Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Best Student Poster Prize at IPST2013

Congratulations to Koay Seong Chun for being awarded the Polymer Chemistry Best Student Poster Prize at IPST2013!

Koay Seong Chun (left) is a PhD student working in Professor Salmah Husseinsyah and Dr. Hakimah Osman's group at the School of Materials Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia.

Koay Seong Chun (left) is a PhD student working in Professor Salmah Husseinsyah and Dr. Hakimah Osman's group at the School of Materials Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Malaysia.

He received his RSC prize at the International Conference on the Innovation in Polymer Science and Technology 2013 (IPST2013) which was held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from October 7 – 10, 2013. The poster, titled “Infuence of Methacrylic Acid Modification on Tensile Properties of Polypropylene/Cocoa Pod Husk Biocomposites”, was presented alongside 54 other student poster presentations and achieved the highest collective score from the judges.

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Alcoholic drinks perfect solvents for polymerisation: Polymer Chemistry article featured in Chemistry World

Alcoholic drinksInternational researchers have gone through the contents of their liquor cabinets to see if alcoholic drinks make good solvents for single-electron transfer living radical polymerisation (SET-LRP). And the answer is an unequivocal yes.

‘Everything worked’, says David Haddleton, leader of the 26 person team at the University of Warwick in the UK. Pimm’s, Guinness, Ouzo and a homemade Romanian brandy were just some of the beverages tested with everyone contributing something from their homeland.

SET-LRP is a technique used for the ultrafast synthesis of certain linear polymers, in this case polymers of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM). ‘Living radical polymerisation has seen impressive developments over the past few years – the most attractive features of these systems are the fact that the livingness, or end-functionality, remains very high to essentially full conversion, which has enabled synthesis of complex high-order multiblock copolymers in recent previous work, as well as the typically very high polymerisation rate,’ explains Per Zetterlund, a radical polymerisation expert from the University of New South Wales in Australia. Zetterlund says Haddleton’s findings further demonstrate the robustness and versatility of the technique. 

Interested to know more? Read the full article in Chemistry World here…

Absolut “copper catalyzation perfected”; robust living polymerization of NIPAM: Guinness is good for SET-LRP
David M. Haddleton et al.
Polym. Chem.,
2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3PY01075A, Communication

Fancy sumbitting an article to Polymer Chemistry? Then why not submit to us today!

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Polymer Chemistry: rapidly published, rapidly cited

Did you know that on average it takes fewer than 8 weeks from submission to publication* of a Polymer Chemistry article?

And it doesn’t take long before those articles are cited either: Polymer Chemistry has the highest immediacy indexǂ of all primary research journals in polymer science.

submit nowSo why delay sending your next article to Polymer Chemistry?

Polymer Chemistry

* Publication refers to online publication of the full edited version of the manuscript.
ǂ Immediacy index = 1.305 (2012 Journal Citation Reports ®, (Thomson Reuters, 2013)). The immediacy index is the average number of times an article is cited in the year it is published, and is an indication of how topical and urgent the work is.

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Plant protein regulates diabetes treatment: Polymer Chemistry article in Chemistry World

A plant protein has been used to make a new class of glucose-responsive polymer nanogels that could one day negate the need for diabetes patients to constantly monitor their blood glucose levels and inject themselves with insulin.

Diabetes currently affects over 347 million people worldwide and with this number set to rise, research into the treatment of this disease is of vital importance. For type 1 and advanced type 2 diabetes, patients must regularly prick their fingers to check their blood glucose levels and inject themselves with insulin accordingly. This not only impinges on a patient’s quality of life, but also fails to precisely control the dose of insulin reaching its main site of action, the liver.

