Poly(ionic liquid)s: Polymers expanding classical property profiles

In recent years, polymeric/polymerized ionic liquids or poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) were found to take an enabling role in some fields of polymer chemistry and material science. PILs combine the unique properties of ionic liquids with the flexibility and properties of macromolecular architectures and provide novel properties and functions that are of huge potential in a multitude of applications, including solid ionic conductor, powerful dispersant and stabilizer, absorbent, precursor for carbon materials, porous polymers, etc. So far, the preparation of PILs with various forms in cations and anions has mostly focused on the conventional free radical polymerization of IL monomers. Recent progress in the preparation of PILs via controlled/“living” radical polymerizations points out an unprecedented opportunity to precisely design and control macromolecular architecture of IL species on a meso-/nanoscale within a polymer matrix. There are also newly emerging polymerization techniques that have appeared for the preparation of PILs which have further pushed the limit of the design of PILs. In this review, we try to summarize the current preparative strategies of PILs, providing a systematic and actual view on the polymer chemistry behind. A discussion of the properties and applications of PILs constitutes the second part of this review.     

15th anniversary of polymerised ionic liquids

Polymerised ionic liquids (PILs) have unique properties such as low glass transition temperature (Tg) in spite of very high charge density. Due to these advanced points, PILs have been prepared and initially evaluated as ion conductive polymers. Progress of low-Tg polyelectrolytes has been previously demonstrated with polyethers having charged end(s) as a kind of PILs. Then, imidazolium-type ionic liquids (ILs) were polymerised after introducing vinyl groups onto the imidazolium cation rings. It is reasonable that the ionic conductivity of thus prepared PILs decreased due to elevation of Tg and decrease of the number of mobile small ions. Efforts were then paid to suppress drop of ionic conductivity after polymerisation. Variety of PILs has been improved to show excellent ionic conductivity, selective ion transport, and other properties. With the progress of functional ILs, some functions were also added to PILs which cannot be realised with ordinary charged polymers. In the present mini-review, we briefly introduce history of a variety of polymerised ILs and some applications of these PILs.     

Innovative polyelectrolytes/poly(ionic liquid)s for energy and the environment

This paper presents the work carried out within the European project RENAISSANCE‐ITN, which was dedicated to the development of innovative polyelectrolytes for energy and environmental applications. Within the project different types of innovative polyelectrolytes were synthesized such as poly(ionic liquid)s coming from renewable or natural ions, thiazolium cations, catechol functionalities or from a new generation of cheap deep eutectic monomers. Further, macromolecular architectures such as new poly(ionic liquid) block copolymers and new (semi)conducting polymer/polyelectrolyte complexes were also developed. As the final goal, the application of these innovative polymers in energy and the environment was investigated. Important advances in energy storage technologies included the development of new carbonaceous materials, new lignin/conducting polymer biopolymer electrodes, new iongels and single‐ion conducting polymer electrolytes for supercapacitors and batteries and new poly(ionic liquid) binders for batteries. On the other hand, the use of innovative polyelectrolytes in sustainable environmental technologies led to the development of new liquid and dry water, new materials for water cleaning technologies such as flocculants, oil absorbers, new recyclable organocatalyst platforms and new multifunctional polymer coatings with antifouling and antimicrobial properties. All in all this paper demonstrates the potential of poly(ionic liquid)s for high‐value applications in energy and enviromental areas. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Water‐soluble ionic polythiophenes for biological and analytical applications

Ionic polythiophenes are important conjugated polymers because of their excellent optical properties and water solubility. They are classified as cationic, anionic and zwitterionic conjugated polyelectrolytes. This review article describes concisely their biological and analytical applications. The specific detection of different negatively charged biomolecules such as DNA and adenosine triphosphate, anions like halides and toxic pseudo‐halide (CN ^?) and environmental pollutants, e.g. surfactants, is discussed. The conformational changes of cationic polythiophenes (CPTs ) induced by various analytes due to formation of ionic conjugates and the cooperative responses of all segments cause dominant signal amplification even in the presence of a small perturbation. In addition, reactive oxygen scavenging, antimicrobial photosensitizing and cell imaging applications of CPTs are documented. Use of anionic polythiophenes for sensing of protamine and cations like Cu²⁺ and Ca²⁺ is also discussed. Finally, sensing of DNA , peptides and surfactants by zwitterionic polythiophenes is included. The concluding part discusses future prospects. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of ionicity and chain structure on the physicochemical properties of protic ionic liquids

