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Polymers
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Advancement in Smart Polymeric Materials for Next-Generation Applications
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Advancement in Smart Polymeric Materials for Next-Generation Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 March 2023) | Viewed by 11526

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Naveen Tiwari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CiQUS-Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Interests: self-healing materials; TENG; flexible electronics; wearable biosensor; soft robotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The term smart polymers embraces a wide range of different polymeric materials that can appear in various colors, transparencies, or shapes in response to their environment; they are smart because of their ability to respond in a very dramatic way when small environmental changes are detected. These smart polymers can be self-healed, biocompatible, strong, resilient, and stretchable–flexible, which are classified according to their physical features, or the stimuli they respond to. If grouped by their physical shape, they may be classified as free linear chain solutions, reversible gels covalently cross-linked, and polymer chains grafted on a surface.

Scientists have developed various smart polymers with specific characteristics. These new polymeric materials are chemically formulated to sense a particular change in the distinct environment systems and adjust in an expected manner. They are becoming gradually more widespread as we discover the chemistry and triggers which alter the polymer structure and find new ways to take advantage and control of them. Smart polymers, also known as stimuli-responsive polymers or intelligent materials, appear in highly specialized items and in everyday things. Their uses include in sensors and actuators such as artificial muscles, in the production of hydrogels, in biodegradable packaging, and in biomedical applications. 

Dr. Naveen Tiwari
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • self-healing
  • wearable
  • stretchable
  • sensors
  • polymer chemistry
  • hydrogels
  • biocompatible
  • flexible electronics

Published Papers (6 papers)

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25 pages, 11592 KiB  
Article
Advanced Electrode Coatings Based on Poly-N-Phenylanthranilic Acid Composites with Reduced Graphene Oxide for Supercapacitors
by Sveta Zhiraslanovna Ozkan, Lyudmila Ivanovna Tkachenko, Oleg Nikolaevich Efimov, Galina Petrovna Karpacheva, Galina Vasilevna Nikolaeva, Aleksandr Ivanovich Kostev, Nadejda Nikolaevna Dremova and Evgeny Nikolaevich Kabachkov
Polymers 2023, 15(8), 1896; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15081896 - 15 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1421
Abstract
The electrochemical behavior of new electrode materials based on poly-N-phenylanthranilic acid (P-N-PAA) composites with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was studied for the first time. Two methods of obtaining RGO/P-N-PAA composites were suggested. Hybrid materials were synthesized via in situ oxidative polymerization of N-phenylanthranilic [...] Read more.
The electrochemical behavior of new electrode materials based on poly-N-phenylanthranilic acid (P-N-PAA) composites with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was studied for the first time. Two methods of obtaining RGO/P-N-PAA composites were suggested. Hybrid materials were synthesized via in situ oxidative polymerization of N-phenylanthranilic acid (N-PAA) in the presence of graphene oxide (GO) (RGO/P-N-PAA-1), as well as from a P-N-PAA solution in DMF containing GO (RGO/P-N-PAA-2). GO post-reduction in the RGO/P-N-PAA composites was carried out under IR heating. Hybrid electrodes are electroactive layers of RGO/P-N-PAA composites stable suspensions in formic acid (FA) deposited on the glassy carbon (GC) and anodized graphite foil (AGF) surfaces. The roughened surface of the AGF flexible strips provides good adhesion of the electroactive coatings. Specific electrochemical capacitances of AGF-based electrodes depend on the method for the production of electroactive coatings and reach 268, 184, 111 F∙g−1 (RGO/P-N-PAA-1) and 407, 321, 255 F∙g−1 (RGO/P-N-PAA-2.1) at 0.5, 1.5, 3.0 mA·cm−2 in an aprotic electrolyte. Specific weight capacitance values of IR-heated composite coatings decrease as compared to capacitance values of primer coatings and amount to 216, 145, 78 F∙g−1 (RGO/P-N-PAA-1IR) and 377, 291, 200 F∙g−1 (RGO/P-N-PAA-2.1IR). With a decrease in the weight of the applied coating, the specific electrochemical capacitance of the electrodes increases to 752, 524, 329 F∙g−1 (AGF/RGO/P-N-PAA-2.1) and 691, 455, 255 F∙g−1 (AGF/RGO/P-N-PAA-1IR). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement in Smart Polymeric Materials for Next-Generation Applications)
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18 pages, 2876 KiB  
Article
Viscosity Factor (VF) Complementary to the Statistical Indicators Associated with the Rheological Behavior of Aqueous Solutions of Polyvinyl Alcohol
by Luis Américo Carrasco-Venegas, José Vulfrano González-Fernández, Luz Genara Castañeda-Pérez, Guido Palomino-Hernández, Federico Alexis Dueñas-Dávila and Salvador Apolinar Trujillo-Pérez
Polymers 2023, 15(7), 1743; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15071743 - 31 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1809
Abstract
The rheological behavior of aqueous solutions of polyvinyl alcohol at 4, 6, 8 and 10% by weight has been studied and evaluated at temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C, using five non-Newtonian fluid models independent of time: Ferrys, Robertson-Stiff, Williamson, Sisko, [...] Read more.
The rheological behavior of aqueous solutions of polyvinyl alcohol at 4, 6, 8 and 10% by weight has been studied and evaluated at temperatures of 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C, using five non-Newtonian fluid models independent of time: Ferrys, Robertson-Stiff, Williamson, Sisko, and Ellis de Haven. The classical method consists in carrying out regression analysis. Using a comparative procedure of determination coefficients and variances, the model that most appropriately adjusts the experimental data to said model is selected. From the statistical point of view, the Sisko and Robertson-Stiff models present better regression parameters; to better specify the choice of the respective rheological model, a new factor has been proposed in the literature, the viscosity factor (VF), which expresses the relationship between apparent and dynamic viscosity. The analysis of this factor for the five models confirms the greater stability of the Ellis de Haven model in terms of the coefficient of variation of the VF. The value of VF fluctuates between 1 and 2 for all ranges of temperature and concentration experienced for vinyl alcohol solutions. As a consequence of the above, for the choice of the non-Newtonian fluid model associated with the rheology of the aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol, it is necessary to analyze the statistical parameters and the VF factor simultaneously. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement in Smart Polymeric Materials for Next-Generation Applications)
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12 pages, 4736 KiB  
Article
Iron and Manganese Alginate for Rechargeable Battery Electrodes
by Lindah K. Kiriinya, Markus C. Kwakernaak, Simone C. D. Van den Akker, Guy L. M. M. Verbist, Stephen J. Picken and Erik M. Kelder
Polymers 2023, 15(3), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15030639 - 26 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1731
Abstract
We present a sustainable, inherently safe battery chemistry that is based on widely available and cheap materials, that is, iron and manganese hosted in alginate bio-material known from the food and medical industry. The resulting battery can be recycled to allow circularity. The [...] Read more.
We present a sustainable, inherently safe battery chemistry that is based on widely available and cheap materials, that is, iron and manganese hosted in alginate bio-material known from the food and medical industry. The resulting battery can be recycled to allow circularity. The electrodes were synthesised by the alginate caging the multi-valent metals to form a hydrogel in an aqueous environment. Characterisation includes FTIR, XPS and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The electrochemical performance of the electrodes was investigated by performing cyclic voltammetry (CV) and (dis)charge experiments. Mn and Fe ions show good co-ordination with the alginic acid with higher oxidation states demonstrating complex bonding behaviour. The non-optimised iron and manganese alginate electrodes already exhibit a cycling efficiency of 98% and 69%, respectively. This work shows that Fe and Mn atomically disperse in a bio-based host material and can act as electrodes in an aqueous battery chemistry. While demonstrated at cell level, it is furthermore explained how these materials can form the basis for a (semi-solid) flow cell. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement in Smart Polymeric Materials for Next-Generation Applications)
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24 pages, 12887 KiB  
Article
Self-Healability of Poly(Ethylene-co-Methacrylic Acid): Effect of Ionic Content and Neutralization
by Nadim El Choufi, Samir Mustapha, Ali R. Tehrani-Bagha and Brian P. Grady
Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3575; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173575 - 30 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1504
Abstract
Self-healing polymers such as poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) ionomers (PEMAA) can heal themselves immediately after a projectile puncture which in turn lowers environmental pollution from replacement. In this study, the thermal-mechanical properties and self-healing response of a library of 15 PEMAA copolymers were studied to [...] Read more.
Self-healing polymers such as poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) ionomers (PEMAA) can heal themselves immediately after a projectile puncture which in turn lowers environmental pollution from replacement. In this study, the thermal-mechanical properties and self-healing response of a library of 15 PEMAA copolymers were studied to understand the effects of the ionic content (Li, Na, Zn, Mg) and neutralization percentage (13 to 78%) on the results. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and tensile testing were used to study the thermo-mechanical properties of PEMAA copolymers while the self-healing response was studied using the projectile test. Puncture sites were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the healing efficiency was quantitatively measured using the water leakage test. Five different self-healing responses were observed and correlated to ionic content and neutralization. At high neutralization, divalent neutralizing ions (Zn and Mg) that have stronger ionic interactions exhibited brittle responses during projectile testing. PEMAA samples neutralized with Mg and Li at low concentrations had a higher healing efficiency than PEMAA samples neutralized with Zn and Na at low neutralization. The PEMAA copolymers with higher tensile stress and two distinct peaks in the graph of loss factor versus temperature that indicate the presence of sufficient ionic aggregate clusters had improved healing efficiency. By increasing the neutralization percentage from 20% to 70%, the tensile strength and modulus of the samples increased and their self-healability generally increased. Among the investigated samples, the copolymer with ~50% neutralization by Li salt showed the highest healing efficiency (100%). Overall, the strength and elastic response required for successful self-healing responses in PEMAA copolymers are shown to be governed by the choice of ion and the amount of neutralization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement in Smart Polymeric Materials for Next-Generation Applications)
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13 pages, 5342 KiB  
Article
Nanoindentation of Multifunctional Smart Composites
by Zhenxue Zhang, Denise Bellisario, Fabrizio Quadrini, Simon Jestin, Francesca Ravanelli, Mauro Castello, Xiaoying Li and Hanshan Dong
Polymers 2022, 14(14), 2945; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14142945 - 20 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1796
Abstract
Three multifunctional smart composites for next-generation applications have been studied differently through versatile nanoindentation investigation techniques. They are used in order to determine peculiarities and specific properties for the different composites and to study the charge/matrix, charge/surface, or smart functions interactions. At first, [...] Read more.
Three multifunctional smart composites for next-generation applications have been studied differently through versatile nanoindentation investigation techniques. They are used in order to determine peculiarities and specific properties for the different composites and to study the charge/matrix, charge/surface, or smart functions interactions. At first, a mapping indentation test was used to check the distribution of hardness and modulus across a large region to examine any non-uniformity due to structural anomalies or changes in properties for a carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-reinforced polypropylene (PP V-2) nanocomposite. This smart composite is suitable to be used in axial impeller fans and the results can be used to improve the process of the composite produced by injection moulding. Secondly, the interfacial properties of the carbon fibre (CF) and the resin were evaluated by a push-out method utilizing the smaller indentation tip to target the individual CF and apply load to measure its displacement under loads. This is useful to evaluate the effectiveness of the surface modification on the CFs, such as sizing. Finally, nanoindentation at different temperatures was used for the probing of the in situ response of smart shape memory polymer composite (SMPC) usable in grabbing devices for aerospace applications. Furthermore, the triggering temperature of the shape memory polymer response can be determined by observing the change of indentations after the heating and cooling cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement in Smart Polymeric Materials for Next-Generation Applications)
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23 pages, 2342 KiB  
Systematic Review
Hydrogel Applicability for the Industrial Effluent Treatment: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis
by Luis Enrique Flores-Valenzuela, José Vulfrano González-Fernández and María Verónica Carranza-Oropeza
Polymers 2023, 15(11), 2417; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15112417 - 23 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1873
Abstract
In recent decades, hydrogels, as adsorption materials, have received important attention due to their characteristics and properties, such as mechanical strength, biocompatibility, biodegradability, swellability, and stimuli sensitivity. In the actual framework of sustainable development, it has been imperative to develop practical studies of [...] Read more.
In recent decades, hydrogels, as adsorption materials, have received important attention due to their characteristics and properties, such as mechanical strength, biocompatibility, biodegradability, swellability, and stimuli sensitivity. In the actual framework of sustainable development, it has been imperative to develop practical studies of hydrogels in the treatment of actual industrial effluents. Accordingly, the current work has, as its objective, to make evident hydrogels’ applicability in the treatment of actual industrial effluents. For this purpose, a bibliometric analysis and systematic review based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method were conducted. The relevant articles were selected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Some important findings were that: (1) China is the leading country when it comes to hydrogel application in actual industrial effluents, (2) the motor studies are focalized on the treatment of wastewater by hydrogels, (3) the fixed-bed columns are suitable unit equipment for the treatment of industrial effluents of using hydrogels, and (4) the hydrogels show excellent adsorption capacities of ion and dye contaminants present in industrial effluents. In summary, since the implementation of sustainable development in 2015, the progress of practical hydrogel applications in the treatment of industrial effluent has been receiving more attention, and the selected studies demonstrate the implementation viability of these materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement in Smart Polymeric Materials for Next-Generation Applications)
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