Glucose induces a conformation change in concanavlin A, causing a change in the volume of the nanogel

Interested to know more? Read the full news article by Jessica Cocker in Chemistry World here…

Read the article by T Ye et al. in Polymer Chemistry:

Synthesis and volume phase transition of concanavalin A-based glucose-responsive nanogels
Ting Ye, Suting Yan, Yumei Hu, Li Ding and Weitai Wu  
DOI: 10.1039/C3PY00778B

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8th International Dendrimer Symposium – Poster Prize Winners

Polymer Chemistry and Soft Matter was delighted to award two Poster Prizes at 8th International Dendrimer Symposium held in Madrid, Spain on 23rd – 27th June. The winners were:

Polymer Chemistry Award: Poster 44
M.A. VAN DONGEN (University of Michigan, USA)
Generationnaly pure PAMAM dendrimers as precisely controlled structural building blocks.

Soft Matter Award: Poster 40
Joona MIKKILA (Finland)
Dendrimers mediated formation of inclusion body mimicking virus paracrystals.

Each winner received an RSC Poster Prize certificate as well as 1 year electronic subscription to the journal.

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Celebrate Chinese New Year With Polymer Chemistry

Last week was the start of the Chinese New Year, and the year of the Snake. To mark this occasion all the covers of the latest issue of Polymer Chemistry have been chosen to highlight some of the great work coming from our Chinese authors.

High-density and hetero-functional group engineering of segmented hyperbranched polymers via click chemistry
Sipei Li, Jin Han and Chao Gao
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20951A

Facile hydrothermal synthesis of low generation dendrimer-stabilized gold nanoparticles for in vivo computed tomography imaging applications
Hui Liu, Yanhong Xu, Shihui Wen, Jingyi Zhu, Linfeng Zheng, Mingwu Shen, Jinglong Zhao, Guixiang Zhang and Xiangyang Shi
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20993D

Synthesis and characterization of diazafluorene-based oligofluorenes and polyfluorene
Wei-Jie Li, Bin Liu, Yan Qian, Ling-Hai Xie, Jing Wang, Sheng-Biao Li and Wei Huang
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20971C

Visit the Polymer Chemistry webpage and browse this issue today

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year
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Introducing Polymer Chemistry Associate Editor Ben Zhong Tang

Ben Zhong Tang is Stephen Kam Chuen Cheong Professor of Science at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). His research interests include polymer chemistry, materials science, and biomedical engineering. He received B.S. degree from South China University of Technology and Ph.D. degree from Kyoto University and conducted postdoctoral research at University of Toronto. He joined HKUST as an assistant professor in 1994 and was promoted to chair professor in 2008. He was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009. He is listed by Institute for Scientific Information as a “Most Cited Scientist”. He received a Natural Science Award from Chinese Government and a Senior Research Fellowship from Croucher Foundation in 2007. He is serving as a science news contributor to Noteworthy Chemistry (ACS), Associate Editor of Polymer Chemistry (RSC) and Editor-in-Chief of RSC Polymer Chemistry Series and is sitting in the editorial advisory boards of a dozen of research journals.

His recent papers include:

Metal-free click polymerizations of activated azide and alkynes
Polym. Chem., 2013, Advance Article

Mesogen jacketed liquid crystalline polyacetylene containing triphenylene discogen: synthesis and phase structure
Polym. Chem., 2013, Advance Article

Stoichiometric imbalance-promoted synthesis of polymers containing highly substituted naphthalenes: rhodium-catalyzed oxidative polycoupling of arylboronic acids and internal diynes
Polym. Chem., 2013, Advance Article

Facile synthesis of soluble nonlinear polymers with glycogen-like structures and functional properties from “simple” acrylic monomers
Polym. Chem., 2013,4, 95-105

Functional polyacetylenes: hybrids with carbon nanotubes
Polym. Chem., 2013,4, 211-223

Hyperbranched conjugated poly(tetraphenylethene): synthesis, aggregation-induced emission, fluorescent photopatterning, optical limiting and explosive detection
Polym. Chem., 2012,3, 1481-1489

Follow the latest journal news on Twitter @PolymChem or go to our Facebook page.