The physicochemical properties of protic ionic liquids (PILs) determine their industrial applications. In this study, six PILs based on 1-vinylimidazole were synthesized, and their ionicities were determined by ¹H NMR method. The thermodynamic properties, viscosities, densities, and conductivities of these PILs were correlated with the ionicities and the chain lengths of the anions. The ionicity was found to depend on the acidity of the alkyl carboxylic acid. Since HAc has the strongest acidity among these acid precursors, Vim·HAc has the highest ionicity and thus the strongest Coulombic interactions among the six PILs. The other five PILs have similar ionicities but different chain lengths in their anions. So, we can separately identify the effects of Coulombic interactions and van der Waals forces on the physicochemical properties of PILs. From these trends, the viscosity and conductivity of PILs may be tuned by varying the acidity and alkyl chain length of the precursors.     

3D Printing for Biological Scaffolds using Poly(Ionic Liquid)/Gelatin/Sodium Alginate Ink

The poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) have attracted a wide range of applications in thermo-responsive materials, carbon materials, catalysis, porous polymers, separation and absorption materials, and biological field due to their favorable tunability and biological functions. However, the applications of PILs in bio-scaffold are rarely studied. In the present work, the ionic liquid (IL) monomer (1-vinyl-3-butylimidazolium chloride, [VBIM]Cl) is cross-linked with other three compounds, respectively, to synthesize three kinds of PILs (PIL1, PIL2, and PIL3). Furthermore, individually cross-linked PILs are added into gelatin (Gel)/sodium alginate (SA) solution aiming to prepare biological inks (bio-inks) for 3D printing. The water absorption, degradation rate, and porosity of the bio-scaffolds are measured to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics, while the PC12 cell line is used to evaluate the biocompatibility of the bio-scaffolds through cell proliferation. These results demonstrate that the biological activity of the bio-scaffold can be varied at the tendency of PIL1 < PIL3 < PIL2, providing a potential prospect for the application of PILs in tissue-engineered bio-scaffolds.     

Chiral Polymers and Polymeric Particles for Enantioselective Crystallization

Chiral polymers and chiral polymeric particles have emerged as a new and exciting field of research in recent years mainly due to their possibly applications in chiral chemistry. This paper reviews the present state of the art regarding production techniques for the synthesis and applications of chiral polymeric particles. The main methods for preparing of chiral polymeric particles such as: direct polymerization, emulsion, precipitation, and suspension polymerization of chiral monomers, are reviewed. Moreover, in this article we also present the use of chiral polymers as chiral templates for the synthesis of chiral mesoporous materials. In this review we highlighted the properties and parameters involved in the preparation of these chiral polymeric materials. The present review focuses mainly on the use of chiral polymer and chiral polymeric particles for enantioselective crystallization and enantioseparation. References of the most relevant literature published by various research groups are provided. Anyway, it is clear that chiral polymeric particles are a distinctive type of chiral nanomaterials that can find many new application in other fields like, chiral drug delivery systems, enantioselective catalysis. We hope that this review article will inspired new researchers in this field and will boost the research dealing on chiral polymeric particles especially in their implementation in new areas in chiral chemistry.     

