Volume 52 Issue 5, May 2020

Two series of fluorescent glycopolymers (boronic acid derivatives, PG-PFE, and borate derivatives, PG-PFW) were synthesized through different methods. Compared with the PG-PFE samples, the PG-PFW samples had a higher grafting ratio due to the highly efficient Williamson reaction. The fluorescent glycopolymers possessed good water solubility, low cytotoxicity and selective responsiveness toward H₂O₂. Meantime, the fluorescent glycopolymers were imaged only in cellular mitochondria based on the fact that endogenous H₂O₂ is mainly distributed in cellular mitochondria.

A novel method for preparing coal gasification fine slag (CGFS) samples utilized as a reinforcing filler for the SBR matrix through an efficient pneumatic separation technique has been demonstrated. The superior filler–rubber interfacial interaction can contribute to significant reinforcement in the comprehensive performances of composites by the addition of CGFS series fillers into the SBR matrix. CGFS particles have great potential for application in rubber composites, and a new strategy of using CGFS as fillers has been established.

We here demonstrate the importance of ligand–ligand distance on physical property tuning of metallosupramolecular materials by utilizing model-like polyesters bearing pyridine ligands at the side groups with a controlled ligand-distance. The ligand distance is treated as the pyridine group equivalent molecular weight (M_Py) and takes values of 900, 750, 550, and 420. The metal salt ZnCl₂ forms coordination bonds with the pyridine ligands, generating a metallosupramolecular network. DSC and rheological measurements revealed that the glass transition temperatures and apparent activation energy (E_a) of segmental motion changes in a close correlation with 1/M_Py.

To precisely design microwrinkles on a biomimetic hydrogel, a two-step photocrosslinking process with VIS and UV irradiation was developed. Photocurable gelatin was first crosslinked with VIS light in the presence of the water-soluble radical generator to form thick bulk gels. Next, the top surface of the gels was irradiated with UV light in the presence of surface-coated water-insoluble radical generator. This two-step photocrosslinking process enabled to independently control the elastic moduli of the surface and the bulk lower than 100 kPa and to generate several-micron-scale wrinkles on the soft hydrogels.

The halogenated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) fillers can increase the refractive indices (RIs) of the films. In particular, the degree of increases was larger than those estimated by the theoretical prediction, suggesting that accumulation of polymer chains around the POSS filler plays a key role in the increasing effect. Moreover, critical losses of thermal and mechanical properties were hardly observed. Preparation without the conventional sol‒gel method for the single-molecule-type filler with high-RI polymer hybrids based on the chain assembling can be demonstrated.

Transient elongational viscosity for polypropylene (PP)/low-density polyethylene (LDPE) blends was evaluated. Because deformed LDPE droplets act as rigid fibers due to its strain hardening, the blends show a strain hardening behavior. The growth curves are, however, affected by their viscosity ratio. These behaviors are calculated by the Phan–Thien Tanner model by assuming a symmetric geometry with a periodic structure. Based on the simulation, we propose an appropriate LDPE to modify the processability, at which the strain hardening in the elongational viscosity is required.

TA–Fe@PS-c-PAN NPs were synthesized via a typical FNP procedure. During the process, the water solution containing Fe³⁺ and the organic solution containing polymer and TA diffused into each other under turbulent mixing. As a result, the hydrophobic TA–Fe complex quickly formed and co-assembled into TA–Fe@PS-c-PAN NPs. After carbonization, carbon materials with uniformly dispersed metal NPs were finally and used as effective catalysts for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions.