Recent Progress in the Synthesis and Property Enhancement of Waterborne Polyurethane Nanocomposites: Promising and Versatile Macromolecules for Advanced Applications

Abstract

Waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs), owing to their environmental friendliness and non-flammability, are considered as a green class of materials for a wide spectrum of applications, like adhesives, coatings, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. However, to strengthen their thermal stability, water resistance, mechanical properties, and introduce new peculiarities to these polymers, the incorporation of different types of (nano) fillers within their molecular state, emerged novel opportunities and challenges in material sciences. This approach provides new vitality to these materials since the strong interactions between WPU matrices and fillers facilitate the formation of desired WPU composites (WPUCs). Therefore, WPUCs have greatly promoted the construction and designing of novel materials, like hyperbranched WPUs and their nanocomposites. Thus, the aim of the present article is to deeply overview the properties and application of WPUCs in the various realm. The review also provides a brief discussion on the design and synthesis of WPUs, WPUCs, hyperbranched WPUs, and their nanocomposites along with the implementation of naturally derived materials for the development of sustainable WPUCs.     

Highly Efficient Chemical Process To Convert Mucic Acid into Adipic Acid and DFT Studies of the Mechanism of the Rhenium‐Catalyzed Deoxydehydration

The production of bulk chemicals and fuels from renewable bio‐based feedstocks is of significant importance for the sustainability of human society. Adipic acid, as one of the most‐demanded drop‐in chemicals from a bioresource, is used primarily for the large‐volume production of nylon‐6,6 polyamide. It is highly desirable to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly processes for the production of adipic acid from renewable feedstocks. However, currently there is no suitable bio‐adipic acid synthesis process. Demonstrated herein is the highly efficient synthetic protocol for the conversion of mucic acid into adipic acid through the oxorhenium‐complex‐catalyzed deoxydehydration (DODH) reaction and subsequent Pt/C‐catalyzed transfer hydrogenation. Quantitative yields (99 %) were achieved for the conversion of mucic acid into muconic acid and adipic acid either in separate sequences or in a one‐step process.     

An “All‐Green” Catalytic Cycle of Aqueous Photoionization

Hydrated electrons are highly aggressive species that can force chemical transformations of otherwise unreactive molecules such as the reductive detoxification of halogenated organic compounds. We present the first example of the sustainable production of hydrated electrons through a homogeneous catalytic cycle driven entirely by green light (532 nm, coinciding with the maximum of the terrestrial solar spectrum). The catalyst is a metal complex serving as a “container” for a radical anion. This active center is generated from a ligand through quenching by a sacrificial electron donor, is shielded by the complex such that it stores the energy of the photon for much longer than a free radical anion could, and is finally ionized by another photon to regenerate the ligand and recover the starting complex quantitatively. The sacrificial donor can be a bioavailable reagent such as ascorbic acid.     

Solvent Effects in Acid‐Catalyzed Biomass Conversion Reactions

Reaction kinetics were studied to quantify the effects of polar aprotic organic solvents on the acid‐catalyzed conversion of xylose into furfural. A solvent of particular importance is γ‐valerolactone (GVL), which leads to significant increases in reaction rates compared to water in addition to increased product selectivity. GVL has similar effects on the kinetics for the dehydration of 1,2‐propanediol to propanal and for the hydrolysis of cellobiose to glucose. Based on results obtained for homogeneous Brønsted acid catalysts that span a range of pK_a values, we suggest that an aprotic organic solvent affects the reaction kinetics by changing the stabilization of the acidic proton relative to the protonated transition state. This same behavior is displayed by strong solid Brønsted acid catalysts, such as H‐mordenite and H‐beta.     

Three-Component Coupling Synthesis of Diversely Substituted N-Aryl Pyrroles Catalyzed by Iron(III) Chloride

An efficient and operationally simple three-component coupling synthesis of varieties of N-aryl substituted pyrroles is described in the presence of sustainable and environmentally benign metal catalyst, FeCl₃. This method provides a straightforward approach for the synthesis of N-aryl substituted pyrroles in good yields from easily accessible starting materials such as nitroalkenes, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, and primary aromatic amines. The reaction proceeds through a catalytic sequence of Fe(III)-catalyzed amination/Michael/cycloisomerization reactions.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® to view the free supplemental file.     

兰州市绿地系统建设与城市可持续发展

以兰州市为例，分析了大气环境和环境噪声的现状,依现有的城市绿地面积，主要从4个方面估算城市绿地系统的生态效益:(1)绿地在城市碳氧平衡中的作用．(2)从绿地吸收NOx和脱硫两方面估算经济效益．(3)绿地的减噪作用．(4)绿地的杀菌作用．结果表明：乔灌草相结合的复合绿地对细菌的滤除率可达70％以上，草坪对细菌的滤除率也达20％以上．根据兰州市特殊的盆地地形特征，提出了要实现城市的可持续发展，今后的绿化工作重点应放在南北两山．     

基于能值分析的湖州市可持续发展水平研究

采用能值分析理论探讨1993-2007年湖州市可持续发展水平指标EsI的变化情况,定量研究湖州市的可持续发展水平.研究表明,湖州市可持续发展水平指数从1993年的102下降到2006年的4.09;其中1993-1995年以及1998-2000年快速下降,1995一1998年缓慢上升,2000年之后该指标缓慢下降;指标缓...     

林业可持续发展初探

为推动我国林业的可持续发展,利用现有研究成果,对林业可持续发展的定义和目标进行了分析,针对目前我国林业可持续发展中存在的问题提出对策。     

论四川东部丘陵山区特色经济可持续发展战略

走区域特色经济发展与区域生态环境保护和建设相结合的可持续发展道路,是四川东部丘陵山区特色经济可持续发展的必然选择.为此,必须以经济可持续发展理论为战略指导思想,通过体现配套性、预见性、机制性的战略方式和一系列涉及人口、教育、技术、经济、社会、文化等战略措施的实施,分阶段分步骤地推进川东丘陵山区特色经济可持续发展进程.     

技术创新负面效应产生的原因及解决的对策

长期以来，人们仅从经济学角度看待技术创新问题，导致技术创新一方面给人类创造了前所未有的物质财富，另一方面也带来了种种负面影响。分析了造成这种局面的深层次原因，并提出应采取积极措施引导技术创新趋利避害，向生态化方向发展。