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        <title>Frontiers in Soft Matter | Polymers section | New and Recent Articles</title>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/soft-matter/sections/polymers</link>
        <description>RSS Feed for Polymers section in the Frontiers in Soft Matter journal | New and Recent Articles</description>
        <language>en-us</language>
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        <pubDate>2026-05-03T18:41:59.947+00:00</pubDate>
        <ttl>60</ttl>
        <item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2026.1757443</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2026.1757443</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Sulfidic crosslinks in EPM: a strategy for advanced flexible EPM composites]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-01-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Arshad Rahman Parathodika</author><author>Kinsuk Naskar</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Ethylene–propylene rubber (EPM) is a fully saturated elastomer, which prevents its crosslinking by conventional accelerated sulfur curing that requires unsaturation. In this study, a hybrid curing approach is introduced to generate sulfidic crosslinks in EPM. The method combines organic peroxide curing with sulfur-based vulcanization. Peroxide generates radicals on the EPM backbone and forms macro radicals, which can be captured by sulfur species, forming sulfur macroradicals that couple either with each other or with other EPM macro radicals to create alkyl-alkyl sulfidic crosslinks in EPM. Alongside these, the system also contains conventional alkyl–alkyl carbon crosslinks generated by peroxide. While carbon–carbon crosslinks impart excellent thermal stability and compression set resistance in EPM, they often limit flexibility and tear strength. The incorporation of sulfidic crosslinks alongside peroxide-derived linkages enhances flexibility and stress strain performance without sacrificing high temperature capability. This hybrid curing route thus provides a promising strategy for developing advanced flexible EPM composites for applications demanding contradictory property requirements and higher thermal ratings than EPDM.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2024.1402702</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2024.1402702</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Using QSAR to predict polymer-drug interactions for drug delivery]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-07-29T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Alison W. Xin</author><author>Edgardo Rivera-Delgado</author><author>Horst A. von Recum</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Affinity-mediated drug delivery utilizes electrostatic, hydrophobic, or other non-covalent interactions between molecules and a polymer to extend the timeframe of drug release. Cyclodextrin polymers exhibit affinity interaction, however, experimentally testing drug candidates for affinity is time-consuming, making computational predictions more effective. One option, docking programs, provide predictions of affinity, but lack reliability, as their accuracy with cyclodextrin remains unverified experimentally. Alternatively, quantitative structure-activity relationship models (QSARs), which analyze statistical relationships between molecular properties, appear more promising. Previously constructed QSARs for cyclodextrin are not publicly available, necessitating an openly accessible model. Around 600 experimental affinities between cyclodextrin and guest molecules were cleaned and imported from published research. The software PaDEL-Descriptor calculated over 1,000 chemical descriptors for each molecule, which were then analyzed with R to create several QSARs with different statistical methods. These QSARs proved highly time efficient, calculating in minutes what docking programs could accomplish in hours. Additionally, on test sets, QSARs reached R2 values of around 0.7–0.8. The speed, accuracy, and accessibility of these QSARs improve evaluation of individual drugs and facilitate screening of large datasets for potential candidates in cyclodextrin affinity-based delivery systems. An app was built to rapidly access model predictions for end users using the Shiny library. To demonstrate the usability for drug release planning, the QSAR predictions were coupled with a mechanistic model of diffusion within the app. Integrating new modules should provide an accessible approach to use other cheminformatic tools in the field of drug delivery.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2024.1417643</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2024.1417643</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Editorial: Editors’ showcase 2023: polymers]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-05-15T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Editorial</category>
        <author>Kay Saalwächter</author>
        <description></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2024.1345791</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2024.1345791</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Real-time tracking of curing process of an epoxy adhesive by X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-04-09T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Leonidas Tsapatsaris</author><author>Lutz Wiegart</author><author>Stanislas Petrash</author><author>Tobias Baumeister</author><author>Thomas Engels</author><author>Maya Endoh</author><author>Tadanori Koga</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Introduction: Cross-linkable polymers are in widespread use in a variety of industries because of their thermomechanical toughness, chemical resistance, and adhesive strength. But traditional methods to characterize these materials are insufficient for fully capturing the complex chemical and physical mechanisms of the crosslinking reaction. In this study, in situ X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) was used to investigate the crosslinking kinetics of a two-component epoxy resin adhesive.Materials and methods: With XPCS, we tracked the temporally resolved dynamics of silica filler particles, which served as probes of the internal dynamics of the thermoset network and allowed us to study the crosslinking process. The epoxy was cured isothermally at 40 °C and 80 °C to study the effects of curing temperature on the epoxy’s crosslinking reaction. XPCS results were compared to dielectric analysis (DEA) results, to demonstrate the similarities between a traditional technique and XPCS, and highlight the additional information gained with XPCS.Results and discussion: The epoxy resin was found to be highly sensitive to temperature. The epoxy samples exhibited different relaxation processes depending on isothermal cure temperature, indicating a complex relationship between applied temperature and the development of stress/relaxation conditions associated with formation of the thermoset network. Heating to the isothermal temperature setpoint at the start of curing promoted gelation, but the vitrification process was not completed during the isothermal curing stage. Instead, cooling the sample to room temperature facilitated the final vitrification process. This paper contextualizes this epoxy’s results within the broader field of thermoset study via XPCS, and advocates for XPCS as a fundamental technique for the study of complex polymers.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2024.1379816</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2024.1379816</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Water dynamics in solutions of linear poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) studied by 2H NMR field-cycling relaxometry]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-03-21T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Christoph Säckel</author><author>Regine von Klitzing</author><author>Renée Siegel</author><author>Jürgen Senker</author><author>Michael Vogel</author>
        <description><![CDATA[We use 2H nuclear magnetic resonance to study the dynamics of deuterated water in a solution of linear poly (N-isopropyl acrylamide) (pNIPAM, 4 wt%) across its coil-to-globule transition at a lower critical solubility temperature (LCST) around 32°C. In agreement with previous studies, we find that the 2H spin-lattice (T1) and, in particular, spin-spin (T2) relaxation times abruptly decrease when heating through the LCST, indicating that the polymer collapse causes an emergence of a water fraction with strongly reduced mobility. To quantify the dynamics of this slow water fraction, we exploit the fact that 2H field-cycling relaxometry allows us to measure the spectral density of the water reorientation in a broad frequency range. We find that the slow water fraction is characterised by a broad logarithmic Gaussian distribution of correlation times (σLG = 2.3), which is centred about τLG ≈ 10–9 s near the LCST. Hence, the common assumption of a Debye spectral density does not apply. We argue that a minor water fraction, which is located inside the pNIPAM globules and shows dynamics governed by the disordered polymer matrix, accompanies a major water fraction with bulk-like dynamics above the LCST. The former fraction amounts to about 0.4 water molecules per NIPAM monomer. Several findings indicate fast exchange between these bound and free water fractions on the T1 and T2 time scales.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2024.1354122</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2024.1354122</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Monitoring the micellar packing of photo-crosslinkable Pluronic F127 dimethacrylate during 3D printing]]></title>
        <pubdate>2024-03-06T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Mateus P. Bomediano</author><author>Laura C. E. da Silva</author><author>Pablo Mota-Santiago</author><author>Marcelo G. de Oliveira</author><author>Tomás S. Plivelic</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Pluronic F127 dimethacrylate (F127-DM) inks exhibit potential for 3D printing biomaterials due to their combined gelation and photo-crosslinking capabilities. Previous studies have explored their application in extrusion 3D printing of medical devices, relying on their long-range micellar ordering to impart mechanical stability, stretchability, and control over drug delivery. However, there is a lack of information regarding the impact of the extrusion and photo-crosslinking processes on the micellar ordering of F127-DM. Herein, we employed in operando 3D printing synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to analyze the influence of various printing parameters, including nozzle shape, nozzle size, extrusion rate, ink composition, and photo-crosslinking, on the micellar ordering of F127-DM. Our findings from 2D SAXS patterns indicate orientation of the micellar packing clusters along the flow direction. The nozzle diameter and shape emerged as crucial parameters, leading to increased disruption of long-range ordering. Furthermore, 1D SAXS curves during UV-Vis light exposure and photo-crosslinking revealed a partial preservation of the micellar packing structure, with cluster size reduction, and coexisting with randomly distributed micelles and unimers. These results underscore the importance of in operando synchrotron experiments for the systematic study of 3D printing parameters from a nanostructure perspective.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1253929</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1253929</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Polymer materials—challenges and hope]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-11-02T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Mini Review</category>
