https://phys.org/chemistry-news/polymers en-us The latest science news on polymers Researchers have created a new class of materials called "glassy gels" that are very hard and difficult to break despite containing more than 50% liquid. Coupled with the fact that glassy gels are simple to produce, the material holds promise for a variety of applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-class-materials-glassy-gels.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news637944781 Chemical sensors whose signals can be amplified by various triggers hold huge potential in multidisciplinary sciences. However, developing such systems was considered a highly challenging task, until a team of researchers from Tokyo Tech recently came up with a novel signal-amplification system that can be flexibly manipulated by a dynamic allosteric effector or a trigger. This new chemosensor system exhibited exceptional signal amplification by altering the sumanene monomer concentrations. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-amplification-chemosensors-flexibly-allosteric-trigger.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:33:02 EDT news638011978 When two solutions of oppositely charged polymers (polyelectrolytes) are mixed, phase separation occurs and leads to the formation of a polymer-rich phase and a supernatant phase. The precise distribution of all components, that is polyelectrolytes and counterions, had not yet been determined. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-nmr-spectroscopy-polyelectrolyte-century.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Mon, 17 Jun 2024 13:00:03 EDT news637848002 An international research team led by Dr. Florian Auras from Dresden University of Technology (TUD) has succeeded in developing a new type of material in the rather young research field of covalent organic frameworks. The new two-dimensional polymer is characterized by the fact that its properties can be controlled in a targeted and reversible manner. This has brought the researchers a step closer to the goal of realizing switchable quantum states. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-2d-polymer-scientists-closer-switchable.html Polymers Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:29:20 EDT news637846157 In the movie "Jurassic Park," scientists extracted DNA that had been preserved in amber for millions of years, and used it to create a population of long-extinct dinosaurs. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-dna-amber-polymer-method.html Biochemistry Polymers Thu, 13 Jun 2024 09:28:04 EDT news637489681 Is the quest for the perfect top notes responsible for some of the world's most influential scientific discoveries? A new article in the journal Isis argues that fragrance research has stimulated scientific endeavor for over a century, but that its contributions have been overlooked due to perfume's stigma as a frivolous, feminine luxury. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-atomizer-history-perfume-century-scientific.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Wed, 05 Jun 2024 15:09:33 EDT news636818970 Researchers from the Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI), together with international collaborators, have pioneered a novel method for creating thin, energy-converting membranes that mimic the structure and function of biological cell membranes. This discovery could have significant applications in fields ranging from implantable artificial electric organs to water desalination. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-method-biomimetic-membranes-solutions-energy.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 05 Jun 2024 11:59:03 EDT news636807541 Proteins are vital biomolecules responsible for performing various functions in the human body and are thus regarded as the workhorses of a cell. The primary structure of a protein is composed of different amino acids coming together. The structure so formed then undergoes protein folding, a process by which a protein acquires its characteristic and functional three-dimensional configuration. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-zwitterionic-polymers-safer-drugs-disease.html Biochemistry Polymers Thu, 30 May 2024 12:21:41 EDT news636290497 Growing concern about data theft and counterfeiting has inspired increasingly sophisticated security technologies, like hologram seals, that can help verify the authenticity of currency, passports and other important documents. However, as security technologies evolve, so do the techniques criminals use to get past them. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-anti-counterfeit-technique-reactive-images.html Polymers Materials Science Thu, 30 May 2024 12:19:02 EDT news636290341 There is an old saying in the biorefining industry that "You can make anything from lignin, except money." This bio-based compound is abundant and full of potential, but commercializing it remains a challenge. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-strategy-leverages-lignin-condensation-biomass.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 29 May 2024 12:23:02 EDT news636204181 A pair of new University of Alberta studies show how to make firefighters' clothing safer to wear, maintain and manufacture. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-firefighters-safer.html Polymers Materials Science Mon, 27 May 2024 13:30:10 EDT news636035407 Plastic pollution presents a global challenge that must be solved. In particular, packaging accounts for 30–50% of the total plastic consumption. While paper packaging is eco-friendly, it lacks crucial functionalities like moisture resistance and strength. Traditional coating materials exacerbate plastic pollution, prompting the need for sustainable alternatives. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-sustainable-high-paper-coating-material.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 22 May 2024 13:32:03 EDT news635603521 Engineers have modeled a new way to recycle polystyrene that could become the first viable way of making the material reusable. The chemical method identified to tackle hard-to-recycle packaging material, cutting landfill waste https://phys.org/news/2024-05-polystyrene-recycling-world-economical-energy.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Wed, 22 May 2024 11:56:03 EDT news635597761 Researchers in Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Chemistry have developed a nucleic-acid-based photocatalyst that can precisely control atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), a popular method used to generate a wide range of materials with highly specific, tailored functionalities. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-chemists-nucleic-acid-dyes-photocatalysts.