Topic Review
The Assembly of PPTA Nanofibers and the Applications
Poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) is one kind of lyotropic liquid crystal polymer. Kevlar fibers made from PPTA is widely used in many fields due to the superior mechanical properties resulted from highly oriented macromolecular structure. However, the “infusible and insoluble” characteristic of PPTA gives rise to its poor processability, which limits its scope of application. The strong interactions and orientation characteristic of aromatic amide segments make PPTA attractive in the field of self-assembly. The chemical derivations have proved an effective way to modify the molecular structure of PPTA to improve its solubility and amphiphilicity, which resulted in different liquid crystal behaviors or supramolecular aggregates, but the modification of PPTA is usually complex and difficult. Alternatively, higher order all-PPTA structures have also been realized through the controllable hierarchical self-assembly of PPTA from the polymerization process to the formation of macroscopic products. It briefly introduces the self-assembly methods of PPTA based materials in recent years, and focuses on the polymerization-induced PPTA nanofibers which can be further fabricated into different macroscopic architectures when other self-assembly methods are combined. This monomer-started hierarchical self-assembly strategy evokes the feasible processing of PPTA, and enriches the diversity of product, which is expected to be expanded to other liquid crystal polymers.
  • 725
  • 20 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Overview of Polylactic Acid
Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is an important polymer that is based on renewable biomass resources. Because of environmental issues, more renewable sources for polymers synthesis have been sought for industrial purposes.
  • 4.1K
  • 20 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Synthesis of 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid
The most versatile furanic building block for chemical and polymer applications is 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid. However, the classical 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid production methodology has been found to have significant drawbacks that hinder industrial-scale production.  The following content highlights new alternative methods to synthesize 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid that are both more advantageous and attractive than conventional oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural.
  • 1.2K
  • 19 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Liquid Crystal Elastomers and LCE-Based Composite Material
Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are programmable deformable materials that can respond to physical fields such as light, heat, and electricity. Photothermal-driven LCE has the advantages of accuracy and remote control and avoids the requirement of high photon energy for photochemistry. An indispensable part of photothermally driven LCEs materials are photothermal materials.
  • 1.5K
  • 14 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Applications of High Molecular Weight Poly(Methyl Methacrylate)
Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), commonly known as plexiglass, is a kind of polymer synthesized by free radical polymerization, ionic polymerization and coordination polymerization. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is widely used in aviation, architecture, medical treatment, optical instruments and other fields because of its good transparency, chemical stability and electrical insulation.
  • 901
  • 12 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Biocomposite Based on Natural Polymers
Biopolymers are materials obtained from renewable resources. Despite the exciting properties of biopolymers, such as biocompatibility and environmental sustainability, they do not present antimicrobial properties (except chitosan). However, this lack of antimicrobial properties can be solved by incorporating or encapsulating antimicrobial agents. Natural polymers possess low stability in aqueous media and limited mechanical strength, which could be improved through cross-linking strategies. Hydrogels are biocompatible materials that can be synthesized from natural polymers, forming a cross-linking material. Alginate, collagen, fibrin, chitosan, gelatin, and hyaluronic acid are some natural polymers used to synthesize hydrogels.
  • 528
  • 12 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Polyurea for Blast and Impact Protection
Polyurea has attracted extensive attention from researchers and engineers in the field of blast and impact protection due to its excellent quasi-static mechanical properties and dynamic mechanical properties. Its mechanical properties and energy absorption capacity have been tuned by means of formulation optimization, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and the addition of reinforcing materials. Owing to the special molecular structure of polyurea, the mechanism of polyurea protection against blasts and impacts is the simultaneous effect of multiple properties. For different substrates and structures, polyurea needs to provide different performance characteristics, including adhesion, hardness, breaking elongation, etc., depending on the characteristics of the load to which it is subjected. 
  • 737
  • 11 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Natural Polymer-Based Hydrogels for Glaucoma Therapy
Biopolymers have been extensively investigated in a number of medical fields, including tissue engineering and drug delivery. This is largely due to the fact that they are biodegradable within the body, and do not induce an inflammatory reaction. Polynucleotides such as nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), proteins such as polypeptides, and polyesters derived from both plants and animals are also used. When compared to synthetic polymers, naturally occurring biopolymers and their derivatives have acquired preference, and have a comprehensive range of applications in pharmaceutical as well as biomedical research. Natural biopolymers are preferred for medical applications due to their biodegradability, biostability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity. Additionally, natural polymers have the advantage of being readily available, economically friendly, and ecofriendly. Hydrogels designed from natural polymers exhibit high potential as drug delivery systems for biomaterials to treat ocular impairments.
  • 511
  • 28 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Influence of Plasticizer´s Polarity on Mechanical Stability
Compared with an styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) sample without plasticizer, the conductivity of mechanically unloaded oil-extended SBR samples decreases by an order of magnitude. The polarity of the plasticizer shows hardly any influence because the plasticizers only affect the distribution of the filler clusters. Under static load, the dielectric properties seem to be oil-dependent. 
  • 400
  • 27 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Preparation of Organosiloxane Telechelics by Cationic Ring-Opening Polymerization
Polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) telechelics are important both in industry and in academic research. They are used both in the free state and as part of copolymers and cross-linked materials. The most important, practically used, and well-studied method for the preparation of such PDMS is diorganosiloxane ring-opening polymerization (ROP) in the presence of nucleophilic or electrophilic initiators. Cationic ROP is also of interest for the preparation of functional PDMS. The advantage of this process is that it can be carried out at a relatively low temperature, the catalyst can be easily deactivated, and the process can also be used to synthesize polysiloxanes having base-sensitive substituents such as Si–H or Si–(CH2)3–SH.
  • 695
  • 24 Jun 2022
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