Recent advances in conjugated polymers for light emitting devices

A recent advance in the field of light emitting polymers has been the discovery of electroluminescent conjugated polymers, that is, kind of fluorescent polymers that emit light when excited by the flow of an electric current. These new generation fluorescent materials may now challenge the domination by inorganic semiconductor materials of the commercial market in light-emitting devices such as light-emitting diodes (LED) and polymer laser devices. This review provides information on unique properties of conjugated polymers and how they have been optimized to generate these properties. The review is organized in three sections focusing on the major advances in light emitting materials, recent literature survey and understanding the desirable properties as well as modern solid state lighting and displays. Recently, developed conjugated polymers are also functioning as roll-up displays for computers and mobile phones, flexible solar panels for power portable equipment as well as organic light emitting diodes in displays, in which television screens, luminous traffic, information signs, and light-emitting wallpaper in homes are also expected to broaden the use of conjugated polymers as light emitting polymers. The purpose of this review paper is to examine conjugated polymers in light emitting diodes (LEDs) in addition to organic solid state laser. Furthermore, since conjugated polymers have been approved as light-emitting organic materials similar to inorganic semiconductors, it is clear to motivate these organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) and organic lasers for modern lighting in terms of energy saving ability. In addition, future aspects of conjugated polymers in LEDs were also highlighted in this review.     

A Review of Computational Methods in Materials Science: Examples from Shock-Wave and Polymer Physics

This review discusses several computational methods used on different length and time scales for the simulation of material behavior. First, the importance of physical modeling and its relation to computer simulation on multiscales is discussed. Then, computational methods used on different scales are shortly reviewed, before we focus on the molecular dynamics (MD) method. Here we survey in a tutorial-like fashion some key issues including several MD optimization techniques. Thereafter, computational examples for the capabilities of numerical simulations in materials research are discussed. We focus on recent results of shock wave simulations of a solid which are based on two different modeling approaches and we discuss their respective assets and drawbacks with a view to their application on multiscales. Then, the prospects of computer simulations on the molecular length scale using coarse-grained MD methods are covered by means of examples pertaining to complex topological polymer structures including star-polymers, biomacromolecules such as polyelectrolytes and polymers with intrinsic stiffness. This review ends by highlighting new emerging interdisciplinary applications of computational methods in the field of medical engineering where the application of concepts of polymer physics and of shock waves to biological systems holds a lot of promise for improving medical applications such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or tumor treatment.     

Recent Advancements in Polythiophene-Based Materials and their Biomedical,Geno Sensor and DNA Detection

In this review, the unique properties of intrinsically conducting polymer (ICP) in biomedical engineering fields are summarized. Polythiophene and its valuable derivatives are known as potent materials that can broadly be applied in biosensors, DNA, and gene delivery applications. Moreover, this material plays a basic role in curing and promoting anti-HIV drugs. Some of the thiophene’s derivatives were chosen for different experiments and investigations to study their behavior and effects while binding with different materials and establishing new compounds. Many methods were considered for electrode coating and the conversion of thiophene to different monomers to improve their functions and to use them for a new generation of novel medical usages. It is believed that polythiophenes and their derivatives can be used in the future as a substitute for many old-fashioned ways of creating chemical biosensors polymeric materials and also drugs with lower side effects yet having a more effective response. It can be noted that syncing biochemistry with biomedical engineering will lead to a new generation of science, especially one that involves high-efficiency polymers. Therefore, since polythiophene can be customized with many derivatives, some of the novel combinations are covered in this review.     

Polymers for medical and tissue engineering applications

Recent decades have seen great advancements in medical research into materials, both natural and synthetic, that facilitate the repair and regeneration of compromised tissues through the delivery and support of cells and/or biomolecules. Biocompatible polymeric materials have become the most heavily investigated materials used for such purposes. Naturally‐occurring and synthetic polymers, including their various composites and blends, have been successful in a range of medical applications, proving to be particularly suitable for tissue engineering (TE) approaches. The increasing advances in polymeric biomaterial research combined with the developments in manufacturing techniques have expanded capabilities in tissue engineering and other medical applications of these materials. This review will present an overview of the major classes of polymeric biomaterials, highlight their key properties, advantages, limitations and discuss their applications. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Antibacterial activity of natural polymer gels and potential applications without synthetic antibiotics