Ben Zhong Tang is Stephen Kam Chuen Cheong Professor of Science at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). His research interests include polymer chemistry, materials science, and biomedical engineering. He received B.S. degree from South China University of Technology and Ph.D. degree from Kyoto University and conducted postdoctoral research at University of Toronto. He joined HKUST as an assistant professor in 1994 and was promoted to chair professor in 2008. He was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009. He is listed by Institute for Scientific Information as a “Most Cited Scientist”. He received a Natural Science Award from Chinese Government and a Senior Research Fellowship from Croucher Foundation in 2007. He is serving as a science news contributor to Noteworthy Chemistry (ACS), Associate Editor of Polymer Chemistry (RSC) and Editor-in-Chief of RSC Polymer Chemistry Series and is sitting in the editorial advisory boards of a dozen of research journals.
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Introducing Polymer Chemistry Editorial Board Member Masami Kamigaito

Masami Kamigaito was born in 1965 in Nagoya, Japan. He received his Ph.D. in polymer chemistry from Kyoto University under the direction of Professor Toshinobu Higashimura in 1993. After conducting postdoctoral research with Professor Mitsuo Sawamoto, he joined the faculty of Kyoto University in 1995. In 2003, he moved to Nagoya University and worked as an Associate Professor with Professor Yoshio Okamoto. In 2004, he was promoted to Professor. From 1997–1998, he worked as a visiting scientist at Stanford University with Professor Robert M. Waymouth. He was the recipient of the 2001 Arthur K. Doolittle Award of the ACS PMSE Division, the 2009 Wiley Polymer Science Award of the Society of Polymer Science, Japan, and the 2010 Japan IBM Science Award (Chemistry). His research interests include controlled radical and cationic polymerizations, the development and application of new polymerizations to precision polymer synthesis, and controlled polymerizations of renewable vinyl monomers.

His recent papers include:

Nanocellular foaming of fluorine containing block copolymers in carbon dioxide: the role of glass transition in carbon dioxide
RSC Adv., 2012,2, 2821-2827

From-syndiotactic-to-isotactic stereogradient methacrylic polymers by RAFT copolymerization of methacrylic acid and its bulky esters
Polym. Chem., 2012,3, 1750-1757

Random copolymer of styrene and diene derivatives via anionic living polymerization followed by intramolecular Friedel–Crafts cyclization for high-performance thermoplastics
Polym. Chem., 2012,3, 190-197

Follow the latest journal news on Twitter @PolymChem or go to our Facebook page.

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Top 10 most-read Polymer Chemistry articles in July

This month sees the following articles in Polymer Chemistry that are in the top ten most accessed for July:

Thiol-ene “click” reactions and recent applications in polymer and materials synthesis  
Andrew B. Lowe 
Polym. Chem., 2010, 1, 17-36 
DOI: 10.1039/B9PY00216B  

Schiff’s base as a stimuli-responsive linker in polymer chemistry 
Yan Xin and Jinying Yuan  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 3045-3055 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20290E  

Phase separation of supramolecular and dynamic block copolymers  
Mihaiela C. Stuparu, Anzar Khan and Craig J. Hawker 
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 3033-3044 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20368E  

Novel amphiphilic, biodegradable, biocompatible, cross-linkable copolymers: synthesis, characterization and drug delivery applications 
Qiao Jin, Samarendra Maji and Seema Agarwal  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 2785-2793 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20364B 

One-pot RAFT synthesis of core cross-linked star polymers of polyPEGMA in water by sequential homogeneous and heterogeneous polymerizations  
Chunlei Zhang, Miao Miao, Xueteng Cao and Zesheng An  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 2656-2664 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20442H  
 
Dual-responsive crown ether-based supramolecular chain extended polymers  
Jianzhuang Chen, Xuzhou Yan, Xiaodong Chi, Xiujuan Wu, Mingming Zhang, Chengyou Han, Bingjie Hu, Yihua Yu and Feihe Huang  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 3175-3179 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20323E  

Single chain polymeric nanoparticles as compartmentalised sensors for metal ions  
Martijn A. J. Gillissen, Ilja K. Voets, E. W. Meijer and Anja. R. A. Palmans  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 3166-3174 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20350B  

