Polymer chemistry articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The impact of multiexcitonic through-space interactions in macromolecular architectures is poorly investigated. Here the authors use dendritic macromolecules to study the effect of interchromophore interactions on the dynamics of multiexciton generation and decay as a function of dendrimer generation.

    • Guiying He
    • , Emily M. Churchill
    •  & Luis M. Campos

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Despite recent advancements in mechanochemical polymerization, understanding the unique mechanochemical reactivity during the ball milling polymerization process still requires extensive investigations. Here the authors use solid-state anionic ring-opening polymerization to synthesize polyethers from various functional epoxide monomers.

    • Jihye Park
    • , Ahyun Kim
    •  & Byeong-Su Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The performance of membrane desalination of seawater is hampered by fouling. Here the authors develop smart gating hybrid membranes by surface coating with polymer-embedded thermosalient crystals. These membranes enhance pure water flux by over 40% in saltwater desalination by osmotic distillation.

    • Elvira Pantuso
    • , Ejaz Ahmed
    •  & Gianluca Di Profio

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metal-based heterogeneous catalysts are widely employed in ring-opening polymerization (ROP) but up to now the exploration of metal-organic frameworks (MOF) as catalysts in ROP remains underdeveloped. Here, the authors report a MOF heterogeneous catalytic system for fast, controllable, air- and moisture-insensitive ring-opening polymerization of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides, and its seamless integration with hybrid material preparation.

    • Ying Liu
    • , Zhongwu Ren
    •  & Yugang Bai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Among additive manufacturing methods vat photopolymerization (VP) is desired owing to improved efficiency, excellent surface finish, and printing resolution at the micron-scale but the major portion of resins available for VP are based on systems with limited or negligible recyclability. Here, the authors describe an approach that enables the printing of a resin that is amenable to re-printing with retained properties and appearance.

    • Xabier Lopez de Pariza
    • , Oihane Varela
    •  & Haritz Sardon

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Due to the adjustable bandgap, flexibility, absence of heavy metals and high power per weight, organic laser converters have unique advantages in wireless power transfer. Here, authors integrate organic laser power converters exhibiting efficiency over 36% at 660 nm with photon flux of 9.5 mW/cm2.

    • Yafei Wang
    • , Zhong Zheng
    •  & Jianhui Hou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Alternating copolymerization of cyclic anhydrides and epoxides is an interesting platform for the synthesis of polyesters from renewable resources, but the near irreversibility of the copolymerization makes it challenging to develop chemically recyclable polyesters with easy-to-tune structure. Here, the authors develop a recyclable polyester library from alternating copolymerization of aldehyde and cyclic anhydride.

    • Xun Zhang
    • , Wenqi Guo
    •  & Xinghong Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Manipulating the internal interactions within biological fibers to tune macroscopic properties is important but challenging, and can limit applications. Here, the authors report the use of dynamic imine chemistry for engineering molecular interactions and forming strong and tough protein fibers.

    • Jing Sun
    • , Haonan He
    •  & Kai Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polymerizations in living systems can effectively regulate cell functions and behaviors, but their uses have been hindered by the existence of complicated intracorporal interferences, the needs of high concentration of monomers and extra stimulates. Here, the authors address these issues by developing a nanocompartment-confined strategy to achieve broad-spectrum polymerizations in living systems.

    • Yun Chen
    • , Mengxuan Zuo
    •  & Yanli Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The trade-off relationship between mechanical robustness and viscoelasticity limits the strategies to produce mechanically tough self-healing polymers. Here the authors, introduce a strengthening strategy for self-healing polymers cross-linked by metal-ligand coordination using mixed counter anion dynamics.

    • Hyunchang Park
    • , Taewon Kang
    •  & Jiheong Kang

  • Perspective
    | Open Access

    The design of polymers for regenerative medicine could be accelerated with the help of machine learning. Here the authors note that machine learning has been applied successfully in other areas of polymer chemistry, while highlighting that data limitations must be overcome to enable widespread adoption within polymeric biomaterials.

    • Samantha M. McDonald
    • , Emily K. Augustine
    •  & Matthew L. Becker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Post-consumer plastic waste in the environment has driven the scientific community to develop deconstruction methods that yield valued substances from these synthetic macromolecules but depolymerization of highly crystalline engineering thermoplastics remains challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate that electrocatalysis can be used to depolymerize polyoxymethylene into repolymerizable monomer under ambient conditions.

    • Yuting Zhou
    • , Joaquín Rodríguez-López
    •  & Jeffrey S. Moore

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Understanding the intermetallic synergy and the structure-performances relationships of catalysts remains challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate a relationship between both the rates, selectivity and the s-block metal acidity in a series of heterodinuclear catalysts based on Co(III) in combination with alkali and alkaline earth metals for three different polymerization reactios.

