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Core-Shell Structured Polymers

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2018) | Viewed by 59705

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Prof. Dr. Jem-Kun Chen

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Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan
Interests: nanomaterials; nanofibers; polymer composites; surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP); hydrogel; stimuli-responsive polymers; photonics; bio-optical sensors; lithography
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Prof. Dr. Chih-Chia Cheng

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Department of Materials Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan
Interests: polymer materials; supramolecular chemistry; optoelectronic materials; functional biomaterials
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Core-shell structured polymers are currently being exploited in a wide range of disciplines, not only for their unique structures and properties, but also for their potential applications in future generations of nanotechnology and biomedical engineering. By rationally tuning the characteristic sizes and composition of the core-shell structure, the physical properties of polymers can be readily tailored, resulting in efficient and well-controlled formation of core-shell structures with tailorable functional characteristics. This Special Issue of Polymers will attempt to cover recent developments in core-shell polymer materials for a wide range of applications, including photonics, optics, photovoltaics and electronics, imaging and sensing for chemical and biological detection, and biomedical diagnostics and therapeutics.

Of particular interests are the synthesis and characterization of new core-shell polymer nanocomposites, which may provide new insights into their functionality for researchers to obtain desired material properties.

Prof. Jem-Kun Chen
Prof. Chih-Chia Cheng
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Synthesis of core-shell structured polymeric materials
Fundamental characteristics of core-shell structured polymeric materials
Rheological behavior of core-shell structured polymeric materials
Development of polymeric micelles with core-shell structure
Core-shell structures for energy applications
Core-shell structures for light harvesting
Core-shell structures for electronic/optoelectronic applications
Core-shell structures for optics and photonics
Core-shell structures for physical, chemical and biological sensing
Core-shell structures for biomedical applications
Core-shell structures for computational simulations

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 7779 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Study of Tunable Photonic Nanojets Generated by Biocompatible Hydrogel Core-Shell Microspheres for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Applications

by Yu-Jui Wang, Chi-An Dai and Jia-Han Li

Polymers 2019, 11(3), 431; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11030431 - 6 Mar 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3893

Abstract

Core-shell microspheres have been applied in various research areas and, in particular, they are used in the generation of photonic nanojets with suitable design for photonic applications. The photonic nanojet is a narrow and focused high-intensity light beam emitting from the shadow-side of microspheres with tunable effective length, thus enabling its applications in biosensing technology. In this paper, we numerically studied the photonic nanojets brought about from biocompatible hydrogel core-shell microspheres with different optical properties. It was found that the presence of the shell layer can significantly affect the characteristics of the photonic nanojets, such as the focal distance, intensity, effective length, and focal size. Generally speaking, the larger the core-shell microspheres, the longer the focal distance, the stronger the intensity, the longer the effective length, and the larger the focal size of the generated photonic nanojets are. The numerical simulations of the photonic nanojets from the biocompatible core-shell microspheres on a Klarite substrate, which is a classical surface-enhancing Raman scattering substrate, showed that the Raman signals in the case of adding the core-shell microspheres in the system can be further enhanced 23 times in water and 108 times in air as compared in the case in which no core-shell microspheres are present. Our study of using tunable photonic nanojets produced from the biocompatible hydrogel core-shell microspheres shows potential in future biosensing applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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9 pages, 2534 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Application of Conductive Polyaniline-Coated Thermally Expandable Microspheres

by Shou-Zheng Jiao, Zhi-Cheng Sun, Fu-Rong Li, Mei-Jia Yan, Mei-Juan Cao, Dong-Sheng Li, Yan Liu and Lu-Hai Li

Polymers 2019, 11(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11010022 - 24 Dec 2018

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6072

Abstract

The thermally expandable microspheres (TEMs) were prepared through suspension polymerization with acrylonitrile (AN), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methyl acrylate (MA) as the main monomers. Simultaneously, iso-pentane, n-hexane, iso-octane and other low-boiling hydrocarbons were prepared as blowing agents under two conditions, including high-pressure nitrogen and atmospheric conditions. The above physical foaming microspheres have a core-shell structure and excellent foaming effects. A layer of polyaniline (PANI) was deposited on the surface of the prepared TEMs by emulsion polymerization to obtain conductive and heat-expandable microspheres. Afterwards, the foaming ink was prepared by mixing the conductive TEMs and water-based ink. Finally, a conductive three-dimensional picture was obtained by screen-printing technology. This paper specifically focuses on the effects of particle size, morphology and the thermal expansion properties of the microspheres. The present research methods expect to obtain microspheres with a high foaming ratio, uniform particle size and antistatic properties, which may be applied to physical foaming ink. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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18 pages, 10215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tailoring Performance, Damping, and Surface Properties of Magnetorheological Elastomers via Particle-Grafting Technology

by Martin Cvek, Miroslav Mrlik, Jakub Sevcik and Michal Sedlacik

Polymers 2018, 10(12), 1411; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10121411 - 19 Dec 2018

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3943

Abstract

A novel concept based on advanced particle-grafting technology to tailor performance, damping, and surface properties of the magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) is introduced. In this work, the carbonyl iron (CI) particles grafted with poly(trimethylsilyloxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMATMS) of two different molecular weights were prepared via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization and the relations between the PHEMATMS chain lengths and the MREs properties were investigated. The results show that the magnetorheological performance and damping capability were remarkably influenced by different interaction between polydimethylsiloxane chains as a matrix and PHEMATMS grafts due to their different length. The MRE containing CI grafted with PHEMATMS of higher molecular weight exhibited a greater plasticizing effect and hence both a higher relative magnetorheological effect and enhanced damping capability were observed. Besides bulk MRE properties, the PHEMATMS modifications influenced also field-induced surface activity of the MRE sheets, which manifested as notable changes in surface roughness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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13 pages, 6837 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Poly(methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate)/Perfluorosilyl Methacrylate Core-Shell Nanoparticles: Novel Approach for Optimization of Coating Process

by Jun-Won Kook, Yongsoo Kim, Kiseob Hwang, Jung Hyun Kim and Jun-Young Lee

Polymers 2018, 10(11), 1186; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10111186 - 24 Oct 2018

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6224

Abstract

In this study, the coating order of two monomers in the shell polymerization process of core-shell nanoparticles was altered to facilitate easy coating and optimize the properties of the coated surface to simplify the additional coating formulation process. To obtain a glass transition temperature suitable for coating, a core was synthesized by the copolymerization of an acryl monomer. A perfluoro monomer and silane monomer were additionally added to synthesize nanoparticles exhibiting both water–oil repellency and anchoring properties. In order to realize various surface properties, the nanoparticles underwent surface modification and cellulose fiber was introduced. Through the various data described in this text, the surface properties improved with the order of the introduction of the two monomers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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18 pages, 4838 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Core-Shell Morphology on the Mechanical Properties and Crystallization Behavior of HDPE/HDPE-g-MA/PA6 Ternary Blends

by Lien Zhu, Haoming Wang, Meihua Liu, Zheng Jin and Kai Zhao

Polymers 2018, 10(9), 1040; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10091040 - 19 Sep 2018

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5193

Abstract

In this paper, the high-density polyethylene/maleic anhydride grafted high-density polyethylene/polyamide 6 (HDPE/HDPE-g-MA/PA6) ternary blends were prepared by blend melting. The binary dispersed phase (HDPE-g-MA/PA6) is of a core-shell structure, which is confirmed by the SEM observation and theoretical calculation. The crystallization behavior and mechanical properties of PA6, HDPE-g-MA, HDPE, and their blends were investigated. The crystallization process, crystallization temperature, melting temperature, and crystallinity were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) testing. The results show that PA6 and HDPE-g-MA interact with each other during crystallizing, and their crystallization behaviors are different when the composition is different. At the same time, the addition of core-shell particles (HDPE-g-MA/PA6) can affect the crystallization behavior of the HDPE matrix. With the addition of the core-shell particles, the comprehensive mechanical properties of HDPE were enhanced, including tensile strength, elastic modulus, and the impact strength. Combined with previous studies, the toughening mechanism of core-shell structure is discussed in detail. The mechanism of the core-shell structure toughening is not only one, but the result of a variety of mechanisms together. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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13 pages, 3472 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis and Performances of Phase Change Microcapsules with a Polymer/Diatomite Hybrid Shell for Thermal Energy Storage

by Yanli Sun, Rui Wang, Xing Liu, Erqing Dai, Bo Li, Shu Fang and Danyang Li

Polymers 2018, 10(6), 601; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10060601 - 30 May 2018

