P(VDF-HFP)-poly(sulfur-1,3-diisopropenylbenzene) functional polymer electrolyte for lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium–sulfur(Li–S)battery as a high-energy density electrochemical energy storage system has attracted many researchers’attention.However,the shuttle effect of Li–S batteries and the challenges associated with lithium metal anode caused poor cycle performance.In this work,the organosulfide poly(sulfur-1,3-diisopropenylbenzene)(PSD)was prepared as cathode material and additive of P(VDFHFP)polymer electrolyte(P(VDF-HFP)).It was verified that P(VDF-HFP)polymer electrolyte with 10%PSD(P(VDF-HFP)-10%PSD)showed a higher ionic conductivities than that of liquid electrolyte up to2.27×10-3 S cm-1 at room temperature.The quasi-solid-state Li-S batteries fabricated with organosulfide cathode material PSD and P(VDF-HFP)based functional polymer electrolyte delivered good cycling stability(780 m Ah g-1 after 200 th cycle at 0.1 C)and rate performance(613 m Ah g-1 at 1 C).The good cycling performance could be attributed to the synergistic effect of components,including the interaction between polysulfides and polymer main chain in the organosulfide cathode,the sustained organic/inorganic hybrid stable SEI layer formed by polymer electrolyte additive PSD,the improved cathode/electrolyte interface and the good affinity between P(VDF-HFP)based functional polymer electrolyte and Li metal surface.This strategy herein may provide a new route to fabricate high-performance Li–S batteries through the organosulfide cathode and functional polymer electrolyte.

“Toolbox”for the Processing of Functional Polymer Composites

Functional polymer composites(FPCs)have attracted increasing attention in recent decades due to their great potential in delivering a wide range of functionalities.These functionalities are largely determined by functional fillers and their network morphology in polymer matrix.In recent years,a large number of studies on morphology control and interfacial modification have been reported,where numerous preparation methods and exciting performance of FPCs have been reported.Despite the fact that these FPCs have many similarities because they are all consisting of functional inorganic fillers and polymer matrices,review on the overall progress of FPCs is still missing,and especially the overall processing strategy for these composites is urgently needed.Herein,a"Toolbox"for the processing of FPCs is proposed to summarize and analyze the overall processing strategies and corresponding morphology evolution for FPCs.From this perspective,the morphological control methods already utilized for various FPCs are systematically reviewed,so that guidelines or even predictions on the processing strategies of various FPCs as well as multi-functional polymer composites could be given.This review should be able to provide interesting insights for the field of FPCs and boost future intelligent design of various FPCs.

Effect of Preparation Process of Functional Polymer Active Materials on Properties of Gadolinium Ion Selective Electrode

Recently we have studied the rare earth ion-selective electrodes with active materials of the func-tional polymers and found that the process chosen for the functional polymers had an effect on the propertiesof gadolinium ion selective electrode besides the effects of their structures.1.Effect of preparation process of the grafted polymers on the properties ofgadolinium ion selective electrodesThe electrode membranes which consist of functional polymers as active materials were prepared by re-action of gadolinium chloride with the radiation grafted clmer of acrlic acid and polystyrene of which

EFFECT OF STRUCTURE OF FUNCTIONAL POLYMER ACTIVE MATERIALS ON PROPERTIES OF GADOLINIUM ION SELECTIVE ELECTRODE

In this paper,the functional polymeric active materials were prepared by the grafting copolymerization and their structure and properties were studied.The results show that the structure and properties of these ac- tive materials have the relative large effects on the properties of gadolinium ion selective electrodes.

Recent progress and perspective in additive manufacturing of EMI shielding functional polymer nanocomposites

Because of rapid progress in the electronics industry,the market has faced a huge demand for novel materials in the field of electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding.Conductive functional polymer composites have demonstrated great potential to fulfill this requirement.To synthesize the polymeric composites,functional conductive nanoadditives such as graphene,carbon nanotubes,and MXene are commonly added to polymeric matrices,and the conductive polymer nanocomposites exhibit promising electrical conductivity as well as EMI shielding performance.Additive manufacturing(AM),also referred to as threedimensional(3D)printing,has been increasingly employed to fabricate complicated geometry components in the medical,aerospace,and automotive industries.AM has also been used to fabricate advanced EMI shielding materials for sensors,supercapacitors,energy storage devices,and flexible electronics.This review aims at introducing the different 3D printing methods applied for the fabrication of EMI shielding polymer nanocomposites.The impact of the AM process on the functionality of the samples is also reviewed.Additionally,the influence of the nanofiller type and amount on the microstructure and performance of the fabricated nanocomposites is discussed.Finally,the prospects and recommended works for future study are outlined.

