A range of monodomain nematic azo side‐on elastomers , containing different proportions photoisomerizable mesogenic moieties, were prepared for the first time photochemically using a radical photoinitiator working at wavelengths above 600 nm. These exhibit photomechanical contraction up to 20 % upon irradiation with UV light. The Figure shows an elastomer film in its contracted form under irradiation.

Polymer vesicles, commonly called polymersomes, are spherical shell structures in which an aqueous compartment is enclosed by a bilayer membrane made from amphiphilic block copolymers. Compared to liposomes, their low molecular weight analogues, polymersomes have many superior properties (higher toughness, better stability, tailorable properties), make them attractive candidates for applications including encapsulation, drug delivery, nanoreactors and templates micro- or nano-structured...

The production, via soft lithography, of micron-sized thermoresponsive pillars made side-on nematic LCE leads to the formation surface-responsive structures. individual, monodisperse pillars, when cut out from surface, behave as micro-actuators, showing contraction around 35% at isotropic phase transition.

Vitrimers are covalent polymer networks that can change their topology through thermally activated bond exchange reactions. In this work, fully biobased and recyclable vitrimers were developed from epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) natural glycyrrhizic acid (GL) as it was without additional chemical modification, which avoided the use of nonrenewable petroleum resources resolved disposal problems materials. Because unique rigid skeleton GL, ESO/GL showed good thermal stability mechanical...

Abstract Physical eutectogels are appealing materials for technological devices due to their superior ionic conductivity, thermal and electrochemical stability, non‐volatility, low cost. Nevertheless, current physical suffering from weak mechanical strength toughness. Here, taking advantage of the distribution difference polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in water deep eutectic solvents (DESs), a simple universal solvent‐replacement approach is proposed regulate spatiotemporal expression...

Abstract Pesticide spraying serves as a prevalent segment in crop production for substantial economic and ecological benefits. Nevertheless, the existing pesticide formulations are often plagued by droplets rebounding during process, controlled‐release, photolysis protection, non‐targeted bio‐friendliness not inadequately considered. Herein, combining spinosad (SSD, model pesticide) with glycyrrhizic acid (GL) an attractive building block, supramolecular co‐assembly strategy is employed to...

This paper presents our results on liquid crystal (LC) elastomers as artificial muscle, based the ideas proposed by de Gennes. In theoretical model, material consists of a repeated series main-chain nematic LC polymer blocks, N, and conventional rubber R, lamellar phase triblock copolymer RNR. The motor for contraction is reversible macromolecular shape change chain, from stretched to spherical, that occurs at nematic-to-isotropic transition in polymers. We first developed new kind...

Self-assembled block copolymer nanofibers are attractive materials for multiple applications. We propose here a novel, very simple and straightforward method to prepare polymeric at high solids contents directly in water. It is based on an aqueous emulsion polymerization process performed under living radical conditions, using the RAFT method.

We report the formation of cylindrical micelles, sheet-like tubular as well polymer vesicles by a new series amphiphilic linear−dendritic block-copolymers (BCs). The BCs, noted PEGm-AZOn, are composed poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains different molecular weights hydrophilic blocks and first four generations azobenzene-containing dendrons based on 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid (bis-MPA) hydrophobic (m represents degree polymerization PEG, n is number azobenzene units at periphery...

A muscle-like material with a lamellar structure has been prepared for the first time from liquid-crystalline triblock copolymer. The consists of repeated series nematic-polymer blocks and conventional rubber blocks. motor contraction is reversible macromolecular-chain shape change, stretched to spherical, nematic polymer that occurs at nematic-to-isotropic phase transition. Supporting information this article available on WWW under...

Polymersomes, which are stable and robust vesicles made of block copolymer amphiphiles, good candidates for drug carriers or micro/nanoreactors. Polymer chemistry enables almost unlimited molecular design responsive polymersomes whose degradation upon environmental changes has been used the slow release active species. Here, we propose a strategy to remotely trigger instantaneous polymersome bursting. We have designed asymmetric polymer vesicles, in only one leaflet is composed polymers. In...

