Electrochemical reduction of gaseous CO 2 with a catechol and polyethyleneimine co-deposited polypropylene membrane

Systematic Approach to Mimic Phenolic Natural Polymers for Biofabrication

In nature, phenolic biopolymers are utilized as functional tools and molecular crosslinkers to control the mechanical properties of biomaterials. Of particular interest are phenolic proteins/polysaccharides from living organisms, which are rich in catechol and/or gallol groups. Their strong underwater adhesion is attributed to the representative phenolic molecule, catechol, which stimulates intermolecular and intramolecular crosslinking induced by oxidative polymerization. Significant efforts have been made to understand the underlying chemistries, and researchers have developed functional biomaterials by mimicking the systems. Owing to their unique biocompatibility and ability to transform their mechanical properties, phenolic polymers have revolutionized biotechnologies. In this review, we highlight the bottom-up approaches for mimicking polyphenolic materials in nature and recent advances in related biomedical applications. We expect that this review will contribute to the rational design and synthesis of polyphenolic functional biomaterials and facilitate the production of related applications.

Imidazolium functionalized polymers for effective electrochemical reduction of CO2

Imidazolium functionalized polymer electrolytes for the electrochemical reduction of gaseous CO2 (ERGC) were studied for the first time in a developed reactor at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. It was found that reaction environment favors the CO2 reduction reaction by overcoming the mass transfer of CO2 with the use of imidazolium fixed functional groups. The selectivity and Faradaic efficiency of products formed during ERGC is enhanced due to the modified functional groups in the solid polymer matrix. This work may open up new research opportunities for the conversion of gaseous CO2 to green fuels.