Nanoscale Morphology Control in Functional Polymer Systems

1 Results In high-performance organic solar cells,the photoactive layer consists of a blend of an electron donor and an electron acceptor constituent,a so-called bulk heterojunction.The requirements to morphology of the efficient photoactive layer are nanoscale phase separation,which provides large interface area for exciton dissociation,and at the same time continuous pathways for transport of free charge carriers to the appropriate electrodes.In this context,the research is now focused on a better und...

Scalable and Heavy Foam Functionalization by Electrode-Inspired Sticky Jammed Fluids for Efficient Indoor Air-Quality Management

Functionalization of polymer foams by surface coating is of great interest for advanced flow-interactive materials working with well-controlled 3D open channels.However,realizing heavy functional coating via a fast and recyclable way remains a big challenge.Here,inspired by the battery electrodes,we propose a scalable mechanic-assisted heavy coating strategy based on the design of sticky jammed fluid(SJF)to conquer the above challenge.Similar to the electrode slurry,the SJF is dominated by a high concentration of active material(≥20 wt%of active carbon,for instance)uniformly dispersed in a protein binder solution.Due to the sticky and solidrich nature of the SJF,one can realize a high coating efficiency of 60 wt%gain per coating.The critical factors controlling the coating processing and quality are further identified and discussed.Furthermore,the functionalized foam is demonstrated as a high-performance shape-customizable toxic gas remover,which can absorb formaldehyde very efficiently at different circumstances,including static adsorption,flow-based filtration,and source interception.Finally,the foam skeleton and the active materials are easily recycled by a facile solvent treatment.This study may inspire new scalable way for fast,heavy,and customizable functionalization of polymeric foams.

CONTROLLED ANIONIC SYNTHESIS OF FUNCTIONALIZED AND STAR-BRANCHED POLYMERS

The use of living, alkyllithium-initiated anionic polymerization to prepare chain-end functionalized polymers and heteroarm, star-branched polymers is discussed. The scope and limitations of specific termination reactions with a variety of electrophilic species are illustrated for carbonation, hydroxyethylation, amination, and sulfonation. The methodology of using substituted 1,1-diphenylethylenes to provide a general, quantitative functionalization procedure is outlined and illustrated with examples of amine and phenol end-functionalization. A methodology is described for the synthesis of functionalized, star-branched copolymers with compositionally heterogeneous arms of controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution using 1, 3-bis(1-pbenylethenyl) benzene.

Current advances and future perspectives of additive manufacturing for functional polymeric materials and devices

Three-dimensional(3D)printing has received extensive attention due to its unique multidimensional functionality and customizability and has been recognized as one of the most revolutionary manufacturing technologies.Functional 3D printed products represent an important orientation for next-generationmanufacturing and attract a great spotlight for the application in sensors,actuators,robots,electronics,and medical devices.However,the lack of functions of printing polymeric materials dramatically limits the development of functional 3D printing.Different from traditional processing,the physical properties,such as geometry and rheological behavior,of the polymericmaterialsmust match the printing process,making the selection of printable materials limited.More importantly,challenges in large-scale production of such materials further stifle the development of functional 3D printing industry.In this review,we aim to outline recent advances in polymeric materials and methodologies for the functional 3D printing technology.The reports are classified based on functionalities,including electronic conductive,thermally conductive,electromagnetic interference shielding,energy storage,and energy harvesting materials.This study attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities for 3D printing functional polymeric materials/devices,also seeks to enlighten the orientation of future research in this field.

VINYL RADICAL POLYMERIZATION INITIATED WITH CERIC ION AND ETHYL N, N-DIETHYLDITHIOCARBAMYL ACETATE SYSTEM

Acrylamide polymerization initiated with a redox initiation system consisting of eerie ion and ethyl N,N-diethyldithiocarbamyl acetate (EDCA) has been studied. It was found that the polymerization rate equation is in good agreement with that of a redox initiated polymerization, and the overall activation energy of the polymerization was determined to be 25.2 kJ.mol(-1). Accordingly, the system belongs to a redox initiator. The initiation mechanism was proposed based on the end group analysis using FT-IR, UV spectroscopies. Analysis results revealed that the N, N-diethyldithiocarbamyl radical produced from the redox reaction of EDCA with eerie ion can initiate acrylonitrile (AN) polymerization and form the end group on PAN. The resulting PAN was photopolymerized with butyl acrylate (BE) to form PAN-b-PBA block copolymer.

