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Polymers
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Advanced Biopolymer Materials
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Advanced Biopolymer Materials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 6868

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jinjia Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO, USA
Interests: organic chemistry; conjugated polymer; soft matter nanotechnology; polymer (nano)composites; bio-electronic interface; sustainable polymers; biomaterials
Dr. Chengjun Pan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: polymer chemistry; thermoelectronic; conjugated polymers; organic optoelectronic materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qian Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
Interests: organic chemistry; conjugated polymer; soft matter nanotechnology; polymer (nano)composites; bio-electronic interface; sustainable polymers; biomaterials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer-based materials have key relevance in a vast range of applications and technologies, enabling our high economic status in many ways. Compared to today’s synthetic polymers, biopolymers can potentially offer better recyclability and lower process energy requirements, with a smaller environmental footprint overall. These attributes make biopolymers ideal candidates to replace 90 billion pounds of petroleum-based polymers in various applications, such as coatings, packaging, textiles, and automotive items. In this regard, the present Special Issue entitled “Advanced Biopolymers Materials” aims at gathering significant contributions from scientists working in advanced polymer research with sustainability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and recyclability. 

This Special Issue aims to cover recent progress and trends in the design, synthesis, preparation, characterization, properties, and applications of advanced biopolymer materials. Submissions are welcome on, but are not limited to, the topics listed below. Types of contributions to this Special Issue can be full research articles, short communications, and reviews.

Dr. Jinjia Xu
Dr. Chengjun Pan
Dr. Qian Zhang
Guest Editors

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

  • conjugated polymer
  • sustainable and biodegradable polymer
  • bio-based polymer
  • polymer nano-,micro-, and macrocomposites
  • controlled polymerization
  • structure-property relationship
  • block copolymer
  • supramolecular polymer
  • stimuli-responsive polymer
  • macromolecular additive

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 3235 KiB  
Article
The Enhanced Thermoelectric and Mechanical Performance of Polythiophene/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composites with Polar Ethylene Glycol Branched-Chain Modifications
by Qing Yang, Shihong Chen, Dagang Wang, Yongfu Qiu, Zhongming Chen, Haixin Yang, Xiaogang Chen, Zijian Yin and Chengjun Pan
Polymers 2024, 16(7), 943; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16070943 - 29 Mar 2024
Viewed by 486
Abstract
In order to develop flexible thermoelectric materials with thermoelectric and mechanical properties, in this study, we designed and synthesized polythiophene derivatives with branched ethylene glycol polar side-chains named P3MBTEMT, which were used in combination with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to prepare composite thin [...] Read more.
In order to develop flexible thermoelectric materials with thermoelectric and mechanical properties, in this study, we designed and synthesized polythiophene derivatives with branched ethylene glycol polar side-chains named P3MBTEMT, which were used in combination with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to prepare composite thin films and flexible thermoelectric devices. A comparison was made with a polymer named P3(TEG)T, which has a polar alkoxy linear chain. The UV-vis results indicated that the larger steric hindrances of the branched ethylene glycol side-chain in P3MBTEMT could inhibit its self-aggregation and had a stronger interaction with the SWCNTs compared to that of P3(TEG)T, which was also confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. When the mass ratio of SWCNTs to P3MBTEMT was 9:1 (represented as P3MBTEMT/SWCNTs-0.9), the composite film exhibited the highest thermoelectric properties with a power factor of 446.98 μW m−1 K−2, which was more than two times higher than that of P3(TEG)T/SWCNTs-0.9 (215.08 μW m−1 K−2). The output power of the thermoelectric device with P3MBTEMT/SWCNTs-0.9 was 2483.92 nW at 50 K, which was 1.66 times higher than that of P3(TEG)T/SWCNTs-0.9 (1492.65 nW). Furthermore, the P3MBTEMT/SWCNTs-0.5 showed superior mechanical properties compared to P3(TEG)T/SWCNTs-0.5. These results indicated that the mechanical and thermoelectric performances of polymer/SWCNT composites could be significantly improved by adding polar branched side-chains to conjugated polymers. This study provided a new strategy for creating high-performing novel flexible thermoelectric materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biopolymer Materials)
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16 pages, 3026 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Characterization of Thermoresponsive Chitosan-graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Copolymers
by Migle Babelyte, Laura Peciulyte, Vesta Navikaite-Snipaitiene, Joana Bendoraitiene, Volodymyr Samaryk and Ramune Rutkaite
Polymers 2023, 15(15), 3154; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153154 - 25 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1264
Abstract
Thermoresponsive chitosan-graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (CS-g-PNIPAAm) copolymers of different composition were synthesized by free-radical polymerization of chitosan (CS) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) in aqueous solution using potassium persulfate (PPS) as an initiator. By changing the molar ratio of CS:NIPAAm from [...] Read more.
Thermoresponsive chitosan-graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (CS-g-PNIPAAm) copolymers of different composition were synthesized by free-radical polymerization of chitosan (CS) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) in aqueous solution using potassium persulfate (PPS) as an initiator. By changing the molar ratio of CS:NIPAAm from 1:0.25 to 1:10 graft copolymers with a CS backbone and different amounts of PNIPAM side chains were prepared. The chemical structure of the obtained CS-g-PNIPAAm copolymers was confirmed by FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. 1H NMR spectra were also used to calculate the content of attached PNIPAAm side chains. Moreover, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior of synthesized copolymers was assessed by cloud point, differential scanning calorimetry and particle size measurements. The aqueous solutions of copolymers containing ≥12 molar percent of PNIPAAm side chains demonstrated LCST behavior with the phase separation at around 29.0–32.7 °C. The intensity of thermoresponsiveness depended on the composition of copolymers and increased with increasing content of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) moieties. The synthesized thermoresponsive chitosan-graft-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) copolymers could be potentially applied in drug delivery systems or tissue engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biopolymer Materials)
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17 pages, 5463 KiB  
Article
Bio-Polyester/Rubber Compounds: Fabrication, Characterization, and Biodegradation
by Carina Frank, Anita Emmerstorfer-Augustin, Thomas Rath, Gregor Trimmel, Manfred Nachtnebel and Franz Stelzer
Polymers 2023, 15(12), 2593; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15122593 - 07 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1612
Abstract
Biobased and biodegradable polymers (BBDs) such as poly(3-hydroxy-butyrate), PHB, and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) are considered attractive alternatives to fossil-based plastic materials since they are more environmentally friendly. One major problem with these compounds is their high crystallinity and brittleness. In order to [...] Read more.
Biobased and biodegradable polymers (BBDs) such as poly(3-hydroxy-butyrate), PHB, and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) are considered attractive alternatives to fossil-based plastic materials since they are more environmentally friendly. One major problem with these compounds is their high crystallinity and brittleness. In order to generate softer materials without using fossil-based plasticizers, the suitability of natural rubber (NR) as an impact modifier was investigated in PHBV blends. Mixtures with varying proportions of NR and PHBV were generated, and samples were prepared by mechanical mixing (roll mixer and/or internal mixer) and cured by radical C–C crosslinking. The obtained specimens were investigated with respect to their chemical and physical characteristics, applying a variety of different methods such as size exclusion chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis, XRD, and mechanical testing. Our results clearly indicate that NR–PHBV blends exhibit excellent material characteristics including high elasticity and durability. Additionally, biodegradability was tested by applying heterologously produced and purified depolymerases. pH shift assays and morphology analyses of the surface of depolymerase-treated NR–PHBV through electron scanning microscopy confirmed the enzymatic degradation of PHBV. Altogether, we prove that NR is highly suitable to substitute fossil-based plasticizers; NR–PHBV blends are biodegradable and, hence, should be considered as interesting materials for a great number of applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biopolymer Materials)
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23 pages, 12336 KiB  
Article
Resistance to Degradation of Silk Fibroin Hydrogels Exposed to Neuroinflammatory Environments
by Mahdi Yonesi, Milagros Ramos, Carmen Ramirez-Castillejo, Rocío Fernández-Serra, Fivos Panetsos, Adrián Belarra, Margarita Chevalier, Francisco J. Rojo, José Pérez-Rigueiro, Gustavo V. Guinea and Daniel González-Nieto
Polymers 2023, 15(11), 2491; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15112491 - 28 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1907
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) diseases represent an extreme burden with significant social and economic costs. A common link in most brain pathologies is the appearance of inflammatory components that can jeopardize the stability of the implanted biomaterials and the effectiveness of therapies. Different [...] Read more.
Central nervous system (CNS) diseases represent an extreme burden with significant social and economic costs. A common link in most brain pathologies is the appearance of inflammatory components that can jeopardize the stability of the implanted biomaterials and the effectiveness of therapies. Different silk fibroin scaffolds have been used in applications related to CNS disorders. Although some studies have analyzed the degradability of silk fibroin in non-cerebral tissues (almost exclusively upon non-inflammatory conditions), the stability of silk hydrogel scaffolds in the inflammatory nervous system has not been studied in depth. In this study, the stability of silk fibroin hydrogels exposed to different neuroinflammatory contexts has been explored using an in vitro microglial cell culture and two in vivo pathological models of cerebral stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. This biomaterial was relatively stable and did not show signs of extensive degradation across time after implantation and during two weeks of in vivo analysis. This finding contrasted with the rapid degradation observed under the same in vivo conditions for other natural materials such as collagen. Our results support the suitability of silk fibroin hydrogels for intracerebral applications and highlight the potentiality of this vehicle for the release of molecules and cells for acute and chronic treatments in cerebral pathologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biopolymer Materials)
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14 pages, 5298 KiB  
Article
Bio-Based Polybenzoxazine–Cellulose Grafted Films: Material Fabrication and Properties
by Thirukumaran Periyasamy, Shakila Parveen Asrafali and Seong-Cheol Kim
Polymers 2023, 15(4), 849; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040849 - 08 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1163
Abstract
Despite the fact that amino cellulose (AC) is biodegradable, biocompatible, and has excellent film-forming properties, AC films have poor mechanical properties and are not thermally stable. An AC-based composite film prepared from AC and curcumin-stearylamine based benzoxazine (C-st) is reported in order to [...] Read more.
Despite the fact that amino cellulose (AC) is biodegradable, biocompatible, and has excellent film-forming properties, AC films have poor mechanical properties and are not thermally stable. An AC-based composite film prepared from AC and curcumin-stearylamine based benzoxazine (C-st) is reported in order to improve its performance and promote its application. As starting materials, C-st and AC were used to produce a C-st/AC composite film possessing a synergistic property through chemical cross-linking and hydrogen bonds. Two salient features with respect to the curing behavior were obtained. Firstly, the onset of curing was reduced to 163 °C when the benzoxazine monomer was synthesized from fully bio-based precursors (such as curcumin and stearylamine). Secondly, a synergistic effect in curing behavior was obtained by mixing C-st with AC. As a result of tensile tests and thermal analysis, the poly(C-st) benefited the composite films with pronounced mechanical and thermal properties, even at elevated temperatures. There was a 2.5-fold increase in tensile strength compared to the AC film, indicating that the composite films have the potential to be used for functional purposes. These poly(C-st)/AC films with improved mechanical and thermal properties have the ability to replace naturally occurring polymer films in film-related applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Biopolymer Materials)
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