Thermally Induced Swellability and Acid-Liable Dynamic Properties of Microgels of Copolymers Based on PEGMA and Aldehyde-Functionalized Monomer

Stretchable, Programmable and Magnet-Insensitive Protonic Display Based on Integrated Ionic Circuit

As a new approach to "More than Moore", integrated ionic circuits serve as a possible alternative to traditional electronic circuits, yet the integrated ionic circuit composed of functional ionic elements and ionic connections is still challenging. Herein, a stretchable and transparent ionic display module of the integrated ionic circuit has been successfully prepared and demonstrated by pixelating a proton-responsive hydrogel. It is programmed to excite the hydrogel color change by a Faraday process occurring at the electrode at the specific pixel points, which enables the display of digital information and even color information. Importantly, the display module exhibits stable performance under strong magnetic field conditions (1.7 T). The transparent and stretchable nature of such ionic modules also allows them to be utilized in a broad range of scenarios, which paves the way for integrated ionic circuits.

Bistability, Remanence, Read/Write-Memory, and Logic Gate Function via a Stimuli-Responsive Polymer

Stimuli-responsive materials change their state in response to external triggers. Switching between different states enables information to be written, stored, and read, if the transition between the states exhibits hysteresis. Thermally responsive polymers exhibit an intrinsic hysteresis for the volume phase transition between the swollen and de-swollen solution state. Here, it is shown that this hysteresis can be used to realize bistability, remanence, and reversible write/read information storage. This is demonstrated for the simplest and most widely used thermoresponsive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), as well as for PNIPAM block copolymers, which widens the hysteresis window. The hysteresis is shown to be related to cluster domain assembly/disassembly during the phase transition. Information can be written thermally using a laser, or using heated or cooled pen tips on a thin-film backscattering display. The bistable state can additionally be switched by pH, enabling an AND logic gate function. Furthermore, an unusual memory state is discovered, where information is visible in the hysteresis window and invisible at higher temperatures, allowing encoded information to be hidden. Since hysteresis is a very common intrinsic phenomenon for responsive materials, this principle to encode and store information is potentially applicable to a broad range of responsive materials.

A facile post-modification strategy for carboxylic acid-functionalized UV-responsive pressure-sensitive adhesives

UV-responsive pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) were achieved through the ring-opening reactions of N-carbonyl aziridine radicals.

New Aldehyde-Functional Methacrylic Water-Soluble Polymers

Aldehyde groups enable facile conjugation to proteins, enzymes, oligonucleotides or fluorescent dyes, yet there are no literature examples of water-soluble aldehyde-functional vinyl monomers. We report the synthesis of a new hydrophilic cis-diol-based methacrylic monomer (GEO5MA) by transesterification of isopropylideneglycerol penta(ethylene glycol) using methyl methacrylate followed by acetone deprotection via acid hydrolysis. The corresponding water-soluble aldehyde monomer, AGEO5MA, is prepared by aqueous periodate oxidation of GEO5MA at 22 °C. RAFT polymerization of GEO5MA yields the water-soluble homopolymer, PGEO5MA. Aqueous periodate oxidation of the terminal cis-diol units on PGEO5MA at 22 °C affords a water-soluble aldehyde-functional homopolymer (PAGEO5MA). Moreover, a library of hydrophilic statistical copolymers bearing cis-diol and aldehyde groups was prepared using sub-stoichiometric periodate/cis-diol molar ratios. The aldehyde groups on PAGEO5MA homopolymer were reacted in turn with three amino acids to demonstrate synthetic utility.

Functional materials generated by allying cyclodextrin-based supramolecular chemistry with living polymerization

Cyclodextrin molecules are cyclic oligosaccharides that display a unique structure including an inner side and two faces on their outer sides.

Facile synthesis, sequence-tuned thermoresponsive behaviours and reaction-induced reorganization of water-soluble keto-polymers

Water-soluble keto-polymers: facile synthesis in methanol on irradiation with visible light at 25 °C, sequence-tuned thermoresponsive behaviours and reaction-induced reorganization.