    • Francesca Fiorentini
    • , Wilfred T. Diment
    •  & Charlotte K. Williams

  • Article
    | Open Access

    CS2 promises easy access to degradable sulfur-rich polymers, but ring-opening copolymerisation using CS2 is challenging due to low linkage selectivity and small-molecule by-products. Here, the authors report a cooperative Cr(III)/K catalyst which selectively delivers poly(dithiocarbonates) from CS2 and oxetanes.

    • Christoph Fornacon-Wood
    • , Bhargav R. Manjunatha
    •  & Alex J. Plajer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Neutral π-radicals are potential emitters for optoelectronic devices due to the absence of energetically low-lying non-emissive states. Here, the authors report mesityl-substituted tris(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl radicals and achieve maximum device efficiency of 28% at a wavelength of 689 nm.

    • Petri Murto
    • , Rituparno Chowdhury
    •  & Hugo Bronstein

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Excess water in hydrogel-based zinc ion batteries causes side reactions, but reduced water content results in low conductivities. Here, authors develop a lean-water hydrogel based on molecular lubrication mechanism for fast ion transportation, extended stability, and reversible Zinc plating/stripping.

    • Yanbo Wang
    • , Qing Li
    •  & Chunyi Zhi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Trainable responsive materials have received research interests for future adaptive and intelligent material systems but to date trainable responsive materials only allow one direction of functionality change. Here, the authors demonstrate thermally trainable hydrogel systems consisting of two thermoresponsive polymers, where the volumetric response of the system upon phase transitions enhances or decreases through a training process above a certain threshold temperature.

    • Shanming Hu
    • , Yuhuang Fang
    •  & Hang Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    High crosslinking and low shrinkage stress are difficult to reconcile in the preparation of performance-enhancing photopolymer materials. Here the authors report the mechanism of upconversion particles-assisted NIR polymerization in reducing shrinkage stress and enhancing mechanical properties of cured materials

    • Peng Hu
    • , Hang Xu
    •  & Ren Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Natural proteins exhibit rich structural diversity based on the folds of an invariably linear chain. Here the authors design a single-domain GFP catenane as the counterpart of conventional linear GFP with enhanced thermal resilience and to provide a robust scaffold for making fusion protein catenanes.

    • Zhiyu Qu
    • , Jing Fang
    •  & Wen-Bin Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The inclusion of an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) block in multiblock copolymer amphiphiles can enable temperature triggered nanoscale morphological transitions, but there are limited studies probing the actual UCST transition. Here, the authors couple variable temperature liquid-cell transmission electron microscopy and variable temperature liquid resonant soft X-ray scattering to study UCST polymeric nanostructures.

    • Joanna Korpanty
    • , Cheng Wang
    •  & Nathan C. Gianneschi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mechanically interlocked architectures inspired the fabrication of numerous molecular systems, but the topological design of such architectures has not been fully explored from the nano- to the macroscopic scale. Here, the authors propose a MOFaxane, comprised of long chain molecules penetrating a microcrystal of metal– organic framework.

    • Tomoya Iizuka
    • , Hiroyuki Sano
    •  & Takashi Uemura

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The axial helical structure of supramolecular and covalent polymers provides communication mechanisms among monomer repeating units. Here, the authors present multi-helical materials comprising five axial motifs that combine information from both metallosupramolecular and covalent helical polymers

    • Francisco Rey- Tarrío
    • , Emilio Quiñoá
    •  & Félix Freire

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A deep understanding of multi-level assembly structures of conjugated polymers is crucial for developing high performance conjugated polymers and optoelectronic devices, however, it remains a challenge. Here, the authors report the morphological evolution of multi-level assembly of a model system of isoindigo-based conjugated polymer.

    • Yang-Yang Zhou
    • , Yu-Chun Xu
    •  & Jian Pei

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Thermoelectric devices have received significant attention for energy generation owing to their unique advantages over traditional heat engines. Here, the authors developed a well performing stretchable and self-healable iono thermoelectric material by optimizing the thermophoresis of protons in a polymer complex PEDOT:PAAMPSA:PA polymer.

    • Dong-Hu Kim
    • , Zico Alaia Akbar
    •  & Sung-Yeon Jang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The global plastic pollution crisis can be mitigated by developing chemically recyclable polymers following the monomer design principle. Here, the authors evaluate substitution effects and structure−property relationships in the ɛ-caprolactone system to guide the design of monomers for the preparation of chemically recyclable polymers.

    • Yi-Min Tu
    • , Fu-Long Gong
    •  & Jian-Bo Zhu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Synthetic approaches that employ water to produce functional molecules and polymers with clusteroluminescence properties are highly desirable but not yet reported. Here, the authors apply a water-involved reaction and interfacial polymerization strategy to synthesize nonaromatic molecules and cross-linked polymer films that emit visible light.

