Articles tagged with Polymer Engineering
Researchers have created a versatile shape-changing polymer that can twist, tilt, shrink, and expand, mimicking animal movements. The polymer's unique properties make it useful for creating soft robots or artificial muscles, with potential applications in medicine and other fields.
A new catalyst converts methane into polymers at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, making it easier to deploy at sites of methane production. The catalyst also enables the creation of sealants to heal cracks in natural gas pipes, potentially reducing methane leakage.
Researchers at UVA have developed a new polymer design that decouples stiffness and stretchability, allowing materials to be both strong and flexible. The 'foldable bottlebrush polymer networks' can store extra length within their structure, enabling them to elongate up to 40 times more than standard polymers without weakening.
Researchers developed a new durable plastic that breaks down in seawater, reducing microplastic pollution. The material is strong, non-toxic, and customizable for various applications.
A new language called STRONG encodes nanopore shape and structure, enabling machine learning models to predict their properties. This allows for efficient analysis of nanopores and opens up possibilities for gas separation and reducing carbon emissions.
Researchers from Tokyo University of Science have developed a novel gelation method using carbon dioxide to form hydrogels. The post-gelation release rate affects the degree of crosslinking and mechanical properties, providing insights for creating hydrogels suitable for medical applications.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a groundbreaking coating that mimics natural blood vessels to reduce clotting and bleeding risks. The coating's unique properties prevent clot formation without disrupting normal blood functions, offering a promising alternative to high-risk blood thinners.
Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a method to break down condensation polymers in plastics using solvents and liquid organic hydrogen carriers, producing aromatic compounds that can be used as fuels. This breakthrough has potential implications for the sustainability of the chemical industry and reducing global warming.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have created an electrochemical strategy to capture, concentrate, and destroy PFAS from water using a single device. The new process combines redox electrodialysis with electrosorption to effectively remove ultra-short-chain PFAS molecules.
New research found that bio-based fibres have a range of adverse effects on earthworms, animals critical to environmental health. The study highlights the importance of testing new materials before they are released on the market.
Scientists have developed a polymer-based therapeutic for Huntington’s disease, which disrupts protein interactions to preserve cell health. The treatment successfully rescued neurons and reversed symptoms in mouse studies, showing promise as a potential delay or reduction of disease onset.
Scientists create diacetylene derivative-based luster materials with tunable colors and metallic lusters, opening new possibilities for applications in jewelry, printing inks, and cosmetics. The developed material can express a golden luster selectively using light irradiation, minimizing environmental footprint and weight.
Collymer is a regenerative collagen polymeric biomaterial designed for various medical applications. It can be engineered into materials with different shapes and properties to address unmet clinical needs in wound care, tissue reconstruction, aesthetics, orthopedics, and therapeutic cell delivery.
Researchers design a high-throughput approach to create novel polypeptides with diverse chemical properties, leading to the discovery of hundreds of unique low-energy repeating structures. The study paves the way for broader applications in materials design and biotechnology.
Researchers at MIT have designed tiny particles that can be implanted at a tumor site, delivering heat and chemotherapy to treat cancer. The treatment approach has been shown to completely eliminate tumors in most mice and prolong their survival.
Researchers have discovered a gene called NANOG that can improve nerve regrowth and re-establish innervation in damaged muscles after traumatic nerve injuries. This discovery has significant potential to help mitigate long-term disability for people with debilitating nerve injuries.
Researchers developed grain-sized soft robots that can transport up to four different drugs, release them in reprogrammable orders and doses, and navigate complex environments inside the human body. The robots' precision functions have the potential to significantly improve therapeutic outcomes while minimizing side effects.
GeniPhys secures $500k NSF grant to support regulatory and commercial readiness of Collymer SAS for soft tissue restoration in advanced wound care. The technology promotes regenerative remodeling without inflammatory response, facilitating faster healing and tissue repair.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed a polymer film infused with a special chalcogenide perovskite compound that produces electricity when squeezed or stressed. The material has shown promising results, including powering LED lights and potentially being used in machines, infrastructure, and biomedical applications.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new expansion technique to image nanoscale structures inside cells using conventional light microscopes. The method, which expands tissue 20-fold in a single step, allows for high-resolution imaging of organelles and protein clusters.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a material that combines stiffness and damping properties, making it suitable for various applications. The new composite material features layers of stiff materials connected by ultra-thin rubber-like layers, resulting in excellent vibration-damping performance.