        <author>Marek Kowalczuk</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Polymer materials play an important role in various aspects of our lives. Most of them are solid, therefore, the key importance of such polymeric materials is related to their versatility, lightness, economy, durability and strength, corrosion resistance, electrical and thermal insulation (except conductive polymers), appropriate interface between the body and medical devices, and as well as design flexibility. In general, the importance of polymeric materials lies in their versatile properties, cost-effectiveness, and applicability in a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, electronics, healthcare, construction, packaging, and more. The purpose of this mini-review is to encourage future authors to submit outstanding contributions related to various aspects and frontiers of polymeric materials in the years to come.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1221803</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1221803</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Constraining effects on polymer chain relaxation in crosslinked supramolecular dual networks]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-07-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Jasper Feng</author><author>Jürgen Allgaier</author><author>Margarita Kruteva</author><author>Stephan Förster</author><author>Wim Pyckhout-Hintzen</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Polymer networks containing transient physical and permanent chemical cross-links exhibit unique mechanical properties due to the intrinsic reassociating ability of supramolecular functional groups. Similar to supramolecular gels, these networks allow the controlled release of stored energy and can extend the life of polymer networks in practical applications. In this study, we investigated the rheology, dielectric spectroscopy, stress–strain behavior, and dynamic mechanical analysis of networks based on long polybutylene oxide (PBO) chains functionalized with randomly placed thymine (Thy) side groups. A transient network was formed by proportionally mixing this matrix with short non-entangled linear 1,3,5-diaminotriazine (DAT) head–tail modified PBO chains, exploiting the hetero-complementarity of the DAT–Thy triple hydrogen bond. This transient polymer network was further cross-linked to a dual network via a thiol-ene click reaction to form static covalent bonds. In PBO, the similar polarity of the PBO matrix and the DAT–Thy functional groups ensures that the molecular chain motion is not affected by segregation, resulting in a homogeneous polymer phase without microphase-separated functional group domains. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy was combined with rheology to quantify the relaxation processes of the interconnected polymers and the strength of the DAT–Thy bonding interactions in the melt. The results showed two distinct plateaux in the relaxation modulus due to contributions from hydrogen and permanent bonds. In the case of the dual network, the lifetime of the hydrogen bond was prolonged and higher activation energy was observed due to the physical cross-link preventing the movement of the long chain.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1208777</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1208777</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Crystallinity and perfection in ethylene vitrimers probed by combined calorimetry, scattering, and time-domain NMR]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-06-30T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Kay Saalwächter</author><author>Bhaskar Soman</author><author>Christopher M. Evans</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The kinetics of crystallization and crystal-crystal transformations in ethylene vitrimers are studied by time-domain NMR. These vitrimers previously exhibited polymorphic transition of crystal structures, which are shown here to be distinguishable by NMR via their dipolar line widths based upon different proton densities and fast internal motions. The conditions under which the polymorphs are formed and interconvert are identified via time-resolved NMR experiments, with a focus on recrystallization after full and partial melting. DSC experiments are used to clarify an unexpected superheating effect, which challenges the determination of actual melting points. We further identify a strong memory effect in isothermal (re)crystallization. Implications of the dynamic nature of the vitrimers in relation to the kinetics of crystallization are discussed. We find that internal perfecting of crystals, enabled by the vitrimeric exchange process, can have a large effect on the DSC-detected melting enthalpy without change in overall crystallinity.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1197868</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1197868</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Benzoxazine/amine-based polymer networks featuring stress-relaxation and reprocessability]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-06-22T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Lea Pursche</author><author>Adrian Wolf</author><author>Tobias Urbaniak</author><author>Katharina Koschek</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Amines as additives in benzoxazines are known to beneficially affect the polymerization temperature and furthermore to allow for partially reversible reaction steps yielding however a non-dynamic polybenzoxazine network. This contribution proves that the polymerization behavior of a two-component polymer of the polyetheramine Jeffamine® ED-600 and a bisphenol-A-based benzoxazine features stress-relaxation and reprocessability usually known from vitrimers. With the aim to gain a deeper understanding of the material properties of this system and the corresponding polymer structure, the reaction mechanism of a monofunctional benzoxazine and monoamine model system was studied revealing at first primary, and then secondary amine induced opening of oxazine rings, leading at first to linear polymer chains and then to covalently crosslinked networks. Both consist of repeated phenolic benzoxazine/amine motifs with permanently incorporated polyetheramine chains that do not impact the mechanical properties, compared to pure polybenzoxazine. Thermal, spectroscopic, and extraction analyses show that the addition of Jeffamine® reduces the polymerization temperature and introduces material properties such as reprocessability at the same time. Stress-relaxation measurements support the assumption that the reprocessability point to vitrimer-like molecular processes. The material shows rapid stress-relaxation of up to 11 s, a corresponding bond-exchange activation energy of 146 kJ/mol, and a topology freezing temperature of 97°C.