RSC Applied Polymers Blog

RSC Applied Polymers has published its first articles. To celebrate this we wish to introduce some of our #RSCAppliedfirst50 authors and their recently published articles.

In this post we feature an introduction to ‘PISA printing from CTA functionalized polymer scaffolds’ written by Dr Anthony Convertine.

An Introduction to ‘PISA printing from CTA functionalized polymer scaffolds’ by Dr. Anthony Convertine

Dr. Anthony Convertine and his research team at Missouri University of Science and Technology are developing a new 3D printing technique known as PISA Printing, as detailed in their publication “PISA printing from CTA functionalized polymer scaffolds” in RSC Applied Polymers. This method combines Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (PISA) with controlled RAFT polymerization to create complex, high-resolution structures from biocompatible materials. The technique allows for the production of scaffolds that can replicate the detailed architecture of vascular tissues, achieving resolutions around 22 microns. With ongoing efforts to improve the diversity of materials used and the precision of the printing process, their research aims to enhance the capabilities of tissue engineering, potentially offering new avenues for medical treatments and regenerative medicine.

In our recent publication, “PISA printing from CTA functionalized polymer scaffolds,” we explore the application of Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (PISA) printing within the realm of 3D printing technology.. The paper outlines how Controlled Radical Polymerization, particularly RAFT polymerization, can be integrated with DLP printers to fabricate detailed, high-resolution biomedical scaffolds. Our findings reveal that PISA printing can create intricate structures, essential for replicating the complex microenvironment of natural tissues.

Polymers are crucial in this process, acting as the base material for printing these structures. We utilize Chain Transfer Agent (CTA) functionalized polymers to enable the self-assembly of nanostructures into solid forms, bypassing the need for traditional chemical crosslinking. This approach not only streamlines the manufacturing process but also produces materials that are both biocompatible and capable of controlled degradation within the body.

A notable achievement of our research is reaching printing resolutions of up to 22 microns, a significant advancement for tissue engineering efforts that require the precise replication of vascular networks. Furthermore, our study emphasizes the critical role of multifunctional CTA design in improving the mechanical strength of the printed scaffolds, thereby supporting cellular growth and tissue development.

Looking ahead, our team is committed to enhancing the PISA printing technique by investigating a broader selection of polymers and functionalization methods to boost scaffold functionality. We’re also aiming to extend the use of PISA printing to the creation of organ-specific scaffolds, seeking collaborations with stem cell and organ modelling specialists to achieve these ambitious objectives.

Anthony Convertine

Behind this research is Dr. Anthony Convertine, the Roberta and G. Robert Couch Assistant Professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology. He earned his Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi under the advisement of Professor Charles McCormick, specializing in controlled RAFT polymerization. He then moved to the University of Washington where he conducted postdoctoral research under Professors Patrick Stayton and Allan Hoffman in the department of Bioengineering. The focus of his postdoctoral studies was to develop pH-responsive polymers to facilitate the intracellular delivery of biologic drugs (i.e. siRNA, mRNA, peptides, antibodies).

PISA printing from CTA functionalized polymer scaffolds
A. Priester, J. Yeng, Y. Zhang, R. Wang and A. J. Convertine

RSC Appl. Polym., 2024, Advance Article.

DOI:10.1039/D3LP00252G

RSC Applied Polymers is a leading international journal for the application of polymers, including experimental and computational studies on both natural and synthetic systems. In this journal, you can discover cross-disciplinary scientific research that leverages polymeric materials in a range of applications. This includes high impact advances made possible with polymers across materials, biology, energy applications and beyond. Find out more about the journal Read our first articles Submit your manuscript today Sign up for email alerts Follow us on social media

RSC Applied Polymers has published its first articles. To celebrate this we wish to introduce some of our #RSCAppliedfirst50 authors and their recently published articles.

In this post we feature an introduction to Simultaneous photo-induced polymerization and surface modification by microfluidic spinning to produce functionalized polymer microfibers: Effect of their surface modification on cell adhesion written by the team of researchers behind the paper.

An Introduction to Simultaneous photo-induced polymerization and surface modification by microfluidic spinning to produce functionalized polymer microfibers: Effect of their surface modification on cell adhesion by Dr Delphine Chan-Seng et al.