Polymers and Polymeric Materials in COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been at its worst and the world is fighting to help global public health. In this aspect the role played by polymers and polymeric materials including plastics as the main material in medical devices, personal protective equipment for health care workers is huge. Advantages like mass production, lower cost and possibilities for sterilization and disinfection of the plastic materials make them an inevitable material in healthcare sector. Apart from plastics, anti-viral and anti-microbial coatings, polymeric nanocomposites and functional polymers have been introduced as a helping tool against COVID-19. This review focuses on the application of polymers, and polymeric materials in COVID-19 pandemic. Usage of plastics and its applications in healthcare and related sectors have been reviewed. The major challenges faced and future prospects on the usage of polymers have also been discussed.

Association of Fibrin Monomer Polymerization Function, Cerebrovascular Risk Factors and Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease in Old People

In order to investigate the association of fibrin monomer polymerization function (FMPF) with traditional cerebrovascular risk factors and ischemic cerebrovascular disease in old people. 1∶1 paired case-control comparative study was performed for FMPF and traditional cerebrovascular risk factors on 110 cases of old ischemic cerebrovascular disease and 110 controls matched on age, sex and living condition. The results showed that cerebrovascular risk factors were more prevalent in case group than in control group. In the case group, FMPF was significantly higher than in control group. There was a significant positive correlation between hypertension and fibrin monomer polymerization velocity (FMPV), hypertension and fibrinogen (Fbg), alcohol consumption and Fbg, but no significant correlation between diabetic mellitus, smoking and FMPF was found. Among the parameters of blood lipids, there were significant positive correlations between total cholesterol (TC) and parameters of FMPF to varying degrees, triglycerides (TG) and FMPV, TG and Fbg. Our results also showed there were significant linear trends between TC and FMPV (P<0. 001), TC and Fbg (P=0. 0087), TG and FMPV/Amax (maximum absorbance)(P=0. 0143) respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that FMPF in case group remained significantly higher than control group after adjustment of all risk factors that were significant in univariate analysis. It was concluded that there is a possible pathophysiological link between FMPF and cerebrovascular risk factors. An elevated FMPF is associated with ischemic cerebrovascular disease and an independent risk factor of this disease. In old people, detection of FMPF might be a useful screening to identify individuals at increased cerebrothrombotic risk.

Manipulating dielectric property of polymer coatings toward highretention-rate lithium metal full batteries under harsh critical conditions

Lithium(Li)metal batteries(LMBs)can potentially deliver much higher energy density but remain plagued by uncontrollable Li plating with dendrite growth,unstable interfaces,and highly abundant excess Li(>50 mAh·cm^(-2)).Herein,different from the artificial layer or three-dimensional(3D)matrix host constructions,various dielectric polymers are initially well-comprehensively investigated from experimental characterizations to theoretical simulation to evaluate their functions in modulating Li ion distribution.As a proof of concept,a 3D interwoven high dielectric functional polymer(HDFP)nanofiber network with polar C-F dipole moments electrospun on copper(Cu)foil is designed,realizing uniform and controllable Li deposition capacity up to 5.0 mAh·cm^(-2),thereby enabling stable Li plating/stripping cycling over 1400 h at 1.0 mA·cm^(-2).More importantly,under the highcathode loading(~3.1 mAh·cm^(-2))and only 0.6×excess Li(N/P ratio of 1.6),the full cells retain capacity retention of 97.4%after 200 cycles at 3.36 mA·cm^(-2)and achieve high energy density(297.7 Wh·kg^(-1)at cell-level)under lean electrolyte conditions(15μL),much better than ever-reported literatures.Our work provides a new direction for designing high dielectric polymer coating toward high-retention-rate practical Li full batteries.

Polyrotaxane-Based Functional Materials Enabled by Molecular Mobility and Conformational Transition

Slide-ring structured polyrotaxanes with high molecular mobility and reversible conformational transition ability can achieve high performance and multifunctionality of the material in various applications.There have been many reviews describing advances in the research of rotaxanes and polyrotaxanes.However,most of them typically focus on the precise synthesis of mechanically interlocked molecules and the control of microscopic molecular shuttles.In this review,we examine the effects of motion activity and conformational transition due to molecular slide on the performance of polyrotaxanes and the latest functional applications.Different designs of polyrotaxane-based functional materials are presented to improve the potential for applications including self-healing stretchable elastomers/gels,stimuli-responsive smart devices,battery electrode binders,and biomedical drug delivery.It is anticipated that this review will provide insights and guidance for future developments in the design,synthesis and application of polyrotaxane-based functional materials.

Recent Advance in Low-Dielectric-Constant Organosilicon Polymers

Comprehensive Summary,Low dielectric(low-k)organosilicon polymers have received extensive interests from industry and academia due to good electrical insulation,high temperature resistance,flame retardancy and hydrophobicity.These attractive properties enable them to be utilized as low-k materials in fabrication of electronic devices in high-frequency communication technology.This review summarizes recent progress in developing low-k organosilicon polymers,including the synthetic methods and properties of different organosilicon polymers classified according to the chemical structures.It may provide some inspiration to design new low-k organosilicon polymers for application in the.

