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Macromolecular Chemistry in Europe

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecular Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 3690

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Physics, Prifysgol Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales SY23 3BZ, UK
Interests: photonics; soft matter; polymers; macromolecular semiconductors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of synthetic macromolecules is a cornerstone of modern materials science and engineering, particularly in the field of polymers and plastics. Sharing many properties and characteristics with the large molecular arrays occurring in nature and in living organisms, these materials are seen in a vast and diverse range of functional applications, spanning from optical materials and optoelectronics to tissue engineering and durable thermoplastics.

It is my pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript to this Special Issue of Molecules, ‘Macromolecular Chemistry in Europe’. We are particularly interested in original research and timely reviews showcasing important concepts and innovative approaches related to the synthetic chemistry and materials science of macromolecular materials.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Macromolecular Synthesis: Including controlled polymerizations and catalysis, post-polymerization modification, new polymer architectures, polymerization mechanisms and kinetics;
  • Thermodynamics and phase behavior: Including dynamic phenomena, ordering-disordering (e.g., self-assembly, gelation, crystallization, phase separation and wetting), nanoassembly;
  • Properties and structure: Including mechanical and rheological properties, viscoelastic media, interfacial/surface characteristics, thin-films, electronic transport properties;
  • Characterization of macromolecular materials: Including novel spectroscopies, crystallography and scattering, microscopy, and rheology;
  • Simulation and theory: Including Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics (MD), and multi-scale/granular modeling;
  • Polymeric materials: Including sustainable polymers, polymer networks, “smart” responsive polymers, electro-, magneto- and opto-active polymers, semiconducting and conducting polymers, micro- and nano-structured polymers, polymer composites, rubbers and elastomers, bio-mimetics and synthetic analogues.

Dr. Chris E. Finlayson
Guest Editor

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. Molecules 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

  • macromolecules
  • synthesis and polymerisation
  • polymer architectures
  • properties and structure
  • functional materials

