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Topic Review
Biography
Topic Review
Self-Healing Mechanism of Hydrogel
The route to achieve self-healing of hydrogels is by noncovalent or reversible dynamic covalent bonding in polymeric materials, and enhancing the conductivity of hydrogels by the addition of conductive fillers, conductive polymers or conductive ions.
640
29 Nov 2021
Topic Review
The Ubiquity of Microplastics in the Environment
Plastic is an indispensable material in modern society; however, high production rates combined with inadequate waste management and disposal have resulted in enormous stress on ecosystems. In addition, plastics can become smaller particles known as microplastics (MPs) due to physical, chemical, and biological drivers. MP pollution has become a significant environmental problem affecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems worldwide.
640
28 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Polymeric Wastewater Purification Membranes
Over the past few years, polymeric membranes are widely used for applications in separation technologies. They show better flexibility, pore formation mechanism, thermal and chemical stability, and demand less area for installation. Wastewater purification is among the most desirable application of these membranes. In comparison to conventional separation materials, membranes offer economical and efficient treatment. The polymers employed in the synthesis of each membrane are selectively chosen to enhance the optimal performance in wastewater purification.
636
09 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Synthesis of Polypeptides with Activated Amino Acid Monomers
Commonly, three different synthetic pathways are used to prepare peptides in the laboratory: via the polymerization of amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs), amino acid N-thiocarboxyanhydrides (NTAs), and N-phenoxycarbonyl amino acids (NPCs); via various stepwise coupling reactions of α-amino acids, such as during solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS); or via recombinant DNA techniques for expressing peptides in microorganisms. Polypeptides that are synthesized through SPPS have controlled primary sequences and can fulfill certain functionalities, but it is difficult to create high molecular weight polypeptides above 100 residues, due to the inevitable side reactions. Recombinant DNA techniques can create polypeptides with specific sequences and high molecular weights. Moreover, they allow for peptide production on a very large scale. However, specialized equipment, which is not readily available in most synthetic laboratories, is needed for this method. The polymerization of activated amino acid monomers enables the formation of bioactive and high molecular weight polypeptides in a facile and expedient manner. The process begins with the conversion of amino acids into the corresponding activated monomers; afterwards, polymerization is initiated in the presence of certain initiators. Although polypeptides that are synthesized in this way lack precise sequence control, their synthetic advantages make this method attractive and economical for synthesizing polypeptides in large quantities.
635
12 May 2022
Topic Review
Nitric Oxide for Dermal Application
Nitric oxide (NO•) is a free radical gas, produced in the human body to regulate physiological processes, including skin health. The lack of NO• is known to cause or worsen skin conditions, so an exogenous delivery through NO-donors can compensate its deficiency. This has been incorporated into natural, synthetic and semisynthetic polymeric matrices that have been evaluated for antimicrobial, wound healing and circulatory dermal applications.
632
25 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Application of Polycaprolactone-Based Materials in Nanoformulations
Among the various materials used for the fabrication of nanoparticles, polycaprolactone (PCL) has gained considerable attention due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, and ease of synthesis.
632
25 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Biomedical Applications of Antiviral Nanohybrids
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven a global research to uncover novel, effective therapeutical and diagnosis approaches. In addition, control of spread of infection has been targeted through development of preventive tools and measures. In this regard, nanomaterials, particularly, those combining two or even several constituting materials possessing dissimilar physicochemical (or even biological) properties, i.e., nanohybrid materials play a significant role. Nanoparticulate nanohybrids have gained a widespread reputation for prevention of viral crises, thanks to their promising antimicrobial properties as well as their potential to act as a carrier for vaccines. On the other hand, they can perform well as a photo-driven killer for viruses when they release reactive oxygen species (ROS) or photothermally damage the virus membrane. The nanofibers can also play a crucial protective role when integrated into face masks and personal protective equipment, particularly as hybridized with antiviral nanoparticles.
628
16 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Enzyme-Catalyzed Synthesis of Polyesters
Polyester is a kind of polymer composed of ester bond-linked polybasic acids and polyol. This type of polymer has a wide range of applications in various industries, such as automotive, furniture, coatings, packaging, and biomedical. The traditional process of synthesizing polyester mainly uses metal catalyst polymerization under high-temperature. This condition may have problems with metal residue and undesired side reactions. As an alternative, enzyme-catalyzed polymerization is evolving rapidly due to the metal-free residue, satisfactory biocompatibility, and mild reaction conditions.
626
20 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Molecular Weight of Polyamides
Polyamides (PAs) undergo local environmental degradation, leading to a decline in their mechanical properties over time. PAs can experience various forms of degradation, such as thermal degradation, oxidation, hydrothermal oxidation, UV oxidation, and hydrolysis. In order to better comprehend the degradation process of PAs, it is crucial to understand each of these degradation mechanisms individually.
623
09 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Reprocessable Photodeformable Azobenzene Polymers
Photodeformable azobenzene (azo) polymers are a class of smart polymers that can efficiently convert light energy into mechanical power, holding great promise in various photoactuating applications. They are typically of crosslinked polymer networks with highly oriented azo mesogens embedded inside. Upon exposure to the light of appropriate wavelength, they experience dramatic order parameter change following the configuration change of the azo units. This could result in the generation and accumulation of the gradient microscopic photomechanical force in the crosslinked polymer networks, thus leading to their macroscopic deformation. Most of the presently developed photodeformable azo polymers have stable chemically crosslinked networks, which make their reprocessing impossible, thus limiting their large scale applications. To solve this problem, reprocessable photodeformable azo polymers have been recently developed by introducing dynamic crosslinking networks (including physically crosslinked and dynamic covalent bond-crosslinked ones) into their structures. In addition, some uncrosslinked photodeformable azo polymers have also been reported and constitute one special type of reprocessable photodeformable azo polymers, whose photodeformation behaviors are mainly induced by the selective reorientation of the azo moieties (become perpendicular to the polarization direction of the polarized light) under the irradiation of either polarized blue light or interfering polarized light.
622
30 Aug 2021
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