Antibiotics' use has increased, resulting in disadvantages like patients' drug resistance. Consequently, urgent action is required to develop a new generation of antibacterial agents. Most antibacterial platforms still require a modification with further antibacterial agents (e.g., antibiotics) for adequate antibacterial efficiency. Thus, a nonantibiotic methodology is immediately needed. Furthermore, bactericidal agents used for this purpose are usually based on metal nanoparticles, carbon materials, and polymers. Still, chemicals, antibiotics, and biocides lead to environmental damage. Therefore, the help of biocompatible yet durable materials and polymers is highly appreciated. In addition, if a polymer is not biodegradable, it will remain in the environment for more than one hundred years due to its low degradation rate. Moreover, non-biodegradable polymers are harmful to in vivo applications. Hence, the use of biodegradable and non-toxic materials has received many considerations. Over the last few years, the design and synthesis of new polymer gels have gained increasing attention. A polymer gel, also known as a hydrogel, is a three-dimensional and cross-linked network filled with water or other liquid solvents. Besides, the hydrogels supercritical drying method results in aerogels, and the freeze-drying method generates cryogels, where their porous and sponge-like structures are preserved. Additionally, antibacterial polymer gels are a new generation of polymers considered attractive due to their unique properties. The most recent studies and the latest innovations in polymer gels and hybrid polymers with intrinsic antibacterial properties were discussed in the present review. The reviewed studies from 2015 to April 2022 showed a tremendous revival in research about biopolymer hydrogel, aerogel, and cryogel as antibacterial agents.     

基于可聚合离子液体的功能高分子材料研究进展

阳离子或阴离子带不饱和键、可发生均聚或共聚反应的离子液体可用于合成高分子材料。本文综述了可聚合离子液体合成的智能响应性材料、高分子分散剂、导电高分子材料、吸液保液材料、气体吸收材料、高分子催化剂、新型碳材料、多孔材料、生物医用高分子材料、色谱分离材料、微波吸收材料的合成、性能及应用的研究进展, 提出可聚合离子液体的种类多、阴离子与阳离子的组合具有可设计性、离子液体具有特殊的电离属性, 可赋予主链含离子液体结构单元的高分子材料具有特殊的性能, 在诸多领域具有潜在的应用前景。     

Electrically conducting polymers and composites for applications in space exploration

Pushing the boundaries of space exploration and settlement requires innovative materials that are multi-functional, reusable, and tolerant of the extreme hazards in space environments. Polymers represent an interesting class of materials for these applications due to their range of properties, low density, and ease of manufacturing. Electrically conductive materials based on polymers and other organic materials can be beneficial for safety purposes or for integrating advanced functions, such as dust mitigation and non-destructive evaluation. Given the unique demands of the space industry, emerging materials developed for space may not appear in conventional forums. Conversely, many investigators focus on polymers and composites for other applications and may not realize the suitability of their material for space. This review provides an informational bridge between experts from conventional polymer fields and more space-focused research groups. First, a brief history of polymer material integration from Apollo to Artemis is used as a context for their increasing importance to space exploration. Next, a polymer and composite materials-focused summary of space hazards is discussed for different space environments. Finally, different space applications suitable for electrically conductive polymers and composites are discussed in the context of enabling space exploration and developing new terrestrial technology.     

Ionomer‐based polyurethanes: a comparative study of properties and applications

Polyurethanes cover a large range of materials exhibiting various physical and mechanical properties making them useful in different applications such as elastomers or biomaterials, for instance. The introduction of ionic groups in the polyurethane backbone opens the way to new applications where the ionic groups can act as physical crosslinkers that greatly modify the final mechanical and thermal properties of the materials. Furthermore, the hydrophilicity of the chains can be enhanced by the presence of the ionic species, and so the materials can be processed as conventional dispersions even in a polar solvent such as water. As a consequence the applications are numerous; the main commercial outlets are focused on coatings and textiles industries where they can be used as waterproof coatings or substitutes for leather. But these materials can also be used in high‐tech industries for shape memory materials, biomedical devices and biocompatible materials. This review summarizes the latest developments of this class of promising materials and provides the reader with the potentialities of these polymers in various areas.     