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 10949 KiB  
Article
Shape Memory Polymer Foam Based on Nanofibrillar Composites of Polylactide/Polyamide
by Dhanumalayan Elumalai, Ramin Hosseinnezhad, Vladislav Bondarenko, Jerzy Morawiec, Iurii Vozniak and Andrzej Galeski
Molecules 2024, 29(21), 5045; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29215045 - 25 Oct 2024
Viewed by 634
Abstract
This paper presents the novel development of a shape memory polymer foam based on polymer–polymer nanocomposites. Herein, polylactide (PLA)/biosourced polyamide (PA) foams are fabricated by in situ fibrillation of polymer blends and a subsequent supercritical CO2 foaming technique. In this system, PLA [...] Read more.
This paper presents the novel development of a shape memory polymer foam based on polymer–polymer nanocomposites. Herein, polylactide (PLA)/biosourced polyamide (PA) foams are fabricated by in situ fibrillation of polymer blends and a subsequent supercritical CO2 foaming technique. In this system, PLA serves as a shape memory polymer to endow this foam with a shape memory effect (SME), and in situ generated PA nanofibers are employed to reinforce the PLA cell walls and provide an additional permanent phase. A concentration of PA, 5 wt.%, was chosen to form an entangled nanofibrillar network. Foams of PLA/PA nanoblends with the same content of constituents were fabricated to reveal the effect of minor phase morphology on the cell structure and shape memory behavior of polymer foams. Profiting from the reinforcing effect of PA nanofibers, the PLA/PA nanocomposite foam exhibits smaller foam cells, a narrower cell size distribution and a comparable cell concentration than the PLA/PA nanoblend foam. In addition, PA nanofibers, unlike PA nanodroplets, favor the shape fixation ratio and recovery ratio and shorten the shape recovery time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Macromolecular Chemistry in Europe)
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19 pages, 3072 KiB  
Article
Tuning Barrier Properties of Low-Density Polyethylene:  Impact of Amorphous Region Nanostructure on Gas Transmission Rate
by Marta Safandowska, Cezary Makarewicz and Artur Rozanski
Molecules 2024, 29(20), 4950; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29204950 - 19 Oct 2024
Viewed by 642
Abstract
This work focused on determining the factors that are of key importance in the oxygen barrier properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). It has been shown that, depending on the type and amount of the low-molecular-weight compound (tetracosane, paraffin wax, paraffin oil) introduced into [...] Read more.
This work focused on determining the factors that are of key importance in the oxygen barrier properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). It has been shown that, depending on the type and amount of the low-molecular-weight compound (tetracosane, paraffin wax, paraffin oil) introduced into the LDPE matrix, it can contribute to the improvement or deterioration of barrier properties. Tetracosane and paraffin wax incorporated into the LDPE matrix caused a reduction in oxygen permeability parameters compared to neat polyethylene. As their content increased, the barrier properties of the samples towards oxygen also increased. A completely opposite effect was achieved with paraffin oil. The results of comprehensive studies provide evidence that in the case of LDPE blends, two mechanisms are responsible for changing/controlling their transport properties. The first mechanism is associated with changes in the molecular packing in the interlamellar amorphous regions, while the second is related to the crystallinity of the samples. In cases where there are no changes in crystallinity, the density of the amorphous phase becomes the decisive factor in barrier properties, as clearly shown by results assessing chain dynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Macromolecular Chemistry in Europe)
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23 pages, 5976 KiB  
Article
Structure–Glass Transition Relationships in Non-Isocyanate Polyhydroxyurethanes
by Konstantinos N. Raftopoulos, Izabela Łukaszewska, Sebastian Lalik, Paulina Zając, Artur Bukowczan, Edyta Hebda, Monika Marzec and Krzysztof Pielichowski
Molecules 2024, 29(17), 4057; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29174057 - 27 Aug 2024
Viewed by 760
Abstract
The molecular dynamics, with an emphasis on the calorimetric and dynamic glass transitions, of non-isocyanate polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs) produced by the equimolar polyaddition of polyether-based dicyclic carbonates (P-CCs) and various short diamines was studied. The diamine component consisted of a short aliphatic diamine (1,4-diaminobutane, [...] Read more.
The molecular dynamics, with an emphasis on the calorimetric and dynamic glass transitions, of non-isocyanate polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs) produced by the equimolar polyaddition of polyether-based dicyclic carbonates (P-CCs) and various short diamines was studied. The diamine component consisted of a short aliphatic diamine (1,4-diaminobutane, DAB) and a more complex ‘characteristic’ diamine. The study was conducted to investigate (i) the chemical structure of the characteristic amine, (ii) its molar ratio, and (iii) the structure and molar mass of the P-CC. Infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and broadband dielectric spectroscopy were employed. The P-CC, constituting the bulk of the systems, was the most crucial component for the glass transition. The characteristic amine influenced the glass transition as a result of its bulky structure, but also presumably as a result of the introduction of free volume and the formation of hydrogen bonds. The dynamic glass transition (α relaxation) trace in the Arrhenius plots showed a subtle change at a certain temperature that merits further study in the future. The charge mobility was fully coupled with the molecular mobility, as evidenced by dc conductivity being directly proportional to the characteristic frequency of α relaxation. The fluctuation in carbonyl units (β relaxation) was mildly affected by changes in their immediate environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Macromolecular Chemistry in Europe)
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Review

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31 pages, 8234 KiB  
Review
Entanglements of Macromolecules and Their Influence on Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Polymers
by Andrzej Pawlak and Justyna Krajenta
Molecules 2024, 29(14), 3410; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29143410 - 20 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1243
Abstract
Flexible macromolecules easily become entangled with neighboring macromolecules. The resulting network determines many polymer properties, including rheological and mechanical properties. Therefore, a number of experimental and modeling studies were performed to describe the relationship between the degree of entanglement of macromolecules and polymer [...] Read more.
Flexible macromolecules easily become entangled with neighboring macromolecules. The resulting network determines many polymer properties, including rheological and mechanical properties. Therefore, a number of experimental and modeling studies were performed to describe the relationship between the degree of entanglement of macromolecules and polymer properties. The introduction presents general information about the entanglements of macromolecule chains, collected on the basis of studies of equilibrium entangled polymers. It is also shown how the density of entanglements can be reduced. The second chapter presents experiments and models leading to the description of the movement of a single macromolecule. The next part of the text discusses how the rheological properties change after partial disentangling of the polymer. The results on the influence of the degree of chain entanglement on mechanical properties are presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Macromolecular Chemistry in Europe)
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