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A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 16104

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Prof. Dr. Xiao Hu

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Guest Editor

Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
Interests: polymer; biomaterials; biomacromolecules; regenerative medicine; drug delivery; nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Francesco Trotta

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Departement of Chemistry, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Turin, Italy
Interests: cyclodextrin modification and functionalization; cyclodextrin nanosponges preparation and applications; drug delivery systems; biopolymers; membrane technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous Special Issue on “Advanced Polymer Composite Materials”.

A polymer composite is a material system composed of two or more macro/micro/nano constituents of different shapes, properties or chemical compositions, at least one of which is a polymer. The design of multifunctional and tunable polymer-based composite materials is an emerging area of research with a wide range of applications in the aerospace industry, the automotive industry, the home appliance industry, the sporting goods industry, as well as the booming biomedical device/biomaterial industry. Polymer composite materials can be classified according to matrix materials (synthetic polymers, biopolymers, inorganic and organic fillers, etc.) and reinforcement geometries (particles, fibers, gels, films, layers, foams, mixtures, etc.). In addition, the polymer composite can be a multiphase material with a significant proportion of each phase or a blended material system with a continuous phase that greatly enhances the physical, chemical or biological properties of the material matrix. By optimizing molecular interfaces between different components, polymer-based composite materials can also encompass a range of functions, such as thermal stability at different temperatures, elasticity to support diverse structures, electrical sensitivity in variable sensors, and optical properties for advanced fiberglass technology. In this Special Issue, we will highlight the latest developments in these advanced polymer composite materials, including their design, synthesis, characterization, manufacturing, and modeling, as well as their various applications. Both research and review articles are welcome.

Dr. Xiao Hu
Prof. Dr. Francesco Trotta
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Composite materials
Polymer and biopolymer
Physical and chemical properties
Composite design, characterization, structure, and function

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 9200 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanically Strong Polyurethane Composites Reinforced with Montmorillonite-Modified Sage Filler (Salvia officinalis L.)

by Sylwia Członka, Agnė Kairytė, Karolina Miedzińska, Anna Strąkowska and Agnieszka Adamus-Włodarczyk

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(7), 3744; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073744 - 03 Apr 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2352

Abstract

Rigid polyurethane (PUR) foams reinforced with 1, 2, and 5 wt.% of salvia filler (SO filler) and montmorillonite-modified salvia filler (MMT-modified SO filler) were produced in the following study. The impact of 1, 2, and 5 wt.% of SO filler and MMT-modified SO filler on the morphological, chemical, and mechanical properties of PUR composites were examined. In both cases, the addition of 1 and 2 wt.% of SO fillers resulted in the synthesis of PUR composites with improved physicomechanical properties, while the addition of 5 wt.% of SO fillers resulted in the formation of PUR composites with a less uniform structure and, therefore, some deterioration in their physicomechanical performances. Moreover, the results showed that the modification of SO filler with MMT improved the interphase compatibility between filler surface and PUR matrix. Therefore, such reinforced PUR composites were characterized by a well-developed closed-cell structure and improved mechanical, thermal, and flame-retardant performances. For example, when compared with reference foam, the addition of 2 wt.% of MMT-modified SO filler resulted in the formation of PUR composites with greater mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength) and improved dynamic-mechanical properties (storage modulus). The PUR composites were characterized by better thermal stability as well as improved flame retardancy—e.g., decreased peak rate of heat release (pHRR), reduced total smoke release (TSR), and increased limiting oxygen index (LOI). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Composite Materials II)

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13 pages, 13763 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aging Studies on Food Packaging Films Containing β-Cyclodextrin-Grafted TiO₂ Nanoparticles

by Leire Goñi-Ciaurriz, Marta Senosiain-Nicolay and Itziar Vélaz

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(5), 2257; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22052257 - 24 Feb 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2139

Abstract

Polymeric materials, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and ethylene–PVA copolymers (EVOH) are widely used in the food sector as packaging materials because of their excellent properties. TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) show photocatalytic activity; when added to the aforementioned polymers, on the one hand, they are expected to provide bactericidal capacity, whereas on the other hand, they could favor nanocomposite degradation. These types of nanoparticles can be derivatized with cyclodextrin macromolecules (CDs), which can act as food preservative carriers, increasing the packaging food protective properties. In this work, films containing β-Cyclodextrin (βCD)-grafted TiO₂ nanoparticles and PVA or EVOH were prepared. Regarding the photocatalytic activity of the nanoparticles and the possible environmental protection, accelerated aging tests for PVA, EVOH, and their composites with cyclodextrin-grafted TiO₂ nanoparticle (NP) films were performed by two methods, namely, stability chamber experiments at different conditions of temperature and relative humidity and UV light irradiation at different intensities. After analyzing the systems color changes (CIELAB) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, it was observed that the film degradation became more evident when increasing the temperature (25–80 °C) and relative humidity percentage (28–80%). There was no significant influence of the presence of CDs during the degradation process. When irradiating the films with UV light, the largest color variation was observed in the nanocomposite films, as expected. Moreover, the color change was more relevant with increasing NP percentages (1–5%) due to the high photocatalytic activity of TiO₂. In addition, films were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and variation in the signal intensities was observed, suggesting the increase of the material degradation in the presence of TiO₂ NPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Composite Materials II)

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23 pages, 10478 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optomechanical Processing of Silver Colloids: New Generation of Nanoparticle–Polymer Composites with Bactericidal Effect

by Jakub Siegel, Markéta Kaimlová, Barbora Vyhnálková, Andrii Trelin, Oleksiy Lyutakov, Petr Slepička, Václav Švorčík, Martin Veselý, Barbora Vokatá, Petr Malinský, Miroslav Šlouf, Pavel Hasal and Tomáš Hubáček