Rigid and microporous polymers for gas separation membranes

Microporous polymers are a class of microporous materials with high free volume elements and large surface areas. Microporous polymers have received much attention for various applications in gas separation, gas storage, and for clean energy resources due to their easy processability for mass production, as well as microporosity for high performance. This review describes recent research trends of microporous polymers in various energy related applications, especially for gas separations and gas storages. The new classes of microporous polymers, so-called thermally rearranged (TR) polymers and polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs), have been developed by enhancing polymer rigidity to improve microporosity with sufficient free volume sizes. Their rigidity improves separation performance and efficiency with extraordinary gas permeability. Moreover, their solubility in organic solvents allows them to have potential use in large-scale industrial applications.     

Neutral and Cationic Macromolecules based on Iron Sandwich Complexes

This article is one of a number of reviews in the special issue of the Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of metallocene-based polymers. Since the first examples of polyferrocenes in 1955, research into the design of organometallic polymers has grown exponentially. Organoiron polymers have incorporated ferrocene and arene cyclopentadienyl complexes, and have been developed for materials, liquid crystals, and electrocatalysts. The focus of this review is on the synthesis, properties, and characterization of macromolecules based on ferrocene or arene cyclopentadienyliron cations. Ferrocene-based polymers in which the ferrocene moieties are in or pendent to the backbone are described, as well as, the use of arene cyclopentadienyliron complexes in the design of polymeric materials. The design of star-shaped macromolecules and dendrimer materials that contain ferrocene and/or arene cyclopentadienyliron units will be discussed as well.     

Sugar-derived ionic liquids

Ionic liquids (ILs) are special molten salts with melting points below 100 degrees C that are typically constituted of organic cations (imidazolium, pyridinium, sulfonium, phosphonium, etc.) and inorganic anions. Due to their ionic nature, they are endowed with high chemical and thermal stability, good solvent properties, and non-measurable vapor pressure. Although the recycling of ILs partly compensate their rather high cost, it is important to develop new synthetic approaches to less expensive and environmentally sustainable ILs based on renewable raw materials. In fact, most of these alternative solvents are still prepared starting from fossil feedstocks. Until now, only a limited number of ionic liquids have been prepared from renewable sources (e.g., hydroxy acids, amino acids, terpenes), and even less from naturally occurring carbohydrates. This short review describes the synthesis and applications of chiral and achiral ILs obtained from inexpensive sugars.     

Current trends in redox polymers for energy and medicine

Polymers with redox properties are electroactive macromolecules containing localized sites or groups that can be oxidized (loss of electrons) and reduced (gain of electrons). This review highlights trends in the chemistry, characterization and application of polymers with redox properties. In the first part, we overview the synthetic advances in the design of innovative redox polymers. Special attention is given to state-of-art techniques for the characterization of redox polymers and their important properties are also explained. The last part is devoted to the redox polymers applied in energy and medicine. First, the main redox polymers investigated in energy technologies such as batteries, supercapacitors, solar cells, biofuel cells or thermoelectric cells are reviewed. Second, the emerging applications of redox polymers in medicine technologies such as drug delivery, biosensors, actuators or smart surfaces are explained in detail.     

Light and Shape-Memory Polymers: Characterization,Preparation, Stimulation,and Application

Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are smart materials that change shape when exposed to stimuli and have various applications in different fields due to their unique properties. Light, as a kind of electromagnetic radiation, plays an important role in understanding the structure-property relations of SMPs, preparing original shapes, using them as non-contact stimuli sources, and tuning the optical properties of SMPs. This review provides a comprehensive review of the involvement of light in structure-preparation-stimuli-application of SMPs. The review is divided into four sections. First, applications of optical/spectroscopic approaches that provide information for understanding structure-property relations in SMPs, especially during programming and recovery. Second, describes how to build SMPs with light, including different photochemical reactions and 3D photocuring technologies. Third, discusses how light is used to trigger the shape change of SMPs through both photochemical and photothermal mechanisms. Last, focuses on how to take advantage of the shape-memory effect to tune the optical characteristics of polymers, including various structures of SMP color-changing materials and their synthetic strategies. Future research could focus on developing efficient photothermal fillers, new 3D printing techniques for SMPs, exploring their use in biomedical and wearable devices, and optimizing SMPs for industrial applications.