Microfluidics refers both to the science of fluid flows (liquid or gas) in channels whose characteristic length is of the order of a few dozen to several hundred micrometres, as well as to the techniques and objects needed to manipulate them. As such, microfluidics can be considered for the preparation of polymers with various shapes ranging from spherical particles to fibres. Our group has been recently focusing its interest on producing polymer microfibers by photopolymerization using a capillary-based microfluidic device. We demonstrated the control of the features of the fibres obtained through the operating parameters and the nature of the monomers used. In this work, we report the first example of simultaneous formation of the polymer microfibers and their surface modification in a simple and fast one-step process. Acrylate monomers present in the core phase were photopolymerized, while the surface of the fibre was modified thanks to the presence of reactive molecule towards acrylate in the continuous phase. The effect of the modification of the fibre surface was investigated in terms of wetting properties and ability to promote cell adhesion. The fibres modified using molecules bearing multiple thiol groups were the more promising exhibiting a decrease in hydrophilicity at the fibre surface and an increase in cell adhesion. The advantages of microfluidic spinning (continuous synthesis avoiding problems of batch-to-batch reproducibility issues) combining with those of our strategy to modify polymer fibres without post-production modification (cost and time reduction) offer an appealing approach in the fields of functional polymer fibres developed for a wide range of applications.

Dr Wasif Razzaq

Wasif Razzaq is an accomplished researcher and assistant professor specializing in polymer science and engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in process engineering with a focus on polymer science and engineering from the University of Strasbourg, France. With expertise in microfluidic spinning of polymer microfibers and the development of novel and smart materials, he has made significant contributions to the field. He has published several research papers in renowned journals and has presented his work at international conferences. In addition to his research, he has a strong teaching background, having served as an assistant professor in Department of Materials, National Textile University, Pakistan

Prof. Christophe Serra

Christophe Serra is a Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Strasbourg (France). He received his Ph.D. in 1996 from the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse (France) with a work on hollow fibres. Then, he spent 18 months as a postdoctoral researcher at Rice University (Houston, TX) making CFD simulations on rotating and stationary membrane disk. Since 1998. He has been a faculty member of the University Louis Pasteur which became the University of Strasbourg in 2009. His researches concern the development of new microfluidic-assisted polymer processes for the synthesis of architecture-controlled polymers as well as functional micro- and nanostructured polymer particles and fibres. In 2015 he joined the Charles Sadron Institute (ICS, UPR 22 CNRS) and took the head of the group on Polymer Engineering and Process Intensification (IP²).

Candice Dusouillez

Candice Dussouillez is assistant engineer in biology at the University of pharmacology in Illkirch-Graffenstaden and work under the supervision of Antoine Kichler. After a master degree in virology in the University of Strasbourg, she joined the 3Bio team for the required internship to work on cancerology in 2019 and was then recruited in the team to work on vectorization of drugs, proteins and nucleic acids alongside Antoine Kichler.

Dr Naji Kharouf

Naji Kharouf is Associate Professor in Faculty of Dentistry and the department of Biomaterials & Bioengineering INSERM UMR_S 1121 at the Strasbourg University, France. He has been working in dental biomaterials, endodontic treatment, coronal restorative techniques, bioactive molecules, microsurgical skeels and dental morphology since 2018 (H-Index: 14, 2024). He has been speaker in several international conferences. He has published, in collaboration with internationally researchers, more than 68 scientific papers in international peer-review journals with high impact in the dental and biomaterials field. He has a Certificate in Oral Implantology, a Master degree in Biomaterials for Health, a Microsurgical Diploma, an Esthetic of Smile Diploma, a Ph.D. in Endodontics, a Post-Doc in Dental materials and finally a H.D.R. in Dental materials modified with graphene.

Irene Andrea Acuña Mejía

Irene Andrea Acuña Mejía obtained a chemical engineering diploma from Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogota, Colombia in 2018. Afterwards, she obtained her master’s degree in Polymer Science and Sustainable Materials at the University of Strasbourg and the University of Freiburg in 2021. Then, she joined IP² team at Institut Charles Sadron as an engineer in 2022. She worked on the development of an intensified process for the continuous production of hybrid polymeric microparticles with solvatochromic properties using microfluidics, encapsulating metallic nanoparticles within a polymeric matrix. Currently, her work focuses on the production of functionalized polymersomes using different microfluidic devices.

Dr Antoine Kichler

Antoine Kichler is research Director at the CNRS. He received his Ph.D. in pharmaco-chemistry in 1994 from the University of Strasbourg (France). After two post-doctoral positions he moved to Genethon in Evry in 1997 (France) to head a group working on non-viral gene delivery before joining the Faculté de Pharmacie of Strasbourg in 2012. His research interests are in the field of vectorization of anti-tumoral drugs, proteins and nucleic acids (DNA, mRNA, siRNA) using a variety of delivery systems including cell penetrating peptides, polymers and lipids.

Dr Delphine Chan-Seng

Delphine Chan-Seng is a CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) researcher at the Institut Charles Sadron in Strasbourg (France). She carried out her graduate studies with Michael K. Georges (Ph.D., 2007, University of Toronto, Canada) and did a postdoctoral stay in the group of Todd Emrick (2007-2011, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, USA) working on projects in the field of polymer chemistry. In 2011, she started her independent career as a CNRS researcher joining the Institut Charles Sadron. Her research focuses on designing polymers, among which some are stimuli-sensitive, for biomedical applications (drug and gene delivery, bioimaging, etc.) by combining organic and polymer chemistry, peptide synthesis, and macromolecular engineering.