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(1), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22010312 - 30 Dec 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2481

Abstract

The properties of materials at the nanoscale open up new methodologies for engineering prospective materials usable in high-end applications. The preparation of composite materials with a high content of an active component on their surface is one of the current challenges of materials engineering. This concept significantly increases the efficiency of heterogeneous processes moderated by the active component, typically in biological applications, catalysis, or drug delivery. Here we introduce a general approach, based on laser-induced optomechanical processing of silver colloids, for the preparation of polymer surfaces highly enriched with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). As a result, the AgNPs are firmly immobilized in a thin surface layer without the use of any other chemical mediators. We have shown that our approach is applicable to a broad spectrum of polymer foils, regardless of whether they absorb laser light or not. However, if the laser radiation is absorbed, it is possible to transform smooth surface morphology of the polymer into a roughened one with a higher specific surface area. Analyses of the release of silver from the polymer surface together with antibacterial tests suggested that these materials could be suitable candidates in the fight against nosocomial infections and could inhibit the formation of biofilms with a long-term effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Composite Materials II)

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17 pages, 4403 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Aging Rheological Behavior of Magnetorheological Elastomers Based on Silicone Rubber

by Siti Aishah Abdul Aziz, Saiful Amri Mazlan, U Ubaidillah, Norzilawati Mohamad, Seung-Bok Choi, Mohamad Amirul Che Aziz, Mohd Aidy Faizal Johari and Koji Homma

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(23), 9007; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21239007 - 27 Nov 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2993

Abstract

Engineering rubber composites have been widely used as main components in many fields including vehicle engineering and biomedical applications. However, when a rubber composite surface area is exposed to heat or sunlight and over a long-term accelerated exposure and lifecycle of test, the rubber becomes hard, thus influencing the mechanical and rheological behavior of the materials. Therefore, in this study, the deterioration of rheological characteristics particularly the phase shift angle (δ) of silicone rubber (SR) based magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) is investigated under the effect of thermal aging. SR-MRE with 60 wt% of CIPs is fabricated and subjected to a continuous temperature of 100 °C for 72 h. The characterization of SR-MRE before and after thermal aging related to hardness, micrograph, and rheological properties are characterized using low vacuum scanning electron microscopy (LV-SEM) and a rheometer, respectively. The results demonstrated that the morphological analysis has a rough surface and more voids occurred after the thermal aging. The hardness and the weight of the SR-MRE before and after thermal aging were slightly different. Nonetheless, the thermo-rheological results showed that the stress–strain behavior have changed the phase-shift angle (δ) of SR-MRE particularly at a high strain. Moreover, the complex mechanism of SR-MRE before and after thermal aging can be observed through the changes of the ‘in-rubber structure’ under rheological properties. Finally, the relationship between the phase-shift angle (δ) and the in-rubber structure due to thermal aging are discussed thoroughly which led to a better understanding of the thermo-rheological behavior of SR-MRE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Composite Materials II)

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13 pages, 6735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study of Silk-Based Magnetic Materials: Effect of Magnetic Particle Types on the Protein Structure and Biomaterial Properties

by Ye Xue, Samuel Lofland and Xiao Hu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(20), 7583; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21207583 - 14 Oct 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2309

Abstract

This study investigates combining the good biocompatibility and flexibility of silk protein with three types of widely used magnetic nanoparticles to comparatively explore their structures, properties and potential applications in the sustainability and biomaterial fields. The secondary structure of silk protein was quantitatively studied by infrared spectroscopy. It was found that magnetite (Fe₃O₄) and barium hexaferrite (BaFe₁₂O₁₉) can prohibit β-sheet crystal due to strong coordination bonding between Fe³⁺ ions and carboxylate ions on silk fibroin chains where cobalt particles showed minimal effect. This was confirmed by thermal analysis, where a high temperature degradation peak was found above 640 °C in both Fe₃O₄ and BaFe₁₂O₁₉ samples. This was consistent with the magnetization studies that indicated that part of the Fe in the Fe₃O₄ and BaFe₁₂O₁₉ was no longer magnetic in the composite, presumably forming new phases. All three types of magnetic composites films maintained high magnetization, showing potential applications in MRI imaging, tissue regeneration, magnetic hyperthermia and controlled drug delivery in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Composite Materials II)

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17 pages, 5700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Intrinsic Effect of Pyridine-N-Position on Structural Properties of Cu-Based Low-Dimensional Coordination Frameworks

by Anna Walczak, Gracjan Kurpik and Artur R. Stefankiewicz

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(17), 6171; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21176171 - 26 Aug 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2926

Abstract

Metal-organic assemblies have received significant attention for catalytic and other applications, including gas and energy storage, due to their porosity and thermal/chemical stability. Here, we report the synthesis and physicochemical characterization of three metallosupramolecular assemblies consisting of isomeric ambidentate pyridyl-β-diketonate ligands L1–L3 and Cu(II) metal ions. It has been demonstrated that the topology and dimensionality of generated supramolecular aggregates depend on the location of the pyridine nitrogen donor atom in L1–L3. This is seen in characterization of two distinct 2D polymeric assemblies, i.e., [Cu(L1)₂]_n and [Cu(L2)₂]_n, in which both β-diketonate and pyridine groups are coordinated to the Cu(II) center, as well as in characterization of the mononuclear 1D complex Cu(L3)₂, in which the central atom is bound only by two β-diketonate units. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Composite Materials II)

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