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1143168</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1143168</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Novel findings deduced from the microscopic kinetics model contest the classical nucleation theory]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-04-27T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Jun Xu</author>
        <description><![CDATA[In this study, we revisit the microscopic kinetics model considering crystal nucleation as reversible attachment and detachment of units from growing clusters. Based on the variation of the rate constants of attaching and detaching with cluster size, we derive some findings that contest the classical nucleation theory. First, the equivalent thermodynamic parameters are deduced from the rate constants, which reveal that the interfacial free energy per area varies with cluster size and finally levels off. Second, if the crystal is not perfect, at the melting point, the nucleation barrier will be definite rather than infinitely large. Third, it is predicted that the critical nuclei size does not vary with supersaturation. Fourth, when the neighboring units from the same polymer chain are used for crystal nucleation, the attaching rate constant should decrease with cluster size, which is distinctly different from the same attaching rate constant in the nucleation of small molecular crystals. These interesting findings show that teaching the old dog (the microscopic kinetics model) new tricks could lead to new findings and deepen our understanding of crystal nucleation.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1161141</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2023.1161141</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Dynamics of the extended and intermediate range order in model polymer electrolyte poly(ethylene oxide) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide]]></title>
        <pubdate>2023-04-17T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Peter Falus</author><author>Antonio Faraone</author><author>Stephan Förster</author><author>Kunlun Hong</author><author>Michael Ohl</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The dynamics of lithium ions and polymer chains were investigated at the molecular scale in the model polymer electrolyte Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)/Lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide as a function of temperature. This system is known to present an intermediate range order from the arrangement of neighboring chain segments as well as an extended range order of cylindrically arranged chains. The collective dynamics of the systems at lengthscales matching these structural features was measured using Neutron Spin Echo spectroscopy, gaining insights into their lifetime. Moreover, using isotope substitution techniques the dynamics of the lithium ions with respect to the other atoms was probed. The obtained results are compared with the conductivity and the lithium self-diffusion coefficient measured by NMR to gain experimental insight on the molecular processes triggering lithium transport.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.1059156</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.1059156</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Effects of network connectivity on viscoelastic relaxation in transient networks using experimental approach]]></title>
        <pubdate>2022-11-23T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Takuya Katashima</author><author>Ryota Kudo</author><author>Ryoya Onishi</author><author>Mitsuru Naito</author><author>Satoru Nagatoishi</author><author>Kanjiro Miyata</author><author>Kouhei Tsumoto</author><author>Ung-Il Chung</author><author>Takamasa Sakai</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The effect of network connectivity on viscoelastic relaxation in transient networks with well-defined structures (Tetra-PEG slime) was experimentally evaluated and compared to bond dissociation kinetics. To control the connectivity and discuss the pure effect precisely, we mixed the precursors in off-stoichiometric ratio. With decreasing network connectivity, the viscoelastic relaxation time accelerated and became shorter than the bond dissociation time. With increasing polymer concentration, the connectivity at which the viscoelastic relaxation time matched the dissociation time shifted to the high-connectivity region. The dependence of viscoelastic relaxation on connectivity can be adequately explained within the framework of the lifetime of a backbone. The backbone has numerous breakage points in low-connectivity region nearby the gelation point, resulting in a shorter lifetime than the dissociation time. However, the Rubinstein-Semenov model based on backbone relaxation does not predict the concentration dependence, suggesting that the formation of the network in the dilute/semi-dilute region deviates from a random branching process. These findings provide a crucial foundation for the molecular comprehension of transient network materials.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.1041872</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.1041872</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Solvent-induced crystallization and phase-transition phenomena in syndiotactic polystyrene and its relatives]]></title>