Simultaneous photo-induced polymerization and surface modification by microfluidic spinning to produce functionalized polymer microfibers: the effect of their surface modification on cell adhesion
Wasif Razzaq, Christophe A. Serra, Candice Dussouillez, Naji Kharouf, Irene Andrea Acuña Mejía, Antoine Kichlerc and Delphine Chan-Seng.

RSC Appl. Polym., 2024,2, 62-70. DOI: 10.1039/D3LP00032J.

RSC Applied Polymers is a leading international journal for the application of polymers, including experimental and computational studies on both natural and synthetic systems. In this journal, you can discover cross-disciplinary scientific research that leverages polymeric materials in a range of applications. This includes high impact advances made possible with polymers across materials, biology, energy applications and beyond. Find out more about the journal Read our first articles Submit your manuscript today Sign up for email alerts Follow us on social media

RSC Applied Polymers has published its first articles. To celebrate this we wish to introduce some of our #RSCAppliedfirst50 authors and their recently published articles.

In this post we feature authors Professor Jon Pokorski and Mr Samuel Hays for the article ‘Melt Stability of Carbonic Anhydrase in Polyethylene oxide for Extrusion of Protein-Polymer Composite Materials’.

An Introduction to ‘Melt Stability of Carbonic Anhydrase in Polyethylene oxide for Extrusion of Protein-Polymer Composite Materials’ by Samuel Hayes.

In this work, we demonstrate the thermal stability of powdered bovine carbonic anhydrase during melt-processing of polyethylene oxide, (PEO), up to temperatures of 190 °C.  Carbonic anhydrase, (CA), is a biologically common enzyme, capable of quickly catalyzing the conversion between CO₂ and HCO₃^–.  Carbonic anhydrase is an exciting, biologically friendly tool for CO₂ capture.  Melt processing, specifically hot melt extrusion, is a manufacturing technique capable of generating products with controlled geometries at massive scale.  Melt extruding PEO with dispersed CA into membrane shapes should allow for mass production of functional, enzymatic membranes for CO₂ capture.

This work investigates the role of temperature, shear rate, and PEO molecular weight (MW), on the recovery of catalytically active CA following melt processing.  Close to 80% of the protein remained active following processing up to 130 °C, regardless of shear stresses and PEO MW.  At a temperature of 190 °C, there was a clear increase in protein recovery when increasing PEO MW, with higher PEO MW samples having as much as 40% of initial protein still active.  Additionally, the CA recovered had structure and activity of native CA, suggesting non-conjugated, high MW PEO can preserve the enzyme beyond standard protein aggregation temperatures.

The role of PEO in this process is not completely understood, however hypotheses are provided to guide future work as understanding this mechanism can lead to more advanced and scalable carbon capture applications.  The feasibility of melt-processing PEO with carbonic anhydrase is very exciting.  Membrane materials will be made in future work with the goal of mass producing of enzymatic membranes for CO₂ capture.

Samuel Hays

Samuel Hays received his BS in 2018 and MS in 2020 in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Georgia Tech, working with Dr. William Koros on carbon molecular sieve membranes for natural gas purification.  In 2020, he joined Dr. Jonathan Pokorski’s group in the Nanoengineering department at UC San Diego, working towards his PhD in chemical engineering.  His work focuses on developing biocatalytic membranes for CO₂ capture.

Jonathan Pokorski

Professor Pokorski began his career by earning his B.S. in biochemistry from UCLA, while working in private industry designing biomedical devices. Dr. Pokorski received his PhD in chemistry from Northwestern University, where he designed peptidomimetics for use in medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Dr. Pokorski then moved to The Scripps Research Institute as a post-doctoral fellow, where he engineered viral nanoparticles as drug-delivery systems. Pokorski started his independent career at Case Western Reserve University in the Macromolecular Science and Engineering department developing bioconjugate materials. Pokorski’s laboratory at UCSD now works to bridge chemical synthesis, molecular biology, and materials science to make new materials for applications in biomedicine and sustainability. Pokorski’s research has been funded through grants from the NIH, NSF, DOE and ACS. He has been awarded several prestigious awards, including an ACS PRF New Investigator Award and an NIH Pathway to Independence Award. Pokorski currently serves as an IRG lead for the UC San Diego MRSEC.

Melt stability of carbonic anhydrase in polyethylene oxide for extrusion of protein–polymer composite materials

Samuel S. Hays and Jonathan K. Pokorski

RSC Appl. Polym., 2024, Advance Article. DOI: 10.1039/D3LP00193H

RSC Applied Polymers is a leading international journal for the application of polymers, including experimental and computational studies on both natural and synthetic systems. In this journal, you can discover cross-disciplinary scientific research that leverages polymeric materials in a range of applications. This includes high impact advances made possible with polymers across materials, biology, energy applications and beyond. Find out more about the journal Read our first articles Submit your manuscript today Sign up for email alerts Follow us on social media

RSC Applied Polymers has published its first articles. To celebrate this we wish to introduce some of our #RSCAppliedfirst50 authors and their recently published articles.

