March 2022 – Polymer Chemistry Blog

Archive for March, 2022

New themed collection: Sustainable polymers

30 Mar 2022

We are very pleased to announce the Polymer Chemistry special collection on Sustainable Polymers

This special issue presents the most important developments in these fields in novel synthetic methodology and making use of modern methods such as continuous flow chemistry or energy-efficient photochemical reactions for sustainable polymer synthesis. The Guest Editors for this collection are:

Professor Antoine Buchard (University of Bath, Belgium)
Professor Tanja Junkers (Monash University, Australia)

In their Editorial, Guest Editors Antoine Buchard and Tanja Junkers discuss the importance of sustainability in polymers including in areas such as renewable polymers, green synthetic methods, improving polymer properties, degradability, chemical recycling, toxicology impact and design.

The full collection can be found here and we have also highlighted a selection of articles below. We hope you enjoy these, and the rest of the articles included in the collection.

A guide towards safe, functional and renewable BPA alternatives by rational molecular design: structure–property and structure–toxicity relationships
L. Trullemans, S.-F. Koelewijn, I. Scodeller, T. Hendrickx, P. Van Puyvelde and B. F. Sels
Polymer Chemistry, 2021, 12, 5870-5901

Recent developments towards performance-enchancing lignin-based polymers
Garrett F. Bass and Thomas H. Epps, III
Polymer Chemistry, 2021, 12, 4130-4158

Sustainable synthesis of CO2-derived polycarbonates from ᴅ-xylose
David K. Tran, Ahmed Z. Rashad, Donald J. Darensbourg and Karen L. Wooley
Polymer Chemistry, 2021, 12, 5271-5278

Access to high-molecular-weight poly(γ-butyrolactone) by using simple commercial catalysts
Yihuan Liu, Xin Yuan, Jiaqi Wu, Xin Hu, Ning Zhu and Kai Guo
Polymer Chemistry, 2022, 13, 439-445

Novel imino- and aryl-sulfonate based photoacid generators for the cationic ring-opening polymerizarion of ε-caprolactone
Xabier Lopez de Pariza, Erick Cordero Jara, Nicolas Zivic, Fernando Ruipérez, Timothy E. Long and Haritz Sardon
Polymer Chemistry, 2021, 12, 4035-4042

Renewable and recyclable covalent adaptable networks based on bio-derived lipoic acid
Maher A. Alraddadi, Viviane Chiaradia, Connor J. Stubbs, Joshua C. Worch and Andrew P. Dove
Polymer Chemistry, 2021, 12, 5796-5802

All the articles in the collection are currently FREE to read until 2 May 2022!

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Paper of the month: Iron-containing poly(ionic liquid) membranes: a heterogeneous Fenton reaction and enhanced anti-fouling ability

17 Mar 2022

Guan et al. develop iron-containing poly(ionic liquid) (Fe-PIL) membranes with anti-fouling properties enhanced by a heterogeneous Fenton reaction.

The life span of membranes used in various separation technologies is often limited by fouling causing decreased performance and large economic costs. Recently, poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) have been employed to prepare membranes with a large range of applications due to their unique material properties including excellent stability, processability and flexibility. Although PIL membranes are less prone to fouling and easier to clean due to their charged nature, the problem of irreversible pollutant deposition can limit their efficiency.

To address this, Zhang and collaborators developed iron-containing PIL (Fe-PIL) membranes and used them as catalysts for heterogenous Fenton reaction. Poly(4-vinylpyridine)-b-polysulfone-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PSF-b-P4VP) blend membranes were synthesized via Cu(0)-RDRP. The pore size and hydrophilicity of the membranes fabricated via NIPS, were found to depend on the block ratio of the polymer. A quaternization reaction followed by coordination with Fe(II) bromide was employed to generate the Fe-PILs on the surface of the polysulfone blends. The membranes were shown to possess low surface roughness, increased hydrophilicity, anti-fouling properties and scalability. The dispersibility of the catalyst and the catalytic efficiency in heterogeneous Fenton reactions were shown to be excellent in a broad pH range from acidic to neutral and basic conditions. More importantly, the Fe-PIL membranes exhibited superior synergistic performance with filtration in the dynamic heterogeneous Fenton reaction and excellent reusability as they could be maintained well after five cycles.

In summary this study combines PIL membrane technology with dynamic heterogeneous catalysis (Fenton reaction) to create reusable PILs that address the issue of membrane fouling.

Iron-containing poly(ionic liquid) membranes: a heterogeneous Fenton reaction and enhanced anti-fouling ability, Polym. Chem., 2022,13, 130-138

Link to the paper: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/py/d1py01345a

Dr. Kelly Velonia is an Advisory Board Member and a Web Writer for Polymer Chemistry. She joined the Department of Materials Science and Technology in 2007. Research in her group focuses on the synthesis and applications of bioconjugates and biopolymers.

