Lanthanum Containing Polymer''s Modification to PP

Polypropylene (PP)'s low impact strength limits its usages. Adding some a rare earth polymer can enhance PP's tensile strength and impact strength. Acrylic lanthanum was prepared by the reaction between lanthanum oxide and acrylic acid. The IR spectrum prove that and optimum reacting conditions are that the bulk ratio of La(AA) 3 and MMA is not less than one and temperature is about 80 ℃. Lanthanum containing Polymer were added into PP. When percent of addition only was 3%, strength were enhanced 10% , and impact strength 40%. SEM shows the compatibility of rare earth polymer and PP; lanthanum containing polymer can form physical crosslinking between PP's molecules, then every particle's surface connect with several PP molecules and the PP mechanical property were enhanced.     

Coupling AFM,DSC and FT-IR towards Elucidation of Film-Forming Systems Transformation to Dermal Films: A Betamethasone Dipropionate Case Study

Polymeric film-forming systems have emerged as an esthetically acceptable option for targeted, less frequent and controlled dermal drug delivery. However, their dynamic nature (rapid evaporation of solvents leading to the formation of thin films) presents a true characterization challenge. In this study, we tested a tiered characterization approach, leading to more efficient definition of the quality target product profiles of film-forming systems. After assessing a number of physico-chemico-mechanical properties, thermal, spectroscopic and microscopic techniques were introduced. Final confirmation of betamethasone dipropionate-loaded FFS biopharmaceutical properties was sought via an in vitro skin permeation study. A number of applied characterization methods showed complementarity. The sample based on a combination of hydrophobic Eudragit^® RS PO and hydroxypropyl cellulose showed higher viscosity (47.17 ± 3.06 mPa·s) and film thickness, resulting in sustained skin permeation (permeation rate of 0.348 ± 0.157 ng/cm² h), and even the pH of the sample with Eudragit^® NE 30D, along with higher surface roughness and thermal analysis, implied its immediate delivery through the epidermal membrane. Therefore, this study revealed the utility of several methods able to refine the number of needed tests within the final product profile.     

Conception of Stretchable Resistive Memory Devices Based on Nanostructure‐Controlled Carbohydrate‐block‐Polyisoprene Block Copolymers

It is discovered that the memory‐type behaviors of novel carbohydrate‐block ‐polyisoprene (MH‐b ‐PI) block copolymers‐based devices, including write‐once‐read‐many‐times, Flash, and dynamic‐random‐access‐memory, can be easily controlled by the self‐assembly nanostructures (vertical cylinder, horizontal cylinder, and order‐packed sphere), in which the MH and PI blocks, respectively, provide the charge‐trapping and stretchable function. With increasing the flexible PI block length, the stretchability of the designed copolymers can be significantly improved up to 100% without forming cracks. Thus, intrinsically stretchable resistive memory devices (polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)/carbon nanotubes(CNTs)/MH‐b ‐PI thin film/Al) using the MH‐b ‐PI thin film as an active layer is successfully fabricated and that using the MH‐b ‐PI_12.6k under 100% strain exhibits an excellent ON/OFF current ratio of over 10⁶ (reading at ?1 V) with stable V _set around ?2 V. Furthermore, the endurance characteristics can be maintained over 500 cycles upon 40% strain. This work establishes and represents a novel avenue for the design of green carbohydrate‐derived and stretchable memory materials.     

Photoluminescent Arrays of Nanopatterned Monolayer MoS2

Monolayer 2D MoS₂ grown by chemical vapor deposition is nanopatterned into nanodots, nanorods, and hexagonal nanomesh using block copolymer (BCP) lithography. The detailed atomic structure and nanoscale geometry of the nanopatterned MoS₂ show features down to 4 nm with nonfaceted etching profiles defined by the BCP mask. Atomic resolution annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals the nanopatterned MoS₂ has minimal large‐scale crystalline defects and enables the edge density to be measured for each nanoscale pattern geometry. Photoluminescence spectroscopy of nanodots, nanorods, and nanomesh areas shows strain‐dependent spectral shifts up to 15 nm, as well as reduction in the PL efficiency as the edge density increases. Raman spectroscopy shows mode stiffening, confirming the release of strain when it is nanopatterned by BCP lithography. These results show that small nanodots (≈19 nm) of MoS₂ 2D monolayers still exhibit strong direct band gap photoluminescence (PL), but have PL quenching compared to pristine material from the edge states. This information provides important insights into the structure–PL property correlations of sub‐20 nm MoS₂ structures that have potential in future applications of 2D electronics, optoelectronics, and photonics.     

DNA Computing Boosted by a Cationic Copolymer

The huge information storage capability of DNA and its ability to self‐assemble can be harnessed to enable massively parallel computing in a small space. DNA‐based logic gates are designed that rely on DNA strand displacement reactions; however, computation is slow due to time‐consuming DNA reassembly processes and prone to failure as DNA is susceptible to degradation by nucleases and under certain solution conditions. Here, it is shown that the presence of a cationic copolymer boosts the speed of DNA logic gate operations that involve multiple and parallel strand displacement reactions. Two kinds of DNA molecular operations, one based on a translator gate and one on a seesaw gate, are successfully enhanced by the copolymer without tuning of computing conditions or DNA sequences. The copolymer markedly reduces operation times from hours to minutes. Moreover, the copolymer enhances nuclease resistance.     

Enhancing Photovoltaic Performance Using an All‐Conjugated Random Copolymer to Tailor Bulk and Interfacial Morphology of the P3HT:ICBA Active Layer

Bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells are fabricated using active material blends of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) donor, indene‐C₆₀ bisadduct (ICBA) acceptor, and an all‐conjugated random copolymer (RCP) additive. By optimizing RCP loading, power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) up to 20% higher than those of a binary P3HT:ICBA mixture are achieved. The improved device characteristics are rationalized in terms of the differences between the photoactive thin film morphologies. Energy‐filtered transmission electron micro­scopy reveals that incorporation of the RCP improves the degree of structural order of the BHJ fibrillar network and increases the extent of microphase separation between P3HT and ICBA. Additionally, a combination of atomic force microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicates segregation of the RCP at the free interface, leading to a shift in the surface potentials measured by Kelvin probe force microscopy. These changes, both in the bulk morphology and in the interfacial composition/energetics, are correlated to improved carrier collection efficiency due to a reduction of non‐geminate recombination, which is measured by charge extraction of photo­generated carriers by linearly increasing voltage.     

Superconducting Quantum Metamaterials from High Pressure Melt Infiltration of Metals into Block Copolymer Double Gyroid Derived Ceramic Templates

Mesoscale order can lead to emergent properties including phononic bandgaps or topologically protected states. Block copolymers offer a route to mesoscale periodic architectures, but their use as structure directing agents for metallic materials has not been fully realized. A versatile approach to mesostructured metals via bulk block copolymer self-assembly derived ceramic templates, is demonstrated. Molten indium is infiltrated into mesoporous, double gyroidal silicon nitride templates under high pressure to yield bulk, 3D periodic nanocomposites as free-standing monoliths which exhibit emergent quantum-scale phenomena. Vortices are artificially introduced when double gyroidal indium metal behaves as a type II superconductor, with evidence of strong pinning centers arrayed on the order of the double gyroid lattice size. Sample behavior is reproducible over months, showing high stability. High pressure infiltration of bulk block copolymer self-assembly based ceramic templates is an enabling tool for studying high-quality metals with previously inaccessible architectures, and paves the way for the emerging field of block-copolymer derived quantum metamaterials.