New methods of polymer synthesis  
Christopher Barner-Kowollik, Jean-François Lutz and Sébastien Perrier  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 1677-1679 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY90007F  

A novel amphiphilic copolymer poly(ethylene oxide-co-allyl glycidyl ether)-graft-poly(ε-caprolactone): synthesis, self-assembly, and protein encapsulation behavior 
Bin Li, Gao Chen, Fanbo Meng, Taihang Li, Jun Yue, Xiabin Jing and Yubin Huang  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 2421-2429 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20253K  

Biocompatible and degradable poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) based polymers for biomedical applications 
Yi Zhang, Dafeng Chu, Mengyao Zheng, Thomas Kissel and Seema Agarwal  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 2752-2759 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20403G  

Why not take a look at the articles today and blog your thoughts and comments below.

Fancy submitting an article to Polymer Chemistry? Then why not submit to us today!

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Top 10 most-read Polymer Chemistry articles in June

This month sees the following articles in Polymer Chemistry that are in the top ten most accessed for June:

Thiol-ene “click” reactions and recent applications in polymer and materials synthesis  
Prof. Andrew Brian Lowe 
Polym. Chem., 2010, 1, 17-36 
DOI: 10.1039/B9PY00216B 

New methods of polymer synthesis 
Christopher Barner-Kowollik, Jean-François Lutz and Sébastien Perrier 
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 1677-1679 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY90007F 

2-(2,3,4,5,6-Pentafluorophenyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole, a fluorine-rich building block for the preparation of conjugated polymer donors for organic solar cell applications 
Marios Neophytou, Heraklidia A. Ioannidou, Theodosia A. Ioannou, Christos L. Chochos, Solon P. Economopoulos, Panayiotis A. Koutentis, Grigorios Itskos and Stelios A. Choulis  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 2236-2243 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20198D 

Supramolecular three-armed star polymers via cyclodextrin host–guest self-assembly  
Bernhard V. K. J. Schmidt, Tobias Rudolph, Martin Hetzer, Helmut Ritter, Felix H. Schacher and Christopher Barner-Kowollik  
Polym. Chem., 2012, Advance Article 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20293J 

UCST-driven self-assembly and crosslinking of diblock copolymer micelles  
Peter J. Roth, Thomas P. Davis and Andrew B. Lowe  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 2228-2235 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20204B 

Three new conjugated polymers based on benzo[2,1-b:3,4-b′]dithiophene: synthesis, characterization, photoinduced charge transfer and theoretical calculation studies  
Shaojie Chen, Qiuyu Zhang, Hepeng Zhang, Junwei Gu, Mingliang Ma, Tiejun Xin, Yanyang Zhou, Jian Zhou and Qing Liu  
Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 2244-2253 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20122D 

Diels–Alder “click” reactions: recent applications in polymer and material science  
Mehmet Atilla Tasdelen  
Polym. Chem., 2011, 2, 2133-2145 
DOI: 10.1039/C1PY00041A 

Single-chain polymer nanoparticles via reversible disulfide bridges  
Bryan T. Tuten, Danming Chao, Christopher K. Lyon and Erik B. Berda  
Polym. Chem., 2012, Advance Article 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20308A 

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer in recognition-mediated polymer-quantum dot assemblies  
Vikas Nandwana, Brian Fitzpatrick, Qian Liu, Kyril M. Solntsev, Xi Yu, Gülen Yesilbag Tonga, Serkan Eymur, Murat Tonga, Graeme Cooke and Vincent M. Rotello  
Polym. Chem., 2012, Advance Article 
DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20353G 

Photo-responsive systems and biomaterials: photochromic polymers, light-triggered self-assembly, surface modification, fluorescence modulation and beyond  
Francesca Ercole, Thomas P. Davis and Richard A. Evans  
Polym. Chem., 2010, 1, 37-54 
DOI: 10.1039/B9PY00300B 

Why not take a look at the articles today and blog your thoughts and comments below.

Fancy submitting an article to Polymer Chemistry? Then why not submit to us today!

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