In this post we feature corresponding author Dr Rachel Hand for the article ‘A simple approach to determining the efficacy of antiperspirants using paper-based colorimetric paper sensors: SweatSENSE’.

An Introduction to ‘A simple approach to determining the efficacy of antiperspirants using paper-based colorimetric paper sensors: SweatSENSE’ by Dr Rachel A. Hand.

Antiperspirant is a vast global industry, as worldwide it is used at least daily by a majority of people to tackle the perceived problem of sweat. However, prior to SweatSENSE, there was no simple way to assess the efficacy of new products in a variety of environments.
SweatSENSE is a project that started during my PhD and over the years has seen a number of researchers work collaboratively across the University of Warwick and Unilever to progress it from the paint brush tests we started with to the inkjet-printed paper-based sensor in use globally by Unilever today. The device is also patented and can be seen in use as a marketing tool here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myRleLw5TNM
Our imidazolium derivative of polydiacetylene is key to the device as it is changes in polarity that disrupt the conjugation within the polymer itself that provides the colorimetric element of the sensor. Our modifications mean that the polymer is not hydrochromic; it does not exhibit a colour change (from blue to red) to water, but does react in the presence of weak organic acids (known malodorous components of sweat). We also demonstrated that body temperature does not invoke the colour change, this coupled with the tuned reaction time eliciting a full axilla response in 5 seconds means that the device can be used globally, including in climates with high humidity, enabling simple fast worldwide testing with no need for challenging storage and transportation of samples.
Furthermore, we demonstrated that the device can be used to differentiate between people using different products in the underarm and within this we observe greater differences in, and therefore it is easier to differentiate between subsections that are grouped based on the level of sweat typically produced, compared to using the traditional method.
Finally, the authors dedicate the paper in the memory of Dr Maria Grypioti.

Rachel Hand

Rachel Hand graduated from the University of Warwick with a Master of Chemistry with Industrial Training degree (MChem. (Hons.)) in 2015. As part of this, Rachel spent the third year of her undergraduate degree working in industry at Ashland Specialty Ingredients before returning to Warwick to complete her degree with an MChem. research project in the group of Professor Dave Haddleton entitled ‘The Synthesis and use of Macromonomers by Catalytic Chain Transfer Polymerisation (CCTP).’ Rachel remained in the Haddleton group to complete her Unilever sponsored PhD entitled ‘Novel Devices for Sampling and Analysis of Volatiles.’ in 2019. She then spent 21 months as a Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC) funded PDRA working on Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) for the detection of Anabolic Androgenic Steroids in biological samples at De Montfort University, Leicester (with Prof. Nick Turner) where she remained a visiting Research Fellow until 2023. As part of this, she is also a visiting research fellow at The Open University in Milton Keynes. Rachel returned to Warwick in February 2021 where she spent two years as Unilever Research Fellow in Polymer Chemistry before becoming an Assistant Professor in Sustainable Futures (Chemistry), where she is course leader of the new transdisciplinary Postgraduate Taught MSc in Global Decarbonisation & Climate Change. Rachel’s research sits at the interface of polymer chemistry and analytical chemistry, designing and synthesising interactive polymers and new analytical methodologies for a variety of applications in the biomedical and personal care fields, with a focus on sustainability. As part of this, Rachel is also currently a thematic fellow of the Institute of Global Sustainable Development.

A simple approach to determining the efficacy of antiperspirants using paper-based colorimetric paper sensors: SweatSENSE.

Rachel A. Hand, Spyridon Efstathiou, Alan M. Wemyss, Maria Grypioti, Gavin Kirby, Tammie Barlow, Emmett Cullen Tinley, Jane Ford, Andy Jamieson, Janette Reynolds, Jean Miller, Susan Bates, Ezat Khoshdelab and David M. Haddleton.

RSC Appl. Polym., 2024,2, 98-104. DOI: 10.1039/D3LP00214D.

RSC Applied Polymers is a leading international journal for the application of polymers, including experimental and computational studies on both natural and synthetic systems. In this journal, you can discover cross-disciplinary scientific research that leverages polymeric materials in a range of applications. This includes high impact advances made possible with polymers across materials, biology, energy applications and beyond. Find out more about the journal Read our first articles Submit your manuscript today Sign up for email alerts Follow us on social media

RSC Applied Polymers has published its first articles. To celebrate this we wish to introduce some of our #RSCAppliedfirst50 authors and their recently published articles.

In this post we feature corresponding author Dr Baris Kumru for the article ‘Algae-derived partially renewable epoxy resin formulation for glass fibre reinforced sustainable polymer composites‘.