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New themed collection: Synthetic methodologies for complex macromolecular structures

17 Mar 2022

We are very pleased to announce the Polymer Chemistry special collection on Synthetic methodologies for complex macromolecular structures, in honour of Professor Yusuf Yağci’s 70^th birthday

Professor Yusuf Yağci has worked on various aspects of polymer synthesis during his long research career and has developed several new synthetic methodologies to create functional macromolecules. He has benefited from ionic polymerizations, photo-initiated polymerizations, as well as controlled or living radical polymerization techniques. This collection is not just limited to these topics but also aims to reflect the inspiring, creative and entertaining character of Yusuf. The Guest Editors for this collection are:

Dr Hatice Mutlu (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany)
Professor Filip Du Prez (Ghent University, Belgium)
Professor Remzi Becer (University of Warwick, UK)

In their Editorial, Guest Editors Hatice, Filip and Remzi, discuss the impact that Professor Yağci has had on the advancement of many fields, his commitment to the polymer chemistry community and his entertaining character.

The full collection can be found here and we have also highlighted a selection of articles below. We hope you enjoy these, and the rest of the articles included in the collection.

Synthesis of core-crosslinked star polymers via organocatalyzed living radical polymerization
Yichao Zheng, Jit Sarkar, Hiroshi Niino, Shunsuke Chatani, Shu Yao Hsu and Atsushi Goto
Polymer Chemistry, 2021, 12, 4043-4051

Trehalose coated nanocellulose to inhibit the infections by S. aureus
Yimeng Li, Małgorzata Milewska, Yee Yee Khine, Nicholas Ariotti and Martina Stenzel
Polymer Chemistry, 2022, 10.1039/D1PY01422F

Bromoform-assisted aqueous free radical polymerisation: a simple, inexpensive route for the preparation of block copolymers
Helena Hutchins-Crawford, Padarat Ninjiaranai, Matthew Derry, Robert Molloy, Brian Tighe and Paul Topham
Polymer Chemistry, 2021, 12, 4317-4325

Redox-sensitive ferrocene functionalised double cross-linked supramolecular hydrogels
Nikolai Liubimtsev, Tom Kösterke, Yunjiao Che, Dietmar Appelhans, Jens Gaitzsch and Brigitte Voit
Polymer Chemistry, 2022, 13, 427-438

Effect of halogen and solvent on iron-catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization
Sajjad Dadashi-Silab, Khidong Kim, Francesca Lorandi, Dirk Schild, Marco Fantin and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
Polymer Chemistry, 2022, 13, 1059-1066

Upconversion nanoparticle-assisted cationic and radical/cationic hybrid photopolymerization using sulfonium salts
Xiaoyan Meng, Longji Li, Yaoxin Huang, Xin Deng, Xiaoxuan Liu and Zhiquan Li
Polymer Chemistry, 2021, 12, 7005-7009

All the articles in the collection are currently FREE to read until 17 April 2022!

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Polymer Chemistry Emerging Investigator – Runhui Liu

07 Mar 2022

Professor Runhui Liu obtained Ph.D in organic chemistry 2009 at Purdue University. Afterward, he took postdoctoral trainings at California Institute of Technology and University of Wisconsin-Madison during 2010-2014. At the end of 2014, he took a professor position in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST). His current research focuses on peptide polymer-based biomaterials for antimicrobial and tissue engineering applications.

Read Runhui’s article ‘Facile Synthesis of Polypeptoid Bearing Bulky Sidechains via Urea Accelerated Ring-Opening Polymerization of a-Amino Acid N-Substituted N-Carboxyanhydrides’.

How do you feel about Polymer Chemistry as a place to publish research on this topic?

Polymer Chemistry is a wonderful place to publish our work on polymer synthesis.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

I am most excited in exploring new chemistry for polymer synthesis, especially to tackle the long-lasting challenges.

The most challenging things for me as a professor are in two folds: keeping the lab running efficiently and productively with minimum amount of funding; inspiring/encouraging students to work on long-standing challenges but not hot topics, and persuading students to give up results that look interesting and publishable at first glance.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

As long as the start-up funding can support the lab for the first 3-4 years, focus on science is more productive eventually; as long as the PI and students can survive, no rush to publish or publish a lot at the first 3 years.

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Polymer Chemistry Blog

Archive for March, 2022

New themed collection: Sustainable polymers

Paper of the month: Iron-containing poly(ionic liquid) membranes: a heterogeneous Fenton reaction and enhanced anti-fouling ability

New themed collection: Synthetic methodologies for complex macromolecular structures

Polymer Chemistry Emerging Investigator – Runhui Liu

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