    • Bo Song
    • , Jianyu Zhang
    •  & Ben Zhong Tang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chemical fuel-driven supramolecular systems have been developed showing out of-equilibrium functions such as transient gelation and oscillations but these systems suffer from undesired waste accumulation and they function only in open systems. Here, the authors we report non-equilibrium supramolecular polymerizations in a closed system, which is built by viologens and pyranine in the presence of hydrazine hydrate.

    • Xianhua Lang
    • , Yingjie Huang
    •  & Hui Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The application for large-scale production of polymers using photocatalyzed reversible deactivation radical polymerization remains challenging. Here, the authors report the development of a phosphine-based conjugated hypercrosslinked polymer as photocatalyst for an efficient photoinduced and oxygen tolerant copper-catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization.

    • Wei-Wei Fang
    • , Gui-Yu Yang
    •  & Bi-En Tan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Infrared (IR) transmissive polymeric materials for optical elements require a balance between their optical and thermal properties but achieving simultaneously a high refractive index and IR transparency in the long wavelength infrared region in polymer materials is challenging. Here the authors demonstrate inverse vulcanization of 1,3,5-benzenetrithiol (BTT) to achieve a long wavelength IR transparent material without sacrificing on the thermal properties.

    • Miyeon Lee
    • , Yuna Oh
    •  & Nam-Ho You

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Covalent cross-linking can be used to improve the mechanical properties of fibers, but can be complicated to prepare and process. Here, the authors report fibers prepared with dynamic covalent bonds, which can reversibly dissociate to enable processing, while maintaining improved mechanical properties in the final material.

    • Hui Tan
    • , Luzhi Zhang
    •  & Zhengwei You

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Reversals are structural motifs found in helical polymers that are difficult to determine experimentally. Here, the authors turn to photochemical electrocyclization as a tool to establish their presence and estimate excess screw sense in solution.

    • Francisco Rey-Tarrío
    • , Rafael Rodríguez
    •  & Félix Freire

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Switchable catalysis promises exceptional efficiency in synthesizing polymers with increasing structural complexity but current achievements in such attempts are limited to constructing linear block copolymers. Here the authors report a visible light regulated switchable catalytic system capable of synthesizing hyperbranched polymers in a one-pot/two-stage procedure with commercial glycidyl acrylate as a heterofunctional monomer.

    • Shuaishuai Zhu
    • , Maoji Zhao
    •  & Xiaolin Xie

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polar functional groups can improve the polymer properties of polyolefins but also poison the metal catalyst used during the polymerization reaction. Here, the authors show that functionalized bimodal polyolefins in which the high-molecular-weight fraction bears few functional groups and possesses high mechanical and melt properties can be used to implement both polarity and processability

    • Chen Zou
    • , Quan Wang
    •  & Changle Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Despite recent progress in additive

    manufacturing of organic materials, multimaterial additive manufacturing remains

    challenging. Here, the authors design a resin design that can be used for singlevat

    single-cure grayscale digital light processing 3D printing where light intensity

    can locally control the conversion of monomers to form from a highly stretchable

    soft organogel to a stiff thermoset within in a single layer of printing

    • Liang Yue
    • , S. Macrae Montgomery
    •  & H. Jerry Qi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polymeric nanofibers are attractive nanomaterials owing to their high surfacearea- to-volume ratio and superior flexibility but designing durable and recyclable polymer nanofibers is challenging. Here, the authors integrate the concept of covalent adaptable networks to produce dynamic covalently crosslinked nanofibers via electrospinning.

    • Sheng Wang
    • , Nannan Wang
    •  & Zibiao Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Membranes with fast and selective ion transport are essential for electrochemical processes. Here the authors provide mechanistic insights into the structures of metal-ion coordinated polybenzimidazole membranes and the preferential K+ transport, and their application in an alkaline zinc-iron flow battery.

    • Jine Wu
    • , Chenyi Liao
    •  & Xianfeng Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Biomolecular condensates with internal structure allow cells to further organise their processes. In this work the authors investigate how condensates can obtain an internal structure with droplets of dilute phase inside via kinetic, rather than purely thermodynamic driving forces.

    • Nadia A. Erkamp
    • , Tomas Sneideris
    •  & Tuomas P. J. Knowles

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polydopamine is a biomimetic self-adherent polymer, which can be easily deposited on a wide variety of materials but the polymerization mechanism and the key intermediate species formed during the deposition process are still controversial. Here, the authors report a systematic investigation of polydopamine formation on halloysite nanotubes.

    • Hamoon Hemmatpour
    • , Oreste De Luca
    •  & Petra Rudolf

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Bio-inspired assembly of mesoscale materials presents a unique challenge due to complex machinery or labor-intensive processing involved in engineering. Barber et al. report chiral filaments self-assembled into free-standing, anisotropic bundles through pre-programmed, light-mediated structural deformations.

    • Dylan M. Barber
    • , Todd Emrick
    •  & Alfred J. Crosby

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