An Introduction to ‘Algae-derived partially renewable epoxy resin formulation for glass fibre reinforced sustainable polymer composites’ by Dr Baris Kumru.

Polymers are pivotal parts in modern composite systems. In this study, we investigate the potential use of renewable thermosets as composite matrix.

In this study, we attempt to investigate the potential of algae-derived epoxidized phloroglucinol (PHTE) as a potential substitute of diglycidyl ether of Bisphenol-A in commercial laminating systems (Epikote/Epikure 04908) which uses linear amines as fast-curing agents. Throughout a comparative study, we performed resin engineering to optimize PHTE resin recipe, and followed by glass fibre reinforced composite formation. It is seen that PHTE offers better thermomechanical properties than Bisphenol-based resin, which opens the door for sustainable composite generation.

We will continue to screen a library of renewable epoxy systems for composite formation. We will translate resin engineering into composite systems which is vital in composite manufacturing. Additionally, we work on frontal polymerization for composite generation and vitrimeric composite systems, where we will merge our findings into these activity areas.

As ‘Sustainable Composites’ special issue highlights, that the sustainability of composites utterly rely on new sustainable chemistries. Despite many articles focusing on renewable resin synthesis, their translation into composite manufacturing faces many hurdles. Bridging composite expertise with chemistry is the key to form scalable sustainable composites. For this reason, I urge everyone in chemistry, engineering, industry and government with a resin-composite research to openly collaborate on a large scale. If we want to construct a sustainable world by all means (chemical industry, materials, composites…) we should put aside egos and start collaborating for our future!

Baris Kumru

Dr. Baris Kumru studied chemistry (BSc and MSc) at Istanbul Technical University in Turkey between 2010-2016. Then, he obtained his PhD in 2019 at Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces. Since April 2022 he is an assistant professor at Delft University of Technology in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. His current interests are photoactive composites from nano to macroscale, sustainable polymers and polymer composites for aerospace applications, functional polymer design, polymer based catalysts and frontal polymerization where he and his team develop materials both for academic and industrial interest.

An algae-derived partially renewable epoxy resin formulation for glass fibre-reinforced sustainable polymer composites.

Dimitrios Apostolidis, William E. Dyer, Clemens A. Dransfelda and Baris Kumru

RSC Appl. Polym., 2024, Advance Article. DOI: 10.1039/D3LP00174A

RSC Applied Polymers is a leading international journal for the application of polymers, including experimental and computational studies on both natural and synthetic systems. In this journal, you can discover cross-disciplinary scientific research that leverages polymeric materials in a range of applications. This includes high impact advances made possible with polymers across materials, biology, energy applications and beyond. Find out more about the journal Read our first articles Submit your manuscript today Sign up for email alerts Follow us on social media

RSC Applied Polymers has published its first articles. To celebrate this we wish to introduce some of our #RSCAppliedfirst50 authors and their recently published articles.

In this post we feature the contributing authors for the article ‘Radical Polymers in Optoelectronic and Spintronic Applications’

An Introduction to ‘Radical Polymers in Optoelectronic and Spintronic Applications’ by Bryan W. Boudouris and Hyunki Yeo.

This manuscript provides a status update regarding stable open-shell macromolecular materials. Radical polymers stand apart for their potential as solid-state conducting materials, due to their distinct charge transport mechanism, promising optical properties, and paramagnetic open-shell structures derived from their singly occupied molecular orbital energy levels. Beginning with an exploration of their synthetic methods and the underlying charge transport mechanisms, the discussion then shifts to the significant development in solid-state optoelectronic materials. Ultimately, the discussion concludes by highlighting the emerging roles of these materials in spintronic applications, showcasing their recognition especially within the context of next-generation quantum information systems. In conclusion, callouts are sent out for various research communities to dive into open-shell macromolecules, with the aspiration that this effort offers essential contexts and references to stimulate advancements in this field. This approach seeks to unleash the full potential of radical polymers (and organic radicals in a wider scope), in terms of pioneering scientific contributions and societal influence.

Bryan W. Boudouris

Bryan W. Boudouris is the R. Norris and Eleanor Shreve Professor in the Charles D. Davidson School of Chemical Engineering and a professor (by courtesy) in the Department of Chemistry at Purdue University where he is also the inaugural Associate Vice President for Strategic Interdisciplinary Research. He recently served on an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignment as a Program Director in the Division of Materials Research at the National Science Foundation from 2020-2022. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2004. After receiving his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2009, he conducted postdoctoral research from 2009 to 2011 at the University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Since joining Purdue University in 2011, he has been the recipient of a number of awards including the AFOSR YIP award, the DARPA YFA, the NSF CAREER Award, the AIChE Owens Corning Early Career Award, the Saville Lectureship at Princeton University, and the John H. Dillon Medal from the APS.

Suman Debnath

Suman Debnath is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Charles D. Davidson School of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University. He obtained his B.Sc. Degree in chemistry from the University of Burdwan in 2011 and his M.Sc. degree in Organic Chemistry from Visva-Bharati University, Bolpur, Santiniketan in 2013. He received his Ph.D. degree in Polymer Sciences from Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (An institute of national importance, Government of India) in 2020. His current research focuses on polymer functional materials and photoelectric devices.

Baiju P. Krishnan

Baiju P. Krishnan received his M.S. degree from the University of Calicut, India in 2008. He later completed his Ph.D. at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM), India, under the supervision of Professor Kana M. Sureshan in 2017. He was a postdoctoral researcher at Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM)- Saarbrücken, Germany (2017–2020) and Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Halle, Germany (2021–2022). He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue University. His research interests include supramolecular chemistry, stimuli-responsive polymers, and chemical reactions in confined environments.

Hyunki Yeo

Hyunki Yeo, born in Seoul, South Korea, demonstrated early interest in chemical engineering, commencing his educational journey at Korea University. Following mandatory military service at Capitol Defense, he pursued an M.S. degree at the same institution under the guidance of Dr. Joona Bang and Dr. Anzar Khan. He joined Purdue University for his doctoral studies in 2020. His research focus encompasses polymer synthesis, characterization, and applications.

Radical polymers in optoelectronic and spintronic applications.

Hyunki Yeo,  Suman Debnath, Baiju P. Krishnan and Bryan W. Boudouris.

RSC Appl. Polym., 2024, Advance Article. DOI: 10.1039/D3LP00213F

RSC Applied Polymers is a leading international journal for the application of polymers, including experimental and computational studies on both natural and synthetic systems. In this journal, you can discover cross-disciplinary scientific research that leverages polymeric materials in a range of applications. This includes high impact advances made possible with polymers across materials, biology, energy applications and beyond.   Find out more about the journal Read our first articles Submit your manuscript today Sign up for email alerts Follow us on social media

RSC Applied Polymers has published its first articles. To celebrate this we wish to introduce some of our #RSCAppliedfirst50 authors and their recently published articles.

In this post we feature the contributing authors for the article ‘Application of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as environmental separation tools‘

An Introduction to ‘Application of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as environmental separation tools’ by Dr. George Z. Kyzas

Molecularly imprinted polymers technology is experiencing rapid growth in multiple scientific disciplines. Molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) are synthetic polymers that are carefully constructed to possess specific pores matching the structure of the target material, displaying a remarkable selectivity toward it. In recent times, MIPs have emerged as valuable tools for the recovery of environmental pollutants due to their adsorption capabilities and adaptability to specific target pollutants. However, their environmental application has typically centered on various aspects, including the synthesis of MIPs, preparation methods, analysis methods, matrices and MIP components. One notable challenge in this regard is optimizing the interaction between monomers and functional groups.

Given the dearth of comprehensive reviews on the application of MIPs as environmental separation tools, especially regarding the critical role of functional groups, this review is structured to outline the interactions between primary functional groups and monomers and how these functional groups impact MIP performance. Additionally, we offer insights into how functional groups can significantly enhance the imprinting effect, resulting in a markedly increased imprinting factor and specific rebinding capacity. The results revealed that the monomers utilized in MIPs for non-covalent molecular imprinting procedures include MAA, 2-VP, dopamine, and styrene. Additionally, a crosslinker is employed to establish non-covalent interactions, with EGDMA being the most commonly used crosslinker. The majority of porogens utilized in MIP synthesis is acetonitrile.

The exceptional selectivity and sensitivity offered by MIPs have proven advantageous in numerous areas. To further enhance their properties, there is significant potential for introducing innovative approaches in the synthesis of MIPs by using diverse monomers and alternative solvents instead of the typical ones. By embracing green synthesis techniques, such as utilizing renewable reagents, minimizing the overall quantity of necessary reagents, and adopting safer analytical procedures, it is possible to implement approaches that prioritize sustainability and establish a “non-toxic” environment. Additionally, to impart new and desirable properties, MIPs can be integrated with inorganic materials like gold, silver or iron oxide nanoparticles, which display responsiveness to external physical stimuli. As we look towards the future, a higher demand for the utilization of green synthesis methods alongside MIP sample preparation techniques is anticipated.

This approach aligns with the principles of waste reduction, cost-effectiveness, ecological compatibility, production safety and conformance with sustainable chemistry. It is crucial to establish techniques that are both friendly to the environment and efficient for supervising food safety, addressing pollution and health concerns. The implementation of extraction systems based on MIPs will support the creation of analytical approaches that are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and fast by minimizing solvent usage. Ongoing research focuses on creating nano- or magnetic materials that can enhance the efficiency and capacity of analyte sorption.

