Mechanochemistry harnesses mechanical force to facilitate chemical reactions. Traditionally, the field of polymer mechanochemistry has used methods to activate chemical bonds, which use forces that are larger than those that are required to break a covalen ...
Ought to their bioinert properties and facile synthesis, poly[(oligoethylene glycol)methacrylate]s (POEGMAs) have been raised as attractive alternatives to poly(ethylene glycols) (PEGs) in an array of (bio)material applications, especially when they are ap ...
Chemiresistive gas sensors composed of a thermoplastic polymer matrix and conductive fillers offer various advantages for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including low power consumption due to near-room-temperature operation, high sensitivity, ...
Polymers play a central role in shaping our world across various fields, but their heavy reliance on petrochemicals poses climate change, environmental and health risks. To address and alleviate these issues, transitioning to sustainable polymers, sourced ...
The conception of epoxy thermosets with both reprocessability and flame retardancy delineates a new horizon in polymer science, offering a material solution that is not only superior in fire safety but is also environment friendly. Herein, a flame-retardan ...
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have shown desirable properties in aerospace, automotive, and construction industries. Focusing on the latter and in the context of strengthening existing structures, CFRP composites are typically bonded to ...
Membranes are widely used for separation processes in applications such as water desalination, batteries and dialysis, and are crucial in key sectors of our economy and society1. The majority of technologically exploited membranes are based on solid polyme ...
Polymer optical fibre (POFs) based wearable sensors have attracted a lot of attention in the field of healthcare and biomedical applications. They are in particular envision as the next generation of sensors for the continuous, real-time n ...
Polymer brushes, which are polymers anchored to a solid substrate by one chainend, have the ability to modify the properties of an underlying substrate, offering
intriguing features such as enhanced lubrication, reduced friction, colloidal stability, and a ...
Thermoset rubbers give rise to elastomers with tunable stiffness and high resilience but are not recyclable. Thermoplastic elastomers can address this problem but their broad applicability is impeded by either limited operating temperatures or inferior ela ...
Piezoelectrics play a significant role in modern electronics and electric devices. Thermal or mechanical stress on such materials induces a change in polarization generating an electric response, which is the sole effect of why they are so interesting. How ...
The development of reusable fire-safe polymers with a prolonged lifetime heralds the switch for a transition towards circular economy. In this framework, we report a novel phosphonated thermoset which is composed of networked phosphonate esters containing ...
Side-by-side hybrid textiles are an intermediate step for the production of fibre-reinforced
thermoplastic composites. Press moulding these materials combining reinforcing fibre textiles and
thermoplastic matrix textiles or flexible layers is a promising m ...
Thin polymer coatings present a method to modify the surface properties of underlying substrates. Polymer-coated surfaces have been used as anticorrosive materials, surfaces with special wetting properties, antifriction materials, and as materials for biom ...
There has been a lot of interest in developing and producing biodegradable polymers to address the current environmental problem caused by the continued usage of synthetic polymers derived from petroleum products. Bioplastics have been identified as a poss ...
Supramolecular interactions play an important role in defining the structure and the resulting mechanical properties of materials. For instance, interchain hydrogen-bonding in PAs gives them superior strength and stiffness in engineering materials, while t ...
Seeded emulsion polymerization is one of the best-known methods for preparing polymer particles with a controlled size, composition, and shape. It first requires the preparation of seed particles, which are then swollen with additional monomer (the same as ...
Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) generate motion resembling natural muscles in reliability, adaptability, elongation, and frequency of operation. They are highly attractive in implantable soft robots or artificial organs. However, many applications of ...
Melt electrowriting is a microscale manufacturing technique that uses polymer-based melts to create fibrous structures. An electric field is used to stabilize a continuous molten jet, which is then written onto a substrate as a microscale fiber. Herein, it ...
Platform chemicals, also known as chemical building blocks, are substances that serve as starting materials for the synthesis of various value-added products, which find a wide range of applications. These chemicals are the key ingredients for many fine an ...
