How Does the Hydrogen Bonding Interaction Influence the Properties of Furan-Based Epoxy Resins

Natural Underwater Bioadhesive Offering Cohesion Modulation via Hydrogen Bond Disruptor: A Highly Injectable and in Vivo Stable Remedy for Gastric Ulcer Resolution

Injectable bioadhesives are attractive for managing gastric ulcers through minimally invasive procedures. However, the formidable challenge is to develop bioadhesives that exhibit high injectability, rapidly adhere to lesion tissues with fast gelation, provide reliable protection in the harsh gastric environment, and simultaneously ensure stringent standards of biocompatibility. Here, a natural bioadhesive with tunable cohesion is developed based on the facile and controllable gelation between silk fibroin and tannic acid. By incorporating a hydrogen bond disruptor (urea or guanidine hydrochloride), the inherent network within the bioadhesive is disturbed, inducing a transition to a fluidic state for smooth injection (injection force <5 N). Upon injection, the fluidic bioadhesive thoroughly wets tissues, while the rapid diffusion of the disruptor triggers instantaneous in situ gelation. This orchestrated process fosters the formed bioadhesive with durable wet tissue affinity and mechanical properties that harmonize with gastric tissues, thereby bestowing long-lasting protection for ulcer healing, as evidenced through in vitro and in vivo verification. Moreover, it can be conveniently stored (≥3 m) postdehydration. This work presents a promising strategy for designing highly injectable bioadhesives utilizing natural feedstocks, avoiding any safety risks associated with synthetic materials or nonphysiological gelation conditions, and offering the potential for minimally invasive application.

High-Thermal Stable Epoxy Resin through Blending Nanoarchitectonics with Double-Decker-Shaped Polyhedral Silsesquioxane-Functionalized Benzoxazine Derivatives

A series of di-functional benzoxazine (BZ) monomers was synthesized, specifically the double-decker silsesquioxane (DDSQ) cage structure (DDSQ-BZ). Comparative analyses were conducted between DDSQ-BZ monomers and the most commonly utilized bisphenol A-functionalized bifunctional benzoxazine (BPA-BZ) monomer. DDSQ-BZ compounds possess better thermal properties such as high char yield and high thermal decomposition temperature (Td10) after thermal ring-opening polymerization (ROP) because the inorganic DDSQ cage nanostructure features a nano-reinforcement effect. In addition, blending inorganic DDSQ-BZ compounds with epoxy resin was explored to form organic/inorganic hybrids with enhanced thermal and mechanical properties following thermal ROP. The improvement in mechanical properties is primarily attributed to the network structure formed by the cross-linking between DDSQ-BZ and the epoxy resin during thermal ROP, as well as hydrogen bonding interactions formed between the hydroxyl groups generated during thermal ROP and the Si-O-Si bonds in the DDSQ structure.

Recent advances in the development of green furan ring-containing polymeric materials based on renewable plant biomass

Fossil resources are rapidly depleting, forcing researchers in various fields of chemistry and materials science to switch to the use of renewable sources and the development of corresponding technologies. In this regard, the field of sustainable materials science is experiencing an extraordinary surge of interest in recent times due to the significant advances made in the development of new polymers with desired and controllable properties. This review summarizes important scientific reports in recent times dedicated to the synthesis, construction and computational studies of novel sustainable polymeric materials containing unchanged (pseudo)aromatic furan cores in their structure. Linear polymers for thermoplastics, branched polymers for thermosets and other crosslinked materials are emerging materials to highlight. Various polymer blends and composites based on sustainable polyfurans are also considered as pathways to achieve high-value-added products.

Diels–Alder Cycloadditions of Bio-Derived Furans with Maleimides as a Sustainable «Click» Approach towards Molecular, Macromolecular and Hybrid Systems

This mini-review highlights the recent research trends in designing organic or organic-inorganic hybrid molecular, biomolecular and macromolecular systems employing intermolecular Diels–Alder cycloadditions of biobased, furan-containing substrates and maleimide dienophiles. The furan/maleimide Diels–Alder reaction is a well-known process that may proceed with high efficiency under non-catalytic and solvent-free conditions. Due to the simplicity, 100% atom economy and biobased nature of many furanic substrates, this type of [4+2]-cycloaddition may be recognized as a sustainable “click” approach with high potential for application in many fields, such as fine organic synthesis, bioorganic chemistry, material sciences and smart polymers development.