Themed collection Polymer Chemistry Lectureship Winners

A perspective on using plastic waste as an alternative feedstock for the energy storage sector through upcycling. Materials for electrodes, electrolytes or binders could be obtained from both advanced combustion and depolymerization methods.

This review describes the latest polymeric systems used as boron transporters for boron neutron capture therapy.

Poly(hydroxy acids) derived from the self-condensation of hydroxy acid are biodegradable and can be fully recycled in a Circular Economy approach.

The synthesis of aziridine and azetidine monomers and their ring-opening polymerization via different mechanisms is reviewed.

Chemical recycling of plastics offers a green method to deal with plastic waste. In this review, we highlight the recent advances made by applying organocatalysts to chemically degrade polymers as a promising tool to reach a circular plastic economy.

Characterization of polymer networks presents unique challenges due to the insolubility of the materials, but this also enables characterization by new techniques that take advantage of the bulk network structure.

Multifunctional monomers enable the synthesis of polymer networks by adapting the polymerization methods used for conventional linear polymer synthesis.

This study describes the solvent-assisted organocatalysed depolymerisation of BPA-PC at low temperature for the selective formation of trimethylene carbonate. The key role of 1-methylimidazole as solvent and imidazole as catalyst is investigated.

We report a photoresponsive hydrogel for dual information encryption including shape and pattern encryptions with adjustable mechanical properties and emissions.

Poly(2-oxazine)s show higher tendency to undergo macrocyclization compared to poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazoline)s, increasing scale-up potential and applicability of these cyclic polymers.

The hydrophobic interactions involved in phase separation of LCST polymers are the critical factor inducing the BBox release from the BBox/naphthalene while the host-guest complexes remain stable during phase separation of UCST polymers upon cooling.

A pillar[5]arene-based 3D polymer network is constructed. It possesses good stability, recyclability and high efficiency in iodine capture in aqueous solution.

Substituent effects on the dithiobenzoate moiety of RAFT iniferters are investigated. Donating groups accelerate the iniferter process, while withdrawing groups slow it. The unique efficiency of the methoxydithiobenzoate iniferter was uncovered.

Here we report a simple and versatile batch methodology to tailor polymer dispersity utilizing PET-RAFT polymerization.

We report the potential of thermally stable acid-base mixtures for the upcycling of PET in the presence of amines.

For the first time, we report 3D printing of RAFT-based formulations to fabricate functional objects in a layer-by-layer fashion.

In this communication, we report for the first time the synthesis of defined high molar mass poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PMeOx), a water-soluble polymer with excellent anti-fouling properties.

A facile method for the synthesis of high molecular weight functionalized polyurethanes from a novel pentafluorophenyl ester-containing diol precursor is described.

Functionalized cyclic carbonate monomers were synthesized via a two step route featuring a novel cyclic carbonate intermediate possessing a pendent activated pentafluorophenyl carbonate group (MTC-PFPC).

Alkyl-functional polycaprolactones were prepared via direct and well-controlled ring-opening polymerisation and the relationship between the substituent position and polymerisation rate was investigated.

Xanthate-based copolymerisations of MDO and vinyl acetate-derivative monomers using a mPEG macroCTA created degradable amphiphilic block copolymers capable of self-assembly and crosslinking, where type of crosslinking influenced particle disassembly.

The RAFT rate retardation effect is used to classify monomers according to their reactivity. The stability of the radical correlates inversely with the extent of retardation allowing a framework for classifying monomer reactivity to be established.

Polyvinyl esters are used in many applications, however, high molecular weight polyvinyl esters have many challenges, with strategies for the synthesis of these polymers being the focus of this work.

The mechanism of bond exchange in boronic-ester containing vitrimers is shown to occur by either direct metathesis or a nucleophile mediated mechanism, which can be used advantageously to give orders of magnitude increase in exchange dynamics.

Polymer networks based on phenyl vinyl ketone were synthesized. The introduction of a second network enhanced the control over the material's photodegradation, as well as modulating the mechanical properties.

The flexible molecular segments and aggregated structures of MAPB–PMIA and PAPB–PMIA endow polymers with soft properties with high extension and low modulus.

Various bases (DMAP, DBU, TBD, t-BuOK), acid (p-TSA), thiourea (TU) and organometallic Lewis acid (DBTDL) were investigated as potential catalysts for the preparation of polyhydroxyurethane covalent adaptable networks.

This contribution reports the development of a new and stable frustrated Lewis pair catalyst which is general for efficient/controlled polymerizations of inert biomass-derived acrylic monomers.

We present the synthesis of different amine-functionalised poly(2-oxazoline)s, their dual pH and temperature response as well as their capability to as promising stimuli responsive drug delivery vectors.

Aqueous emulsion copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 5,6-benzo-2-methylene-1,3-dioxepane (BMDO) leads to stable particles of PMMA bearing in-chain ester units that can be cleaved under basic conditions.

Cationic RAFT of vinyl ethers was performed without reagent purification and under ambient conditions by utilizing a PCCP acid initiator with a HBD catalyst. Despite inherent nucleophiles, the system retained high chain end fidelity and modularity.

Polymer based solid-state materials capable of disrupting lipid-bilayers are developed. The materials are mechanically robust and capable of outperforming a 10% small-molecule surfactant and modify filter materials.

Spherical micelles with a helical core synthesised by NiCCo-PISA are functionalised with different cross-linkers to make stimulus-sensitive nanostructures.

Triply interpenetrated networks were made with a unique dynamic linker in each network. The linkers were hydrogen bonds, boronic esters and Diels–Alder adducts. Triply dynamic materials had superior properties compared to doubly dynamic analogues.