Chiroptical Generation,Switching,and Long-Term Memory in Supramolecular Azobenzene-Pendant Polymer: Regulation by Cellulose Peralkyl Esters,D-/L-Glucose Permethyl Esters,Solvents,UV Light Irradiation,and Thermal Annealing Process

Various optically active polymers are known to afford sophisticated chirality-related functionalities,i.e.,asymmetric catalysis,chiroptical switching and memory in UV-vis-NIR region,chromatographic separation of enantiomers,and sensors for molecular chirality.Recently,material researchers have paid much attention to the design of chiral supramolecular architectures from achiral polymers upon intermolecular interactions with help of greener biosources.The present article reports an instantaneous generation of ambidextrous supramolecules revealing light-driven chiroptical switching/memory in UV-vis region when achiral azobenzene-containing vinylpolymers are non-covalently interacted with alkyl ester derivatives of natural cellulose and D-/L-glucose.It was recognized that the semi-synthetic biomaterials efficiently work as chirality-inducing scaffoldings to several achiral and optically inactive molecules,oligomers,and polymers.Our successful results shed light on a new approach of how inexpensive poly-/mono-saccharide derivatives can afford supramolecular chiroptical systems with the azobenzene pendant polymer as aggregates in suspension and liquid-crystalline films with minimal energy,time,and cost.

Emerging Clusteroluminescence from Complexes between Carbonyl-Based Polymers and Organic Base

The study of luminescence phenomena in non-conjugated systems,namely clusteroluminescence,has gained significant attention for the development of advanced luminescent materials.While conventional strategies to manipulate the luminescent performances are based on complicated chemical reactions.In contrast,nature employs complexation to modulate luminescence,inspiring researchers to adopt an engineering approach for the construction of efficient clusteroluminogens.In this work,we explore the complexationinduced clusteroluminescence of carbonyl-based polymers with nitrogen-containing organic bases,exemplified by polyamide,polyester,polycarbonate,and poly(monothiocarbonate).

An AIE Star Polymer with Enhanced Co-Delivery of Drug and Gene for Synergistic Pest Control

Pesticides,as the most common means of pest managements,have caused a series of problems such as pest resistance and environmental pollution.Aggregation-induced emission(AIE)polymers exhibit great potential in biological applications because their fluorescent intensities significantly enhance in the aggregated state.In this paper,an AIE star polymer including a tetraphenyl ethylene(TPE)core and poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)arms is designed and further developed as a multi-functional nanocarrier for agricultural pest control.The nanocarrier shows high water solubility,good size stability and AIE imaging ability.Meanwhile,the twisted AIE core and positively charged polymer arms make the nanocarrier efficiently co-load dinotefuran(DIN)and dsRNA via hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions,respectively.The AIE star polymer displays low toxicity and high fluorescence traceability.As a result,the nanocarrier co-loading with DIN and dsRNA exhibits a highly synergistic insecticidal effect with higher pest mortality compared to the separate delivery of DIN and dsRNA.This study develops the AIE star polymer to improve the efficiency of co-delivery of drug and dsRNA and proposes a new strategy toward efficient and synergistic pest control.

Long-period grating inscription on polymer functionalized optical microfibers and its applications in optical sensing

We demonstrated long-period grating(LPG) inscription on polymer functionalized optical microfibers and its applications in optical sensing. Optical microfibers were functionalized with ultraviolet-sensitive polymethyl methacrylate jackets and, thus, LPGs could be inscribed on optical microfibers via point-by-point ultraviolet laser exposure. For a 2 mm long microfiber LPG(MLPG) inscribed on optical microfibers with a diameter of 5.4 μm, a resonant dip of 15 d B at 1377 nm was observed. This MLPG showed a high sensitivity of strain and axial force, i.e.,-1.93 pm∕με and-1.15 pm∕μN, respectively. Although the intrinsic temperature sensitivity of the LPGs is relatively low, i.e.,-12.75 pm∕°C, it can be increased to be-385.11 pm∕°C by appropriate sealing. Benefiting from the small footprint and high sensitivity, MLPGs could have potential applications in optical sensing of strain,axial force, and temperature.

Mitsunobu Functionalization of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Derivatives

Polymer functionalization is a powerful tool to prepare polymers with diverse structures without the need of synthesizing monomers or performing polymerization reactions.Polymers that are difficult to be synthesized using direct polymerization reactions can be accessed using polymer functionalization.We herein present Mitsunobu derivatization of poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA)to convert the hydroxyl groups into diverse functional groups.