenium benzimidazolylidene‐based N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex 4 catalyzes the direct dehydrogenative condensation of primary alcohols into esters and primary alcohols in the presence of amines to the corresponding amides in high yields. This efficient new catalytic system shows a high selectivity towards the conversion of diols to polyesters and of a mixture of diols and diamines to polyamides. The only side product formed in this reaction is molecular hydrogen. Remarkable is the conversion of hydroxytelechelic polytetrahydrofuran ( = 1000 g mol−1)—a polydispers starting material—into a hydrolytically degradable polyether with ester linkages ( = 32 600 g mol−1) and, in the presence of aliphatic diamines, into a polyether with amide linkages in the back bone ( = 16 000 g mol−1).
In this study, a new type of functional, self‐assembled nanostructure formed from porphyrins and polyamidoamine dendrimers based on hydrogen bonding in an aqueous solution is presented. As the aggregates formed are promising candidates for solar‐energy conversion, their photocatalytic activity is tested using the model reaction of methyl viologen reduction. The self‐assembled structures show significantly increased activity as compared to unassociated porphyrins. Details of interaction forces driving the supramolecular structure formation and regulating catalytic efficiency are fundamentally discussed.
Using the third‐generation Grubbs catalyst, the living ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of ferrocene/cobalticenium copolymers is conducted with theoretical numbers of 25 monomer units for each block, and their redox and electrochemical properties allow using the Bard–Anson electrochemical method to determine the number of metallocenyl units in each block.
Diarylbutadiyne derivatives are ideal monomers for providing the π‐electron‐conjugated system of polydiacetylenes (PDAs). The geometrical parameters for diacetylene topochemical polymerization are known. However, control of the molecules under these parameters is yet to be addressed. This work shows that by simply tailoring diarylbutadiyne with amide side‐chain substituents, the arrangement of the substituents and the resulting hydrogen bond framework allows formation of π‐electron‐conjugated PDA.
The novel hyperbranched poly(methyl acrylate)‐block‐poly(acrylic acid)s (HBPMA‐b‐PAAs) are successfully synthesized via single‐electron transfer‐living radical polymerization (SET‐LRP), followed with hydrolysis reaction. The copolymer solution could spontaneously form unimolecular micelles composed of the hydrophobic core (PMA) and the hydrophilic shell (PAA) in water. Results show that the size of spherical particles increases from 8.18 to 19.18 nm with increased pH from 3.0 to 12.0. Most interestingly, the unique regular quadrangular prisms with the large microstructure (5.70 μm in length, and 0.47 μm in width) are observed by the self‐assembly of unimolecular micelles when pH value is below 2. Such self‐assembly behavior of HBPMA‐b‐PAA in solution is significantly influenced by the pH cycle times and concentration, which show that increased polymer concentration favors aggregate growth.
A novel and non‐cytotoxic self‐healing supramolecular elastomer (SE) is synthesized with small‐molecular biological acids by hydrogen‐bonding interactions. The synthesized SEs behave as rubber at room temperature without additional plasticizers or crosslinkers, which is attributed to the phase‐separated structure. The SE material exhibits outstanding self‐healing capability at room temperature and essential non‐cytotoxicity, which makes it a potential candidate for biomedical applications.
A group of crosslinked cyclic siloxane (Si O) and silazane (Si N) polymers are synthesized via solvent‐free initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Notably, this is the first report of cyclic polysilazanes synthesized via the gas‐phase iCVD method. The deposited nanoscale thin films are thermally stable and chemically inert. By iCVD, they can uniformly and conformally cover nonplanar surfaces having complex geometry. Although polysiloxanes are traditionally utilized as dielectric materials and insulators, our research shows these cyclic organosilicon polymers can conduct lithium ions (Li+) at room temperature. The conformal coating and the room temperature ionic conductivity make these cyclic organosilicon polymers attractive for use as thin‐film electrolytes in solid‐state batteries. Also, their synthesis process and properties have been systemically studied and discussed.
Multilayer coatings consisting of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes have proven to be extraordinarily effective oxygen barriers but require many processing steps to fabricate. In an effort to prepare high oxygen barrier thin films more quickly, a polyelectrolyte complex coacervate composed of polyethylenimine and polyacrylic acid is prepared. The coacervate fluid is applied as a thin film using a rod coating process. With humidity and thermal post‐treatment, a 2 µm thin film reduces the oxygen transmission rate of 0.127 mm poly(ethylene terephthalate) by two orders of magnitude, rivalling conventional oxygen barrier technologies. These films are fabricated in ambient conditions using low‐cost, water‐based solutions, providing a tremendous opportunity for single‐step deposition of polymeric high barrier thin films.