A selective divalent chain transfer agent is designed to exclusively lead to polyolefin chain growth on a divalent pentanediyl moiety via coordinative chain transfer polymerization (CCTP).

Kinetic modeling is used to verify if PAOx synthesis routes can deliver ideal products such as (a)symmetric (block-)gradients and block copolymers. It is shown that a variation in chain length and topology affects the overall compositional deviation.

A general model is developed for the distribution of polymers made with reversible deactivation. The model is applied to a range of experimental systems including RAFT, cationic and ATRP.

Cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) is an interesting synthesis technique to obtain well-defined polymers with narrow molar mass distribution (MMD).

The composition and structure of polymers have great influence on their performances.

Graft copolymers between conducting PEDOT and biodegradable PCL were synthesized and investigated for 3D printing scaffolds for patterning of muscle cells.

Reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization has been exploited to design silica-nanoparticle-incorporated photocurable resins for 3D printing of materials with enhanced mechanical properties and complex structures.

Controlled release of synthetic cationic antimicrobial polymers from silk-based coating for preventing bacterial biofilm formation on the surface and for killing planktonic bacteria cells.

The temperature-responsive core–shell hybrid nanoparticles PNIPAMs-AuNP have dual-functional applications as colorimetric temperature-sensors and reusable temperature-switchable catalysts.

The choice of the polymerisation temperature and initiator in the synthesis of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based nanogels can significantly influence their structure, morphology and thermoresponsive properties.

The choice and mixture of chain transfer agent in reversible addition/fragmentation chain transfer polymerization has been used to modulate the dispersity and architecture of vinyl ketone polymers and their copolymers.

We report a high throughput approach for the screening of RAFT agents and photocatalysts to mediate photoinduced electron/energy transfer-reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization.

Introducing molecular scale defects into semiaromatic polyamides by high-temperature melt compounding with aliphatic polyamides provides a simple means of tailoring the balance of microstructural order and disorder in these materials and achieving unusual property profiles.

Biocompatible and antimicrobial elastomers with controlled hydrophilicity and degradation rate, as well as appropriate stiffness and elasticity, are interesting for biomedical applications, such as regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Antimicrobial polymers have recently been investigated as potential treatments to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens.

We show that the cloud point temperature (T_CP) of thermoresponsive polyacrylamides is considerably lower in physiologically relevant solvents (phosphate-buffered saline, serum) than in pure water. This decrease of T_CP may be critical for some biomedical applications.

Metered additions of chain transfer agents are used to control molecular weight distribution (MWD) features in reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerizations, giving polymers with tailored MWD shapes and dispersities as high as 6.2.

Bio-based lignin-like building blocks were synthesized and transformed into polyurethane nanocarriers by interfacial polymerization in a miniemulsion. The nanocarriers were degradable by fungal enzymes and might be used for agrochemical delivery.

The use of photoacid generators for the ring opening polymerization of cyclic esters is investigated.

A new water-soluble methionine-based CO releasing polymer shows slow and spontaneous release of CO with sustained-release kinetics, preventing biofilm formation against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

This work reports a series of novel trifluoromethylated polymers as efficient donor materials for high-performance OSCs.

Synthesis and crystallization of polyethylene with precisely positioned thiophene groups were used to produce polymer crystals with a conductive surface.

Dynamic single and interpenetrated materials were developed, with post polymerization network exchange enhancing the material properties.

Varying the size of an alkyl side-chain group, installed by thiol–ene addition of alkylthiols to poly(ε-allyl caprolactone), the semi-crystallinity and lipophilicity of functional PCLs could be modulated to achieve divergent physico-chemical properties.

Poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF) films were first produced using thermo-compression. Thereafter, the chemical recyclability was demonstrated in the presence of a thermally stable organocatalyst followed by its repolymerization.

Cationic polymerization enables production of sustainable thermoplastic elastomers constructed from renewable vinyl ethers and -p-methoxystyrene with properties consistent with their petroleum-derived counterparts.

Development of self-healing hydrophobic POSS-functionalized fluorinated copolymethacrylate(s) via RAFT Polymerization and dynamic Diels–Alder Reaction.

Radical ring-opening copolymerization-induced self-assembly (rROPISA) was successfully applied to the synthesis of core-, surface- or surface plus core-degradable nanoparticles in heptane, leading to site-specific degradability by rROPISA.

The formation of supramolecular hydrogels is demonstrated based on ternary complexes between anthracene side-chain functionalized polymers and macrocyclic hosts. Photo-induced reversible dimerization enables switching between supramolecular and covalent hydrogels.

Nickel-catalysed coordination polymerisation-induced self-assembly (NiCCo-PISA) as a straightforward and versatile methodology to achieve functional helix-containing polymeric nano-objects.

In this work, a novel and versatile gradient copolymerisation approach to simplify polymeric nanoparticle synthesis through polymerisation-induced self-assembly (PISA) is reported.

Polyethylene-like polyphosphoesters crystallized from dilute solution into anisotropic nanoplatelets. As proven by solid-state NMR, the phosphate groups are expelled to the surface and on-surface chemistry was conducted leaving the crystals intact.

The ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ketene acetals (CKAs) and vinyl monomers is an elegant method to produce degradable copolymers. Owing to DFT calculations, we are now able to better understand the reactivity of CKAs & common vinyl monomers.

Photocontrolled cationic polymerizations controlled through a degenerate chain transfer process and photocatalyst turnover to recap propagating chains.

By fusing the realms of photopolymerisation and photoligation, our contribution exploits two orthogonal wavelengths of visible light to readily synthesise and functionalise well defined polymers from a unique dual functionality RAFT agent.

Catalyst selection can tune the associative/dissociative dynamic behaviour of polyurethane themosets.