https://phys.org/chemistry-news/polymers en-us The latest science news on polymers A method for producing a highly absorbent material from sisal (Agave sisalana)—a drought-tolerant succulent plant—is described in a study published in Communications Engineering. The authors suggest that, with further development, their method could be used to produce locally sourced disposable menstrual pads in rural and semi-arid regions. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-menstrual-pads-succulents-access-sanitary.html Biochemistry Polymers Fri, 01 Dec 2023 06:55:02 EST news620636101 There are young children celebrating the holidays this year with their families, thanks to the 3D-printed medical devices created in the lab of Georgia Tech researcher Scott Hollister. For more than 10 years, Hollister and his collaborators have developed lifesaving, patient-specific airway splints for babies with rare birth defects. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-architected-auxetics-flexibility-3d.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:58:48 EST news620567925 When entering public restrooms, it's hard not to dwell on what germs previous users have left behind in the toilet bowl. Imagine, instead, a self-cleaning system that doesn't require a brightly colored gel. Researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have developed a simple, transparent coating that makes surfaces like porcelain more water-repellent. They show how this surface treatment effectively prevents bacteria from sticking to the inside of a toilet bowl. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-slippery-toilet-bowl-treatment-bacteria.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 28 Nov 2023 14:36:03 EST news620404561 Many enzymes promise to break down plastic. But what works in the lab often fails on a large scale. Now a new study by Gert Weber, HZB, Uwe Bornscheuer, University of Greifswald, and Alain Marty, Chief Scientific Officer of Carbios, shows how raising the bar for laboratory experiments could help identify promising approaches more quickly. The team demonstrated the new standards on four newly discovered enzymes. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-boosting-pet-recycling-higher-standards.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Tue, 28 Nov 2023 09:28:03 EST news620386081 Polyphosphoesters, molecules containing phosphorus as the central element, are easily traceable without the need for contrast agents, thanks to developments by researchers from the University of Twente (UT). Normally, these molecules display a similar molecular composition to our DNA, leading to considerable "noise" in the image. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-biodegradable-polymers-traceable-toxic-contrast.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Fri, 24 Nov 2023 11:28:03 EST news620047681 Supramolecular polymers (SPs) are molecular assemblies composed of non-covalently bonded small molecules. They show high recyclability originating from their dynamic nature of monomer binding, which is different from covalent polymers with non-biodegradable nature. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-effective-approach-supramolecular-polymers-high.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:38:03 EST news619785481 Bio-based plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) were invented to help solve the plastic waste crisis, but they often end up making waste management more challenging. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-plastic-anxiety.html Polymers Materials Science Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:00:01 EST news619432338 A new study led by chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign brings fresh insight into the development of semiconductor materials that can do things their traditional silicon counterparts cannot—harness the power of chirality, a non-superimposable mirror image. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-unexpected-polymer-based-semiconductors.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 14 Nov 2023 11:57:03 EST news619185421 A team led by chemists at the University of Liège has developed a new polyurethane production technique using CO2 to create new types of easily recyclable plastics. The study, published in the Journal of the American Chemistry Society, could provide a solution for the development of truly sustainable plastics. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-technique-capture-reuse-co2-chemical.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:36:03 EST news619097761 A research team has developed a reversible, water-based glue that has good adhesion in the neutral pH range, but can be detached again in strongly acidic or alkaline environments. As the team writes in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, the novel adhesive system, which is based on electrostatic interactions, has bond strengths somewhere between those of structural adhesives and pressure-sensitive adhesives. The new adhesive also bonds "difficult" surfaces such as water-repellent polypropylene. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-water-based-adhesive-recycled-ph.html Polymers Materials Science Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:21:02 EST news619096861 Synthetic polymers are everywhere in our society—from nylon and polyester clothing to Teflon cookware and epoxy glue. At the molecular level, these polymers' molecules are made of long chains of monomer building blocks, the complexity of which increases functionality in many such materials. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-chemists-image-basic-blocks-synthetic.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Thu, 09 Nov 2023 13:01:21 EST news618757278 The lack of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that make biocatalysis possible is an obstacle to developing biotechnological processes that allow the recycling of plastics. A research project led by a team from the Universitat Jaume I has made it possible to degrade widely used PET plastics through a natural enzyme, CALB, by modifying the pH of the medium. This opens up a new way to recycle PET, which is present, for example, in containers, bottles or textiles of all kinds, and generates harmless compounds that are useful in subsequent synthesis processes. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-team-biotechnological-degrade-plastics.html Biochemistry Polymers Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:23:42 EST news618492220 Stretchable polymeric fibers have significant impact, although their production requires rigorous environmental methods and resource consumption. The process is challenging for elastic polymers with reduced spinnability and high performance, such as silicones, polydimethylsiloxane, and ecoflex. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-hydrogel-assisted-microfluidic-stretchable-fibers-fluidic.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:32:21 EST news618485536 Great chemists have discovered ways to combine carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen into all manners of plastics: leak-proof food packaging, heat-resistant car parts, durable personal protective equipment—the list is long. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-artificial-intelligence-discovery-sustainable-higher-performing.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Fri, 03 Nov 2023 09:16:03 EDT news618221761 Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed an innovative plastic that is stronger and stretchier than the current standard type. The plastic is also partially biodegradable, remembers its shape, and can be healed with heat. The researchers created it by adding the molecule polyrotaxane to an epoxy resin vitrimer, a type of plastic. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-vpr-stronger-stretchier-self-healing-plastic.html Polymers Materials Science Thu, 02 Nov 2023 10:17:27 EDT news618139044 Mountains of used plastic bottles get thrown away every day, but microbes could potentially tackle this problem. Now, researchers report in ACS Central Science that they've developed a plastic-eating E. coli that can efficiently turn polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste into adipic acid, which is used to make nylon materials, drugs and fragrances. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-plastic-eating-bacteria-materials-products.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 01 Nov 2023 10:06:03 EDT news618051962 PFAS, a family of highly fluorinated substances, represent a danger for humans and the environment. Particularly problematic members of this family, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) appear to cause organ damage and cancer, as well as disrupting the endocrine system. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-environmental-pfas-energy.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Fri, 27 Oct 2023 09:20:24 EDT news617617222 Dispersions of polymer particles in a liquid phase (latexes) have many important applications in coatings technology, medical imaging, and cell biology. A French team of researchers have now developed a method, reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, to produce stable polystyrene dispersions with unprecedentedly large and uniform particle sizes. Narrow size distributions are essential in many advanced technologies, but were previously difficult to produce photochemically. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-method-homogeneous-polystyrene-microparticles-stable.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 25 Oct 2023 10:59:28 EDT news617450365 More than 100,000 tons of diapers are disposed of annually in Germany. Vast amounts of valuable resources, such as diaper liners, end up in the trash. The liners consist of special polymers, so-called superabsorbers. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-diapers-recycled-faster.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 25 Oct 2023 10:36:06 EDT news617448954 They number in the thousands, light striking the phalanx of lenses arrayed on a face in geometric pattern, the beams refracting through transparent mounds no wider than a hair. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-chemists-craft-adjustable-arrays-microscopic.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:02:24 EDT news617277740 Little of the mixed consumer plastics thrown away or placed in recycle bins actually ends up being recycled. Nearly 90% is buried in landfills or incinerated at commercial facilities that generate greenhouse gases and airborne toxins. Neither outcome is ideal for the environment. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-recycling-plastics.html Polymers Materials Science Sun, 22 Oct 2023 07:00:01 EDT news617014651 Hundreds of millions of tons of single-use plastic ends up in landfills every year, and even the small percentage of plastic that gets recycled can't last forever. But our group of materials scientists has developed a new method for creating and deconstructing polymers that could lead to more easily recycled plastics—ones that don't require you to carefully sort out all your recycling on trash day. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-class-recyclable-polymer-materials-day.html Polymers Materials Science Fri, 20 Oct 2023 11:41:04 EDT news617020861 As Halloween approaches, so too does the anticipation of a trick-or-treating stash filled with fun-sized chocolate candy bars. But to satisfy our collective craving for this indulgence, millions of cocoa pods are harvested annually. While the beans and pulp go to make chocolate, their husks are thrown away. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering show that cocoa pod husks could be a useful starting material for flame retardants. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-cocoa-podsa-source-chocolate-potentially.html Biochemistry Polymers Tue, 17 Oct 2023 14:22:12 EDT news616771330 Using a small bird's nest-making process as a model, researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a nontoxic process for making cellulose gels. The freeze-thaw process is simple, cost-effective, and can create cellulose gels that are useful in a number of applications, including tunable gels for timed drug delivery. The process also works with bamboo and potentially other lignin-containing plant fibers. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-mimicking-bird-sticky-cellulose-gels.html Biochemistry Polymers Mon, 16 Oct 2023 15:23:02 EDT news616688581 A new kind of polymer membrane created by researchers at Georgia Tech could reshape how refineries process crude oil, dramatically reducing the energy and water required while extracting even more useful materials. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-polymer-membranes-ai-energy-oil.html Polymers Materials Science Mon, 16 Oct 2023 13:12:04 EDT news616680721 The research group of Professor Kotohiro Nomura, Tokyo Metropolitan University, in cooperation with the research group of Director Hiroshi Hirano, Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, has developed biobased polyesters from inedible plant resources, which can be easily chemical recyclable and exhibit promising mechanical properties in films than commodity plastics. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-biobased-recyclable-polyesters-excellent-tensile.html Polymers Materials Science Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:55:45 EDT news616409743 Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new chemical process which upcycles polyesters, including PET in plastic bottles, to morpholine amide, a versatile and valuable building block for synthesizing a vast range of compounds. The reaction is high yield, waste-free, does not require harmful chemicals, and is easily scalable. The team have successfully broken the, often costly, closed-loop recycling loop of plastic waste, allowing upcycling to more valuable products. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-upcycle-polyesters-waste-free-scalable.html Polymers Materials Science Mon, 09 Oct 2023 09:29:03 EDT news616062541 Using ultraviolet light instead of extremely high temperatures, a team of Georgia Tech researchers has developed a new approach for 3D printing small glass lenses and other structures that would be useful for medical devices and research applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-3d-glass-microstructures-temperature-fast.html Polymers Materials Science Thu, 05 Oct 2023 09:43:03 EDT news615717782 Dissolving polymers with organic solvents is the essential process in the research and development of polymeric materials, including polymer synthesis, refining, painting, and coating. Now more than ever recycling plastic waste is a particularly imperative part of reducing carbon produced by the materials development processes. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-machine-reveals-dissolve-polymeric-materials.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 04 Oct 2023 16:21:21 EDT news615655277 Helical molecules, similarly to a corkscrew, have a spiral shape that can be either left- or right-turning. Such "chiral molecules" can collectively organize (assemble) into large left- or right-handed twisted structures. These exhibit special optical properties and produce splendid colors, for example, in some insects. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-molecular-left-molecules.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:23:03 EDT news615637381