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The Frontier of Self-Assembled Polymers and Dendronized Polymers-Based Smart Materials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 August 2022) | Viewed by 15589

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Center of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewicza 112, 90-363 Lodz, Poland
Interests: hydrogel; drug delivery system; hyperbranched amphiphilic polymers; supramolecular interactions; reversible covalent bonds; dynamic networks

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Guest Editor
Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Science, Niezapominajek 8, 30-239 Cracow, Poland
Interests: protein adsorption; mechanisms of protein adsorption; stability of biocolloidal suspensions; adsorption of biocolloidal particles; streaming potential; biosensors
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The self-assembling process of polymers based on reversible interactions, i.e., both supramolecular and reversible covalent bonds, leads to the formation of stimuli-responsive materials. The character of interactions strictly determines the properties of generated materials and their destined application. Depending on the structural characteristics of used macromolecules, i.e., the architecture, the character of binding sites and their number, etc., such materials as micelles, vesicles, fibers, and gel systems can be obtained. The construction of materials based on reversible linkages gives us a useful tool to govern the properties of the materials, thus finding a wide variety of applications for them in the area of biosensors, drug delivery systems, etc.

This Special Issue is devoted to the most recent research focused on the routes of stimuli-responsive materials formation for biomedical and biosensing applications based on self-assembled polymers of different topology, i.e., linear, block, dendronized, and hyperbranched. All the structural aspects of stimuli-responsive polymer-based materials, the determination of the relationship between the structural characteristics of applied macromolecules and the properties of obtained material, as well as recent advances in the synthetic routes of materials based on self-assembled polymers are of interest. Both original contributions and comprehensive reviews are welcome.

Dr. Monika Gosecka
Dr. Monika Wasilewska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Polymers 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

  • supramolecular interactions
  • reversible covalent bonds
  • self-assembled constructs
  • stimuli-responsive polymer materials
  • linear polymers
  • block polymers
  • dendrimer
  • hyperbranched polymers
  • drug delivery systems
  • sensors
  • hydrogel
  • organogel
  • rheological properties
  • injectable systems
  • self-healing

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

37 pages, 14605 KiB  
Review
Self-Healing Silsesquioxane-Based Materials
by Maria Nowacka and Anna Kowalewska
Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1869; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14091869 - 2 May 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5412
Abstract
This review is devoted to self-healing materials (SHM) containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) as building blocks. The synthetic approach can vary depending on the role POSS are expected to play in a given system. POSS (especially double-decker silsesquioxanes) can be grafted in side [...] Read more.
This review is devoted to self-healing materials (SHM) containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) as building blocks. The synthetic approach can vary depending on the role POSS are expected to play in a given system. POSS (especially double-decker silsesquioxanes) can be grafted in side chains of a polymer backbone or used as segments of the main chain. Appropriate functionalization allows the formation of dynamic bonds with POSS molecules and makes them an active component of SHM, both as crosslinking agents and as factors that enhance the dynamics of macromolecules in the polymer matrix. The latter effect can be achieved by reversible release of bulky POSS cages or by the formation of separated inclusions in the polymer matrix through hydrophobic interactions and POSS aggregation. The unique properties of POSS-based self-healing systems make them interesting and versatile materials for various applications (e.g., repairable coatings, sealants, sensors, soft materials for tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing). Full article
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29 pages, 4065 KiB  
Review
Boronic Acid Esters and Anhydrates as Dynamic Cross-Links in Vitrimers
by Mateusz Gosecki and Monika Gosecka
Polymers 2022, 14(4), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14040842 - 21 Feb 2022
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 9491
Abstract
Growing environmental awareness imposes on polymer scientists the development of novel materials that show a longer lifetime and that can be easily recycled. These challenges were largely met by vitrimers, a new class of polymers that merges properties of thermoplastics and thermosets. This [...] Read more.
Growing environmental awareness imposes on polymer scientists the development of novel materials that show a longer lifetime and that can be easily recycled. These challenges were largely met by vitrimers, a new class of polymers that merges properties of thermoplastics and thermosets. This is achieved by the incorporation of dynamic covalent bonds into the polymer structure, which provides high stability at the service temperature, but enables the processing at elevated temperatures. Numerous types of dynamic covalent bonds have been utilized for the synthesis of vitrimers. Amongst them, boronic acid-based linkages, namely boronic acid esters and boroxines, are distinguished by their quick exchange kinetics and the possibility of easy application in various polymer systems, from commercial thermoplastics to low molecular weight thermosetting resins. This review covers the development of dynamic cross-links. This review is aimed at providing the state of the art in the utilization of boronic species for the synthesis of covalent adaptable networks. We mainly focus on the synthetic aspects of boronic linkages-based vitrimers construction. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives are provided. Full article
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