Researchers successfully designed and engineered novel enzyme systems that can degrade various types of plastics. By replacing the binding module with different modules, they created chimera LPMOs capable of recognizing and breaking down different types of plastics, including biosourced polyhydroxyalkanoate.
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a new polymer that provides insights into material response to high-speed impacts. The study reveals the formation of Mach cones, acoustic waves that travel faster than sound, allowing scientists to visualize subsurface distortions in materials.
Researchers at Osaka University have developed a way to make tough, chemically recyclable polymers without compromising on heat and chemical resistance. This breakthrough could hugely expand the uses of chemically recyclable polymers.
A new method to construct protein complex-based therapeutics has been discovered using a polymer cloak, which stabilizes the delivery of protein complexes and enables tumor-targeted immunomodulation. The study presents an IL-15 nanosuperagonist with enhanced efficacy and specificity, promising a safer therapy for cancer treatment.
Researchers developed a heat-adjusting material inspired by squid skin, allowing for user-adjusted warmth and breathability. The fabric is breathable, washable, and can be integrated into flexible clothing, making it suitable for cold weather applications.
Rice engineers developed a new synthesis strategy for covalent organic frameworks (COFs) that can be used to trap gases, filter water and speed up chemical reactions. The approach enables faster production of COFs with superior crystallinity and high efficiency in breaking down harmful chemicals.
A team of researchers from the University of Washington has developed a flexible pipe with an interior helical structure inspired by shark intestines, which can keep fluid flowing in one direction without flaps. The design rivaled and exceeded Tesla valves, a one-way fluid flow device invented over a century ago.
A new report by international experts urges a collective approach to tackle plastic pollution, citing over 7,000 research studies on microplastics. The need for global reduction in plastic production and emission of microplastic particles is emphasized to avoid irreversible environmental damage.
Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi have developed nanoscale covalent organic frameworks (nCOFs) modified with peptides to treat triple-negative breast cancer. The COFs selectively release drug cargo within the acidic environment of tumors, improving treatment effectiveness and minimizing side effects.
The researchers synthesized supramolecular polymers with the ability to form larger complexes in response to external stimuli, which may shed light on biomolecular self-assembly and other ‘smart’ materials. The resulting shape of the assemblies can be controlled based on the concentration of a specific additive.
Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University found that foaming plastic carriers promote 44 times more biofilm formation, enhancing wastewater treatment. Adding waste biomass further improves performance, especially in nitrate removal during the moving bed biofilm reactor process.
Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science have designed a drug-carrying molecule that can slip past the lung's natural defenses. The nanocarrier, called PEG-BB, is shaped like a bottlebrush and mimics the properties of mucus, allowing it to move quickly through the airway.
Researchers at Technical University of Denmark developed a new biopolymer, PAMA, derived from bacteria to heal tissue. The PAMA bactogel shows significant muscle regeneration properties and nearly 100% mechanical recovery in rats.
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a novel strategy to increase the efficiency of photopolymerization reactions by leveraging dynamic UV lighting. This technique produces heavier polymer chains with reduced energy consumption, offering potential for sustainable industrial processes and polymeric materials.
A new SERS microfluidic system was developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University researchers, achieving a detection limit lower than 10 ppt of harmful substances. The system uses femtosecond laser-induced nanoparticle implantation into flexible substrate for sensitive and reusable microfluidics detection.
The new battery can capture oxygen from air and use it to oxidize zinc, creating a current of up to 1 volt. It powers an actuator, memristor, clock circuit, and sensors, making it ideal for robotics and medical applications.
Scientists have created a polymer that selectively attracts specific substances from solutions when electrically activated, opening the door to sustainable chemical separation. This breakthrough could minimize waste and benefit from renewable energy sources in industrial settings.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have demonstrated a technique for creating strain sensors that can function both in air and underwater. The sensors, called 'amphibious,' enable applications such as wildlife monitoring and biomedical research.
Researchers at Lehigh University use mayonnaise to simulate the phases of Rayleigh-Taylor instability in nuclear fusion, which could inform the design of future inertial confinement fusion processes. The team found that understanding the transition between elastic and stable plastic phases is critical for controlling the instability.
A new substrate material developed at MIT, University of Utah, and Meta enables not only the recycling of materials and components but also scalable manufacture of complex multilayered circuits. The material's design allows for easy processing and dissolving, making it suitable for recycling precious metals and microchips.
Researchers have successfully synthesized high-purity polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate using a novel method involving remote spark discharge treatment. This approach uses Tesla coil-generated monomer radicals as polymerization initiators, enabling external spark discharge treatment without a counter electrode.
A new study found that microplastics impact plant reproduction, while seawater flooding causes greater tissue death in coastal plants. Combining both stressors amplifies threats to ecosystem wellbeing.
A new 3D printing method developed by UC San Diego engineers uses a polymer ink and salt water solution to create solid structures with ease. The process is reversible, allowing the PNIPAM ink to be reused for further printing.
Research from the University of Illinois highlights the potential of organic nanozymes for broader applications beyond traditional uses of inorganic nanozymes. The development of sustainable, environmentally friendly materials offers a promising solution for various industries.
Researchers measured dielectric properties of 11 polyimides to establish correlation between molecular structure and dielectric behavior. The study revealed that higher fluorine content resulted in lower dielectric constant values, enabling potential applications for 6G technologies.
A UVA research team has developed biomaterials with controlled mechanical properties matching those of various human tissues, representing a significant leap in bioprinting technologies. Their unique digital assembly of spherical particles (DASP) technique can deposit particles of biomaterial in a supporting matrix to build 3D structur...
Scientists embedded gold nanorods in hydrogels that can contract when exposed to light and expand again upon removal. This expansion and contraction mechanism allows for remotely controlled actuators with endless design possibilities.
Scientists develop locally periodic honeycomb structure with ordered but non-periodic arrangements, exhibiting properties distinct from usual periodic crystals. The study highlights the effectiveness of aperiodic approximants in inducing modulations within self-assembled soft-matter systems.
Researchers found that a 10-nanometer-sized nanoruler achieves the highest brain tumor accumulation, outperforming larger sizes. This discovery offers guidance for designing future brain tumor nanomedicines.
A joint research team from DGIST and POSTECH has developed a next-generation stretchable electronic component that maintains performance even under deformation or external impacts. The technology enables stable electrical functionality in various industries, such as displays, healthcare, and wearables.
A team of researchers from Tokyo Tech proposes a new signal-amplification system utilizing sumanene-based supramolecular polymers, exhibiting exceptional signal amplification through dynamic allosteric manipulation. The system's sensitivity was demonstrated with a 62.5-fold signal amplification of steroid molecules.
Researchers developed a novel method to estimate modulation amplitude and determine spatial resolution in Brillouin optical correlation-domain reflectometry (BOCDR) without costly equipment. This innovation simplifies the process, reducing costs and enhancing convenience.
Researchers at MIT develop a glassy, amber-like polymer that can store DNA at room temperature while protecting the molecules from damage caused by heat or water. The T-REX method allows easy removal of DNA without damaging it, making it a promising technology for storing digital information on DNA.
Scientists aim to create a spray-on bandage that breaks down within 48 hours, providing time for proper treatment. The project uses enzymes to degrade polymer complexes, which will allow for controlled degradation and potential applications in drug delivery.
A new study found that biodegradable teabags made from polylactic acid (PLA) can take years to break down in soil and cause harm to earthworms. The research highlights the need for clear disposal information on product packaging, as many manufacturers are not providing accurate guidance.
Engineers have modelled a new way to recycle polystyrene that could make the material reusable. The technique uses pyrolysis to break down polystyrene into parts that can be reformed into new pieces of the material, reducing energy consumption and increasing yield.
Researchers developed adhesive hydrogel coatings that eliminate fibrosis, a common issue with medical implants. The coatings bind devices to tissue and prevent the immune system from attacking them.
Researchers aim to create polymers that can form the basis of effective sensors for applications in physiological, environmental, and Internet of Things monitoring. The goal is to increase energy efficiency and broaden material choices, enabling devices to operate at low voltage and interact with ions and transport ionic charges.
A new detector system uses a combination of metal-organic frameworks and conductive polymers to provide continuous monitoring of toxic gases. The material shows high sensitivity and reversibility, enabling detection at low concentrations, making it suitable for industrial or home settings.