        <pubdate>2022-10-26T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Hai Wang</author><author>Yongfeng Men</author><author>Kohji Tashiro</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The studies of time-dependent structural changes in the solvent-induced crystallization and phase transition phenomena have been reviewed by focusing mainly on syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS) and its relatives having the functional groups on the phenyl rings. The time-resolved measurement of X-ray diffraction and vibrational spectra has revealed the structural evolution process in the solvent-induced crystallization of SPS, which depends on the type (polarity, bulkiness, etc.) of the solvent molecules. The heating of the SPS-solvent complexes causes the complicated phase transitions from the δ form (complex) to the γ form and to the α (or β) form. The introduction of such a polar functional group as OCH3 or halogen units on the phenyl rings enhances the interactions between the SPS and the solvent, the strength of which depends on the substitution position of the OCH3 units on the phenyl ring. For example, the ortho- or para-substitution dissolves the sample quite easily at room temperature, while the meta-substitution makes it possible to create the solvent complexes. The discussion has been made for the structural relation before and after the formation of the solvent-complexes.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.1021006</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.1021006</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Isothermal crystallization kinetics in bulk of olefin-based multiblock copolymers]]></title>
        <pubdate>2022-10-25T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Gaia Urciuoli</author><author>Odda Ruiz de Ballesteros</author><author>Giuseppe Femina</author><author>Finizia Auriemma</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Isothermal crystallization kinetics of ethylene/1-octene (C2/C8) multiblock copolymers synthesized by chain shuttling technology is investigated. The samples are a reactor blend of segmented chains characterized by alternating crystalline and amorphous blocks with C8 content of 0.5 and 20 mol%, respectively, and statistical distribution of block number/chain and block length. The analysis is carried out after complete removal of a fraction (5–12 wt%), namely consisting of C8-rich blocks, through Kumagawa extraction with boiling diethyl ether. The resultant diethyl ether-insoluble fractions have similar average content of C8 units (≈13–14 mol%) and of crystalline blocks (≈23–27 wt%) but different molecular mass (the number average molecular mass Mn is ≈ 60–70 kDa for the samples 1,2 and ≈38 and ≈21 kDa for the samples 3 and 4, respectively). An additional sample with Mn ≈ 93 kDa, but a greater average content of C8 units (≈15 mol%) and a smaller content of crystalline blocks (15 wt%) is also analyzed. The crystallization half time of the samples increases with increase of Mn and, for each sample, its logarithm increases linearly with a decrease of the undercooling by a factor of -0.155/°C, for the samples 1–4 and −0.031/°C, for the sample 5. Using the classic kinetic crystallization model by Lauritzen and Hoffman, values of energy barrier constant due to contributions from primary nucleation KN and crystal growth KG are extracted. The KN contribution is esteemed to amount to ≈34% of the total barrier assuming regime II for the sample 5 and regime III (or I) for the samples 1–4, to ≈34% for the sample 5 and 67% for the samples 1–4, assuming regime II for all the samples. In all the cases, regardless of the assumed regimes, the KN values of the sample 5 are lower than those of the samples 1–4. As a final remark, the implications of crystallization kinetics on the solid-state morphology are also discussed, considering that transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images present a partially mesophase separated morphology for the samples 1,2, and 5 and a classic lamellar morphology for the samples 3 and 4.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.1037349</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.1037349</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Grand challenges in polymers]]></title>
        <pubdate>2022-09-29T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Specialty Grand Challenge</category>
        <author>Kay Saalwächter</author>
        <description></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.980210</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.980210</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Morphology and rheology of composites of poly(styrene-co-2-vinyl pyridine) copolymers and phosphotungstic acid]]></title>
        <pubdate>2022-09-29T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Qingbin He</author><author>Yanjie Zhang</author><author>Zhijie Zhang</author><author>Hu-Jun Qian</author><author>Quan Chen</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Morphological and rheological properties are examined for poly(styrene-co-2-vinyl pyridine) (P(S-co-2VP)) copolymers upon introducing phosphotungstic acid, one kind of polyoxometalates (POMs). The phosphotungstic acid protonates the 2VP monomers, and the deprotonated phosphotungstic acid effectively crosslinks the protonated 2VP monomers, inducing phase segregation into the S-rich and 2VP-rich domains. Linear viscoelasticity (LVE) of the composite samples strongly relies on the continuity of the 2VP-rich domains and can be classified into the following three types. (1) For 2VP-rich sphere domains in the S-rich matrix, LVE is akin to the conventional elastomer characterized by a wide rubbery regime before the terminal relaxation. (2) For bicontinuous morphology, where both the 2VP-rich and S-rich domains are continuous, two glassy processes manifest in LVE, and the chain relaxation is controlled by the continuous ion dissociation in the less mobilized 2VP-rich domain. (3) When the 2VP-rich domain is the only continuous phase, only the glassy modulus of the 2VP-rich domain manifests in LVE, and the chain relaxation is activated by the continuous ionic dissociations in the matrix. Surprisingly, the relaxation time obtained for all three abovementioned morphologies can be reduced to a universal behavior once the average glass transition temperature of the 2VP-rich region and the number of effective stickers per chain have been properly normalized, indicating that these two parameters control the chain-dimensional dynamics.