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4315

Abstract

The mechanical behavior of phase-change microcapsules (microPCMs) is of vital significance for practical applications in thermal energy storage. Hence, a new type of microPCMs based on an n-octadecane (C18) core and a melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF)/diatomite hybrid shell was developed through in situ polymerization. Based on SEM micrographs, most microPCMs exhibited a nearly spherical and smooth microstructure, with broadened particle size distributions. It was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) that successful polymerization of diatomite into the microPCMs occurred, and that additional diatomite had no effect on the core coated by the shell. In addition, the results of the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) demonstrated that the mechanical properties of the microPCMs were remarkably improved by the addition of a moderate amount of diatomite, but that the heat enthalpy and encapsulated efficiency (η) decreased slightly. The incorporation of 2 wt % diatomite resulted in the average Young’s modulus of microPCMs, which was 1.64 times greater than those of microPCMs without diatomite. Furthermore, the melting and crystallization enthalpies and the encapsulated efficiency of the microPCMs were as high as 237.6 J/g, 234.4 J/g and 77.90%, respectively. The microPCMs with a polymer/diatomite hybrid shell may become the potential materials in the application of thermal energy storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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15 pages, 2814 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation of Functionalized Magnetic Fe₃O₄@Au@polydopamine Nanocomposites and Their Application for Copper(II) Removal

by Yanxia Li, Lu Huang, Wenxuan He, Yiting Chen and Benyong Lou

Polymers 2018, 10(6), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10060570 - 23 May 2018

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5417

Abstract

Polydopamine (PDA) displays many striking properties of naturally occurring melanin in optics, electricity, and biocompatibility. Another valuable feature of polydopamine lies in its chemical structure that incorporates many functional groups such as amine, catechol and imine. In this study, a nanocomposite of magnetic Fe₃O₄@Au@polydopamine nanopaticles (Fe₃O₄@Au@ PDA MNPs) was synthesized. Carboxyl functionalized Fe₃O₄@Au nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully embedded in a layer of PDA through dopamine oxypolymerization in alkaline solution. Through the investigation of adsorption behavior to Cu(II), combined with high sensitive electrochemical detection, the as-prepared magnetic nanocomposites (MNPs) have been successfully applied in the separation and analysis of Cu(II). The experimental parameters of temperature, Cu(II) concentration and pH were optimized. Results showed that the as-prepared MNPs can reach saturation adsorption after adsorbing 2 h in neutral environment. Furthermore, the as-prepared MNPs can be easily regenerated by temperature control and exhibits a good selectivity compared to other metal ions. The prepared Fe₃O₄@Au@PDA MNPs are expected to act as a kind of adsorbent for Cu(II) deep removal from contaminated waters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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15 pages, 26414 KiB

Open AccessArticle

pH-Sensitive Micelles Based on Star Copolymer Ad-(PCL-b-PDEAEMA-b-PPEGMA)₄ for Controlled Drug Delivery

by Huiyan Yang, Jianwei Guo, Rui Tong, Chufen Yang and Jem-Kun Chen

Polymers 2018, 10(4), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10040443 - 14 Apr 2018

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5548

Abstract

Enhancing drug loading efficacy and stability of polymeric micelles remains a grand challenge. Here we develop adamantane-based star copolymers adamantane-[poly(ε-caprolactone)-b-poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)]₄ (Ad-(PCL-b-PDEAEMA-b-PPEGMA)₄) and their self-assembled micelles for controlled drug delivery. Results show that the polymers have excellent stability in solution with low critical micelle concentration (CMC) (0.0025–0.0034 mg/mL) and the apparent base dissociation constant (pK_b) of the polymers is from 5.31 to 6.05. Dynamic light scattering analysis exhibits the great environmental response capability of the pH-sensitive micelles according to particle sizes and zeta potentials. With the synergy effect of the adamantane and hydrophobic block, the micelles display the high Doxorubicin (DOX) loading efficacy (up to 22.4%). The DOX release study shows that the micelles are capable of controlled release for drug. This work indicates the Ad-(PCL-b-PDEAEMA-b-PPEGMA)₄ micelles may provide new guidelines for drug control and release system in overcoming cancer treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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14 pages, 14702 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of an Efficient S/N-Based Flame Retardant and Its Application in Polycarbonate

by Weiqiu Wen, Jianwei Guo, Xi Zhao, Xiong Li, Hongmei Yang and Jem-Kun Chen

Polymers 2018, 10(4), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10040441 - 14 Apr 2018