Thermoresponsive polymer colloids made of amphiphilic block copolymers are reviewed in this paper. The main families thermoresponsive polymers, including hydrophilic polymers with LCST (PEG, PNIPAM, poly(oxazoline)s and elastin-like polypeptides, etc.) hydrophobic thermotropic phase transitions (liquid crystalline polymers), first described the details underlying physical chemical principles. Polymer as core, corona or both them depending on temperature (schizophrenic systems) discussed...

We developed a new robust reduction-responsive polymersome based on the amphiphilic block copolymer PEG-SS-PAChol. The stability and robustness were achieved by smectic physical cross-linking of cholesterol-containing liquid crystal polymer PAChol in hydrophobic layer. reduction-sensitivity was introduced disulfide bridge (-S–S-) that links hydrophilic PEG block. used versatile synthetic strategy atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to synthesize copolymers. reductive cleavage...

Fluorescent polymersomes are interesting systems for cell/tissue imaging and in vivo study of drug distribution delivery. We report on bright fluorescent with aggregation-induced emission self-assembled by a series tetraphenylethylene (TPE)-containing amphiphilic biodegradable block copolymers, where the hydrophilic is polyethylene glycol hydrophobic TPE-substituted trimethylenecarbonate polymer P(TPE-TMC). Their self-assemblies water were prepared nanoprecipitation using dioxane or...

Polyaniline (PANi) hydrogels often exhibit highly mechanical and electrochemical properties, which have received extensive attention in the fields of batteries, supercapacitors, sensors. However, shortcomings such as hydrophobicity easy aggregation PANi frequently result deterioration performance hydrogels. Here, a bifunctional natural product, glycyrrhizic acid (GL), is utilized to prepare homogeneous conductive hydrogel, because GL not only can assemble into supramolecular hydrogel...

Abstract Epoxy resins‐based engineering plastics are indispensable in the global economy, but they have created a serious waste crisis caused by their chemical cross‐linked networks. To solve this problem, current strategies often require assistance of catalysts or solvents at expense thermal and mechanical performance. In work, high‐performance epoxy resin featuring dynamic ester disulfide bonds (TDS) is reported, which exhibits higher properties than common plastics, i.e., tensile strength...

Well-defined, cholesteryl-based, amphiphilic block copolymer nanofibers have been obtained in a simple, one-pot, ethanol/water dispersion polymerization process using poly((meth)acrylic acid-co-(poly(ethylene glycol) (meth)acrylate) copolymers end-functionalized by reactive trithiocarbonate end-group as macromolecular reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer agents (macroRAFT agents). The resulting highly concentrated dispersions were analyzed TEM (transmission electron microscopy),...

Fluorescent polymersomes with both aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and CO2 -responsive properties were developed from amphiphilic block copolymer PEG-b-P(DEAEMA-co-TPEMA) in which the hydrophobic was a made of tetraphenylethene functionalized methacrylate (TPEMA) 2-(diethylamino)ethyl (DEAEMA) unspecified sequence arrangement. Four copolymers different DEAEMA/TPEMA hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratios synthesized, bright AIE prepared by nanoprecipitation THF/water dioxane/water systems....

We present a series of AIEgens for cancer cell discrimination and dynamic viability monitoring.

Simultaneous improvement of the stress relaxation rate and <italic>T</italic>_g was achieved using natural glycyrrhizic acid in transesterification reaction-based epoxy vitrimers.

Biocatalytic transformation has attracted increasing attention in the green synthesis of chemicals due to diversity enzymes, their high catalytic activities and specificities, environmentally benign conditions. Most redox enzymes nature are dependent on nicotinamide cofactors like β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)/reduced (NADH). The use solar energy, especially visible light, regeneration through combination photocatalysis biocatalysis provides an extraordinary opportunity make...