Modification of sodium salt of partially carboxymethylated tamarind kernel powder through grafting with acrylonitrile: Synthesis, characterization and swelling behavior

State-of-the-art progress on tamarind seed polysaccharide (Tamarindus indica) and its diverse potential applications, a review with insight

Tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP) is a biocompatible, non-ionic polymer with antioxidant properties. Its uses include drug delivery, food industry, and wastewater treatment. TSP has various hydroxy functional groups, one of the most favorable sites for graft copolymerization of different monomers. Hence, various chemical methods for TSP modification were developed to satisfy increasing industrial demand. Of particular interest in scientific community are the methods of graft copolymerization because of their ability to alter the physicochemical properties of TSP, including pH sensitivity and the swelling index, leading to improvements in the adsorption efficiency of hazardous heavy metals and dyes from wastewater effluents. Moreover, in recent years, TSP has been used for controlled drug delivery applications due to its unique advantages of high viscosity, broad pH tolerance, non-carcinogenicity, mucoadhesive properties, biocompatibility, and high drug entrapment capacity. In light of the plethora of literature on the topic, a comprehensive review of TSP-based graft copolymers and unmodified and modified TSP important applications is necessary. Therefore, this review comprehensively highlights several synthetic strategies for TSP-grafted copolymers and discusses unmodified and modified TSP potential applications, including cutting-edge pharmaceutical, environmental applications, etc. In brief, its many advantages make TSP-based polysaccharide a promising material for applications in various industries.

Super-tough poly(lactic acid)/silicone rubber thermoplastic vulcanizates: The organic and inorganic synergistic interfacial compatibilization

Polymer modification using silicone rubber represents a promising avenue for enhancing physico-mechanical properties. However, achieving optimal performance through direct blending is hindered by the poor interface compatibility between silicone rubber and the matrix. In this study, we prepared super-tough thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) of polylactic acid/silicone rubber through dynamic vulcanization with PLA, methyl vinyl silicone rubber (MVQ), glycidyl methacrylate grafted MVQ (MVQ-g-GMA), and fumed silica nanoparticles (SiO2). The impact of the SiO2 addition in MVQ on the morphology, mechanical properties, crystallization, and thermal properties of the TPVs was investigated. The results showed that MVQ-g-GMA and SiO2 exhibited a synergistic compatibilization effect significantly improving the interfacial adhesion between PLA and MVQ. Therefore, the impact and tensile strength of the TPVs increased from 8.0 kJ/m2 and 22.2 MPa to 62.6 kJ/m2 and 36.7 MPa, respectively. Moreover, the TPVs also presented good low-temperature toughness with a maximum impact strength of 40.4 kJ/m2 at -20 °C. Additionally, improvements in thermal stability and crystallization rate were also observed. Overall, combining organic and inorganic synergistic compatibilization is a feasible and effective method to fabricate outstanding low-temperature toughness to PLA.

Synthesis and properties of a novel ecofriendly superabsorbent hydrogel nanocomposite based on xyloglucan-graft-poly(acrylic acid)/diatomite

Recently, there has been growing interest in the use of natural available materials to prepare superabsorbents due to their low-cost and environmental friendliness.