Despina A. Gkika

Dr. Despina A. Gkika is an Economist and a researcher at the Chemistry Department of International Hellenic University. She graduated from the Business Economics Department, University of Portsmouth in UK and received her PhD on the Cost Profile of Nanomaterials from the University of Antwerp in Belgium, in 2021. She then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Chemistry Department of the International Hellenic University. Her research concentrates on the economic and sustainability assessment and on the interaction between economy, technology and environment. Her scientific interests concern the collaboration surrounding techno-economic analysis of adsorbent and photocatalytic materials for use in wastewater treatment.  She is interested in conceptual and methodological aspects of assessing sustainability, therefore she uses (i) systemic techno-economic assessments (TEA); (ii) sustainability assessment methods, which brings economic, social and environmental information together (techno-economic assessment (TEA), life cycle costing (LCC), and cost-benefit analysis (CBA). Her work is recognized with (>310 citations, h index:8) based on Google Scholar database. She has published more than 30 scientific papers in high-quality academic journals Additionally, she has (co)authored 9 book chapters. She has been a reviewer in high impact journals published by Elsevier, Springer and Frontiers.

Athanasia Tolkou

Dr. Athanasia Tolkou is Chemist and Adjunct Professor at the Department of Chemistry at the International Hellenic University (IHU). She is now working at the Department of Chemistry (International Hellenic University, Kavala, Greece), as Postdoctoral Researcher (since 2021). Her research interests include wastewater treatment, municipal, industrial and hazardous wastewater treatment technologies (coagulation/flocculation, adsorption, ozonation, membrane bioreactors), recovery of nutrients (phosphates, nitrates) from wastewater and removal of ions, heavy metals and dyes from water and wastewater. Her scientific work has been published in more than 50 Papers in international journals, while she published 3 Chapters in scientific Books. Her work is widely recognized with 667 Citations (h-index 16) in Scopus and 940 Citations (h-index 18) in Google Scholar. She was/is the Guest Editor of 3 Special Issues and She is a reviewer in over 30 international scientific journals (Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, Mdpi etc). She has also participated in about 17 research projects related to her field. She has research experience in the Technical University of Hamburg (Germany), Laboratory of Water Resources and Water Supply and at the University of Insubria, Varese (Italy) Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences. She has also teaching experience in the Department of Chemistry of the University Maria Curie-Skłodowska, Lublin, Poland.

Dimitrios N. Bikiaris

Prof. Dr. Dimitrios N. Bikiaris is Chemist and Full Professor at the Chemistry Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (https://bikiarislab.wixsite.com/bikiarislab). His research interests include the synthesis and characterization of polyesters and copolymers, biobased polymers, preparation and characterization of composites and nanocomposites, polymer blends, 3D printing, polymer recycling, modification of natural polymers, use of polymers for contaminants removal, microplastics and application of new biocompatible polymers in tissue engineering and pharmaceutical technology. His scientific work has been published in more than 543 scientific papers in international scientific journals, with over 25000 citations, and h-index 84 (scopus). He was participated in 66 research projects and he holds 15 international and 2 Greek patents. He has participated in more than 150 international and 50 national conferences, has been reviewer in more than 170 international journals and member of editorial committees in 15 scientific journals. His name is included in the list of World Top 2% Scientists, which is compiled by the Stanford University (USA) based on standardized citation indicators.

Dimitra Lambropoulou

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitra Lambropoulou is Chemist and Asscoiate Professor on Environmental Chemistry in the Environmental Pollution Control Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh). She is a member of the ENVIGREEN group of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIRI) of AUTh. Her main research interests are the development and application of novel sample preparation techniques coupled to advanced mass spectrometry approaches in the field of environmental chemistry, design and application of new materials in analytical and separation sciences, occurrence, transport, fate and effects of emerging contaminants (endocrine disruptors and pharmaceutical products, illicit drugs, polar pesticides, transformation products, nanomaterials and microplastics) in the environment (in waste and natural water), identification and structure elucidation of organic contaminants by high resolution mass spectrometry, application of “omics” techniques to environmental problems, wastewater-based epidemiology. She is also interested in the development of effective degradation and purification processes for the mineralization of organic micropollutants such as Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs). She has published more than 195 ISI papers (plus 2 books and 18 book chapters) that have received more than 9250 citations (Scopus, h index 53). She serves as Associate Editor for the journal Science of Total Environment (If 9.8) and as editor in the journals of Total Environment Advances and Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. She has been included in the list of World Top 2% Scientists for 2019-2022 which is compiled by the Stanford University (USA) based on standardized citation indicators.

Petros Kokkinos

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Petros Kokkinos is Molecular Biologist and Associate Professor at the School of Science and Technology of the Hellenic Open University (HOU). He has studied Biological Sciences at the University of Trieste, Italy, and holds a PhD from the Polytechnic School of the University of Patras, Greece. He has received nine (9) scholarships and has conducted research in UK, USA, Spain, and Switzerland. He is currently member of the Laboratory of Sustainable Waste Management Technologies (LSWMT Lab) and the Director of the Postgraduate Study Program ‘Cultivations under cover-Hydroponics’ of the HOU (since 2023). He has participated in more than 15 research projects, such as: 1) BioNFate (ARISTEIA I), “Fate and transport of biocolloids and nanoparticles in groundwater and effects of polluted water on public health”, 2) Archimedes III, “Wastewater Reuse – Development of a risk assessment model for public health protection”, 3) INVALOR research infrastructure (research infrastructure for waste valorization and sustainable management of resources), 4) Hybrid landfill leachate treatment model combining the use of advanced oxidation processes and membrane technology, 5) Resource oriented wastewater and sludge treatment in Greece and Germany. He has published 55 peer reviewed scientific papers (h-index: 21, Scopus, 05/01/2024, citations >1500), 44 publications in international conferences, 28 publications in Greek conferences, and a scientific book. He is Guest Editor of 2 Special Issues, invited reviewer in 16 scientific journals and Associate Editor in Environmental Water Quality (specialty section of Frontiers in Water). He has given 21 invited talks, and participated in 8 training seminars. He has organized 2 conferences, 2 symposiums, 8 summer schools, 2 seminars, and 5 workshops. He has supervised 35 postgraduate thesis. His research interests include Water Pollution, Wastewater Reuse, Biology of Wastewater Treatment, Environmental Virology, Risk Assessment and Public Health.

Ioannis K. Kalavrouziotis

Prof. Dr. Ioannis K. Kalavrouziotis with PhD in Environmental Geochemistry from Department of Geology, University of Patras, Greece (1999) is currently a Professor and President of Hellenic Open University, and is Director of Education on Wastewater Management Master Programme, and Visiting Fellow in the University of Derby, UK (2015-2018). Guest Professor of Hubei University, China (09 May, 2019- 2022). He taught at the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Western Greece (2000-2013). He has completed administrative responsibilities as: Agronomist of the Greek Ministry of Agriculture (1988-2000), Director of Western Greece Region Administration (1993), Member of the Administrative Board of the National Agricultural Research Foundation (2006-2009), President of the Sector for the Management of Messologion Lagoon (2006-2009). He is a member of IWA and President of IWA Symposium on ‘Water, Wastewater, and Environment: Traditions and Culture’, 2014, Patras, Greece, a Chairman of IWA Specialist Group on Water and Wastewater in Ancient Civilizations. President of the Regional Council for Research and Innovation of the Western Greece Region (2020-2024). He has published 6 Books and chapters, 120 peer-reviewed full research papers in International Journals, 81 papers in International Conferences, 38 papers in National Conferences and more than 120 articles in journals and newspapers.

George Z. Kyzas

Dr. George Z. Kyzas is Chemist and Full Professor at the Department of Chemistry at the International Hellenic University (IHU). He is now working at the Department of Chemistry (International Hellenic University, Kavala, Greece), being the Head/President of the Department (since 2019). He is also the Head of Hephaestus Laboratory (since 2023) and the Director of the MSc in Cosmetic Chemistry (since 2021). His research interests include the synthesis and characterization of various (majorly adsorbent) materials (inorganic, aluminates, polymers, graphene, activated carbons, agro-food residues, nanomaterials, CNTs, etc.) for environmental applications (wastewater treatment). His scientific work has been published in more than 270 Papers in international journals, while he published 9 Books, 42 Chapters in scientific Books and holds 3 Patents. His work is widely recognized with 16,000 Citations (h-index 71). He is the Editor of the journal “Environmental Science and Pollution Research” (Springer, IF 5.8). His name is included in the list of Highly Cited Researchers for 2022 (Thomson Reuters – Clarivate WoS) [0.1% most impactful Scientists in the World]. Also, his name is included in the list of World Top 2% Scientists for 2019-2022 which is compiled by the Stanford University (USA) based on standardized citation indicators. He has also participated in about 25 research projects. He is a Reviewer in more than 200 scientific journals (RSC, ACS, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, etc) and participates as Chair of Expert Panelists and Assessor/Evaluator/Reviewer in National, European and International research proposals/calls/projects.

Application of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as environmental separation tools

Despina A. Gkika, Athanasia K. Tolkou, Dimitra A. Lambropoulou, Dimitrios N. Bikiaris, Petros Kokkinos, Ioannis K. Kalavrouziotis and George Z. Kyzas

RSC Appl. Polym., 2024, Advance Article. DOI: 10.1039/D3LP00203A

RSC Applied Polymers is a leading international journal for the application of polymers, including experimental and computational studies on both natural and synthetic systems. In this journal, you can discover cross-disciplinary scientific research that leverages polymeric materials in a range of applications. This includes high impact advances made possible with polymers across materials, biology, energy applications and beyond.   Find out more about the journal Read our first articles Submit your manuscript today Sign up for email alerts Follow us on social media