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5091

Abstract

Considering the poor compatibility and water-resistance of sulfonate flame retardants for polycarbonate (PC), an efficient S/N-based flame retardant named 1,3,5,7-tetrakis(phenyl-4-sulfonyl-melamine)adamantane (ASN) has been developed. Fire properties studies of PC/ASN blends indicate that the addition of 0.10 wt % ASN imparts a V-0 rating and a limited oxygen index (LOI) value of 30.1% to PC specimens, and ASN can suppress the heat and toxic gas release of PC composites. Additionally, PC/ASN blends are believed to be exceptional materials for outdoor PC applications due to their superior water-resistance properties. Moreover, mechanical properties were further systematically investigated, and the correlative results indicate that the tensile strength and rigidity of specimens are improved with the addition of ASN. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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14 pages, 2495 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis, Characterization and Drug Loading of Multiresponsive p[NIPAm-co-PEGMA] (core)/p[NIPAm-co-AAc] (Shell) Nanogels with Monodisperse Size Distributions

by Rajesh Raju, Sulalit Bandyopadhyay, Anuvansh Sharma, Susana Villa Gonzalez, Per Henning Carlsen, Odd Reidar Gautun and Wilhelm Robert Glomm

Polymers 2018, 10(3), 309; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10030309 - 13 Mar 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 6861

Abstract

We report the synthesis and properties of temperature- and pH-responsive p([NIPAm-co-PEGMA] (core)/[NIPAm-co-AAc] (shell)) nanogels with narrow size distributions, tunable sizes and increased drug loading efficiencies. The core-shell nanogels were synthesized using an optimized two-stage seeded polymerization methodology. The core-shell nanogels show a narrow size distribution and controllable physico-chemical properties. The hydrodynamic sizes, charge distributions, temperature-induced volume phase transition behaviors, pH-responsive behaviors and drug loading capabilities of the core-shell nanogels were investigated using transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential measurements, dynamic light scattering and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The size of the core-shell nanogels was controlled by polymerizing NIPAm with crosslinker poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) of different molecular weights (M_n-200, 400, 550 and 750 g/mol) during the core synthesis. It was found that the swelling/deswelling kinetics of the nanogels was sharp and reversible; with its volume phase transition temperature in the range of 40–42 °C. Furthermore, the nanogels loaded with l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), using a modified breathing-in mechanism, showed high loading and encapsulation efficiencies, providing potential possibilities of such nanogels for biomedical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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13 pages, 3230 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Electrosprayed Core–Shell Composite Microbeads Based on Pectin-Arabinoxylans for Insulin Carrying: Aggregation and Size Dispersion Control

by Agustín Rascón-Chu, Jonathan A. Díaz-Baca, Elizabeth Carvajal-Millan, Elías Pérez-López, Arland T. Hotchkiss, Humberto González-Ríos, Rene Balandrán-Quintana and Alma C. Campa-Mada

Polymers 2018, 10(2), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10020108 - 23 Jan 2018

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5716

Abstract

Aggregation and coalescence are major drawbacks that contribute to polydispersity in microparticles and nanoparticles fabricated from diverse biopolymers. This study presents the evaluation of a novel method for the direct, electrospray-induced fabrication of small, CaCl₂/ethanol-hardened low methoxy pectin/arabinoxylans composite microbeads. The electrospray method was evaluated to control particle size by adjusting voltage, flux, and crosslinking solution content of CaCl₂/ethanol. A bead diameter of 1µm was set as reference to test the capability of this method. Insulin was chosen as a model carried molecule. Statistical analysis was a central composite rotatable design (CCRD) with a factorial arrangement of 2⁴. The variables studied were magnitude and particle size dispersion. For the determination of these variables, light diffraction techniques, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used. Major interaction was found for ethanol and CaCl₂ as well as flow and voltage. Stable spherical structures of core–shell beads were obtained with neither aggregation nor coalescence for all treatments where ethanol was included in the crosslinking solution, and the average diameter within 1 ± 0.024 μm for 11 KV, 75% ethanol with 11% CaCl₂, and flow of 0.97 mL/h. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Core-Shell Structured Polymers)

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