Ethylene–propylene–methyl methacrylate (MMA) and ethylene–hexene–MMA A‐B‐C block copolymers with high molecular weight (>100 000) are synthesized using fluorenylamide‐ligated titanium complex activated by modified methylaluminoxane and 2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methylphenol for the first time. After diblock copolymerization of olefin is conducted completely, MMA is added and activated by aluminum Lewis acid to promote anionic polymerization. The length of polyolefin and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is controllable precisely by the change of the additive amount of olefin and polymerization time, respectively. A soft amorphous polypropylene or polyhexene segment is located between two hard segments of semicrystalline polyethylene and glassy PMMA blocks.
A targeted micellar drug delivery system is developed from a biocompatible and biodegradable amphiphilic polyester, poly(Lac‐OCA)‐b‐(poly(Tyr(alkynyl)‐OCA)‐g‐mannose) (PLA‐b‐(PTA‐g‐mannose), that is synthesized via controlled ring‐opening polymerization of O‐carboxyanhydride (OCA) and highly efficient “Click” chemistry. Doxorubicin (DOX), a model lipophilic anticancer drug, can be effectively encapsulated into the micelles, and the mannose moiety allows active targeting of the micelles to cancer cells that specifically express mannose receptors, which thereafter enhances the anticancer efficiency of the drug. Comprised entirely of biodegradable and biocompatible polyesters, this micellar system demonstrates promising potentials for targeted drug delivery and cancer therapy.
A simple and effective airflow method to prepare sandwich‐type block copolymer films is reported. The films are composed of three layers: vertically oriented nanocylinders align in both upper and bottom layers and irregular nanocylinders exist in the bulk of the film. The vertically oriented nanocylinders in both sides can provide high accessibility to ions and ensures the exchange of chemical species between the membrane and external environment, while the irregularly oriented nanocylinders in the middle part of the film can prolong the pathway of ions transportation and enhance ions selectivity.
A linear supramolecular polymer based on the self‐assembly of an easily available copillar[5]arene monomer is efficiently prepared, which is evidenced by the NMR spectroscopy, viscosity measurement, and DOSY experiment. The single‐crystal X‐ray analysis reveals that the polymerization of the AB‐type monomer is driven by the quadruple CH•••π interactions and one CH•••O interaction.
Developing simple methods to organize nanoscale building blocks into ordered superstructures is a crucial step toward the practical development of nanotechnology. Bottom‐up nanotechnology using self‐assembly bridges the molecular and macroscopic, and can provide unique material properties, different from the isotropic characteristics of common substances. In this study, a new class of supramolecular hydrogels comprising 40 nm thick linear polymer layers sandwiched between nanolayers of self‐assembled amphiphilic molecules are prepared and studied by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, small angle X‐ray diffraction, and rheometry. The amphiphilic molecules spontaneously self‐assemble into bilayer membranes when they are in liquid‐crystal state. The hydrogen bonds at the interface of the nanolayers and linear polymers serve as junctions to stabilize the network. These hydrogels with layered structure are facile to prepare, mechanically stable, and with unique temperature‐dependent optical transparency, which makes it interesting in applications, such as soft biological membranes, drug release, and optical filters.
Multivalent binding is a key for many critical biological processes and unique recognition and specificity in binding enables many of different glycans and proteins to work in a great harmony within the human body. In this study, the binding kinetics of synthetic glycopolypeptides to the dendritic cell lectin DC‐SIGN and their inhibition potential for DC‐SIGN interactions with the gp120 envelope glycoprotein of HIV‐1 (gp120) are investigated.
Artificial special wetting surfaces have drawn much interest due to their important applications in many fields. Nevertheless, tremendous challenges still remain for the fabrication of wetting surfaces with durable and self‐healing properties. Here, recent progress of durable, self‐healing wetting surfaces is highlighted by discussing the fabrications of several typical wetting surfaces including superhydrophobic surfaces, superamphiphobic surfaces, underwater superoleophobic surfaces, and high hydrophilic antifouling surfaces based on expertise and related research experience. To conclude, some perspectives on the future research and development of these special wetting surfaces are presented.
We report the functionalization of polypyrrole (PPy) with a “sticky” biomolecule dopamine (DA), which mimics the essential component of mussel adhesive protein. PPy is one of the most promising electrically conductive polymers with good biocompatibility. The research findings reveal that the DA functionalization enhances the dispersibility and stability of PPy in water and its film adhesion to substrate surface significantly. The electrical conductivity of PPy increases to a maximum value and then decreases with the increasing DA concentration. An optimal DA to pyrrole (Py) mole ratio is found to be between 0.1 and 0.2, at which both conductivity and adhesion of DA‐functionalized PPy has been improved.