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 22 May 2024 10:36:03 EDT news635592961 Figuring out a better way to connect nerve cells to bioelectronics will be the next technological leap in health care, and the Neurobiological Interfaces Lab at Binghamton University is at the forefront of research on the topic. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-hydrogel-chemistry-microfabrication-miniaturize-components.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 21 May 2024 15:30:43 EDT news635524240 Researchers at Virginia Tech are exploring processes that might greatly increase the recycling of one of the world's most-produced plastics. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-chemical-recycle-common-plastic.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Mon, 20 May 2024 15:17:04 EDT news635437022 Fire ants form rafts to survive flooding, but how do those bonds work? And what can we learn from them? A Binghamton University, State University of New York professor is researching those questions to expand our knowledge of materials science. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-ants-materials.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Wed, 15 May 2024 15:52:33 EDT news635007147 A new type of recyclable resin, made from biosourced materials, has been designed for use in 3D printing applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-bio-based-resins-recyclable-future.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 15 May 2024 11:00:01 EDT news634981321 Researchers who want to bridge the divide between biology and technology spend a lot of time thinking about translating between the two different "languages" of those realms. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-electrochemical-transistors-scientists-chemical-mystery.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Tue, 30 Apr 2024 14:22:04 EDT news633705721 High refractive index polymers (HRIPs) are essential for manufacturing modern optoelectronic devices, including displays and light sensors. However, high-performance HRIPs are expensive and environmentally unfriendly. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-high-refractive-index-polymers-sustainable.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:40:23 EDT news633696018 What if there was plastic-like material that could absorb excess nutrients from water and be used as a fertilizer when it decomposes? That product—a "bioplastic" material—has been created by University of Saskatchewan (USask) chemistry professor Dr. Lee Wilson and his research team, as detailed in a paper recently published in RSC Sustainability. The research team includes Ph.D. candidate Bernd G. K. Steiger, BSc student Nam Bui and postdoctoral fellow trainee Bolanle M. Babalola. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-eggshell-bioplastic-pellet-sustainable-alternative.html Biochemistry Polymers Tue, 23 Apr 2024 15:12:04 EDT news633103922 Scientists and engineers have developed a new coating for plastic particles that are used in 3D printing, which significantly increases their functionality and opens up new possibilities for commercial application. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-plastic-coating-discovery-greater-functionality.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:53:14 EDT news632569990 Innovative electronics is one of the many applications of modern plastics. Some recent research efforts have used plastic to improve the color realism of display technologies. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-plastic-versatile-sensors-electronic-displays.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Mon, 15 Apr 2024 11:53:43 EDT news632400821 In a new paper published in JACS Au, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign analyzed the effects of solvation and ion valency on metallopolymers, with implications for critical materials recovery and recycling, and environmental remediation. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-effects-solvation-ion-valency-metallopolymers.html Polymers Materials Science Sat, 13 Apr 2024 06:54:33 EDT news632210008 Modern life relies on plastic. This lightweight, adaptable product is a cornerstone of packaging, medical equipment, the aerospace and automotive industries and more. But plastic waste remains a problem as it degrades in landfills and pollutes oceans. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-co8322-biomass-path-environmentally-friendly.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:51:03 EDT news631986661 In a new breakthrough that could revolutionize medical and material engineering, scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind molecular device that controls the release of multiple small molecules using force. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-molecular-device-potential-drug-delivery.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 10 Apr 2024 11:00:02 EDT news631958101 Shuffling across the carpet to zap a friend may be the oldest trick in the book, but on a deep level that prank still mystifies scientists, even after thousands of years of study. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-science-static-jolted-21st-century.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Wed, 10 Apr 2024 10:29:31 EDT news631963768 Engineered bacteria can produce a plastic modifier that makes renewably sourced plastic more processable, more fracture-resistant and highly biodegradable even in seawater. The Kobe University development provides a platform for the industrial-scale, tunable production of a material that holds great potential for turning the plastic industry green. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-microbial-plastic-factory-high-quality.html Biochemistry Polymers Tue, 09 Apr 2024 20:00:01 EDT news631896541 A new development in biomedical research could open the door to a variety of new applications: Scientists at the University of Bayreuth have found that certain polymers, called polyanions, can penetrate cells in a unique way without causing damage. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-polymers-interaction-cells.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 03 Apr 2024 11:40:03 EDT news631363201 Hydrogels are popular for use in skin ailments and tissue engineering. These polymer-based biocompatible materials are useful for their abilities to retain water, deliver drugs into wounds, and biodegrade. However, they are complicated to manufacture and not very resilient to external forces like rubbing against clothing, sheets, or wound dressings. They are also not inherently able to battle bacterial infections, so they are often infused with antimicrobial drugs or metal ions, which can cause antibiotic resistance and negative effects on cell growth. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-wound-treatment-hydrogel-infused-amino.html Biochemistry Polymers Tue, 02 Apr 2024 11:00:02 EDT news631266198