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.1003500</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.1003500</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Recent applications of the Successive Self-nucleation and Annealing thermal fractionation technique]]></title>
        <pubdate>2022-09-28T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Ricardo A. Pérez-Camargo</author><author>Dario Cavallo</author><author>Alejandro J. Müller</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Successive Self-nucleation and Annealing (SSA) is a thermal fractionation technique that is performed by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The combination of non-isothermal and isothermal steps applied during SSA achieves efficient molecular segregation during polymer crystallization. Such molecular segregation magnifies the effect of defects in polymer chain crystallization, thereby providing information on chain structure. The technique was created and implemented by Müller and co-workers in 1997, becoming a powerful resource for studying ethylene/α-olefin copolymers. The different variables to design the SSA protocol: fractionation window, fractionation time, scanning rate, sample mass, and the first self-nucleation temperature to be applied (Ts, ideal), have been previously reviewed, together with the different applications of SSA. SSA versatility, simplicity (when properly applied), and short times to produce results have allowed its use to study novel and more complex polymeric systems. This review article explores the most recent applications of SSA of the past decade. First, the principles of the technique are briefly explained, covering all the relevant variables. Next, we have selected different cases that show how SSA is employed in various novel fields, such as studying intermolecular interactions and topological effects in homopolymers; supernucleation and antinucleation effects in nanocomposites, including the pre-freezing phenomenon; crystallization modes in random copolymers; solid-solid transitions; miscibility, co-crystallization and composition in blends; evaluation of polymer synthesis variables; and the novel information that could be gained by using fast scanning chip-based calorimetry. Finally, we offer a perspective on SSA, a technique that has become a powerful method for studying the distribution of defects affecting crystallization in semi-crystalline polymers.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.973821</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.973821</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Exploring the principles of self-healing polymers based on halogen bond interactions]]></title>
        <pubdate>2022-09-15T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Robin Kampes</author><author>Josefine Meurer</author><author>Julian Hniopek</author><author>Carolin Bernt</author><author>Stefan Zechel</author><author>Michael Schmitt</author><author>Jürgen Popp</author><author>Martin D. Hager</author><author>Ulrich S. Schubert</author>
        <description><![CDATA[In this study, novel self-healing polymers based on halogen bonds as reversible supramolecular crosslinking moieties are presented. The reversible crosslinking is facilitated by a polymer-bound bidentate halogen bond donor entity in combination with small molecule acceptor suberic acid. The binding strength of the crosslinking can be tuned via deprotonation of the diacid crosslinker. The material characteristics are investigated with several methods such as NMR and Raman spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry as well as rheology. The tactile profile measurements have been utilized to monitor the scratch healing ability of the polymer networks revealing excellent healing efficiencies up to 99% within 2 h at a temperature of 100°C. Thus, the self-healing ability of halogen bond polymers could be quantified for the first time.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.992563</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsfm.2022.992563</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Recent scattering approaches to structure and dynamics of polymer nanocomposites]]></title>
        <pubdate>2022-09-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Mini Review</category>
        <author>M. Kruteva</author><author>A.-C. Genix</author><author>O. Holderer</author><author>J. Oberdisse</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The characterization of polymer nanocomposites on molecular length scales and timescales is a challenging task, which is also indispensable for the understanding of macroscopic material's properties. Neutron scattering is one of the techniques which are very well-suited for studying the structure and molecular motion in such soft matter systems. X-rays can also be used for the same purpose, however, with higher energy and thus a different focus on dynamics, where they are better suited for nanoparticle motion. In this mini-review, we aim at highlighting recent results in the field of polymer nanocomposites, including nanoparticle structure in various experimental systems, from model to industrial, and polymer and particle dynamics. This allows establishing the link between microscopic and macroscopic properties, in particular rheology.]]></description>
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