Polymers and soft materials news, November 2019

Flushed with success

Polymer coating to make a non-stick toilet bowl

Storing renewable energy even when there is no sun or wind

New class of polymers brings cheaper grid batteries

Theoretical nanotube structure inspires super-hard polymer material

A lightweight polymer material full of holes, inspired by theoretical nanotube structures called tubulanes, is nearly as hard as diamond.

Presentation of 13th Feng Xinde Prize for the Best Chinese Paper Published in Polymer in 2018

Improved electrical devices from 3D-printed polymer structures

Embedding electrical circuits inside 3D-printed plastics to improve electronic devices

Open Call - Materials Today Chemistry: Special Issue on FINAEC (Functional Interfaces based Nanomaterials for Applications in Environment and Chemistry)

Using decoys to fight autoimmune diseases

A material that mimics the organs targeted by autoimmune cells could draw these cells away from vulnerable body tissues

Deadline Extended for the 2020 Robert Cahn Award

Catalyst switching creates one material out of four polymers

By juggling four different chemical reactions in a single flask, researchers have combined four polymers to form a single multicrystalline substance.

Electric field causes liquid crystals to display novel structures

By applying an intermittent electrical field, researchers have managed to get blue-phase liquid crystals to adopt novel structures with novel properties.

Novel polymer membrane goes with the flow battery

Researchers have found that a class of polymers known as AquaPIMs can produce an ideal membrane for use in a flow battery.

Why do some crystals shrink when they’re heated?

By analyzing the atomic structure of scandium fluoride, scientists have discovered why certain crystalline materials shrink when they're heated.

Spider silk stitches up antibacterial coatings

coating silk sutures with antimicrobial spider silk proteins could alleviate the problem of post-surgical infection

Novel monomer produces more degradable polymers

By incorporating a special monomer, scientists have developed polymers that can break down more easily under certain conditions.

Graphene resists stresses and strains with kirigami

Applying kirigami, the Japanese art of cutting and folding, to graphene can make it more strain tolerant and adaptable to movement.

Kirigami-inspired sensors take the strain

kirigami-inspired design allows graphene-based sensor devices to withstand large strains

Wet polymers produce responsive coatings for controlling light and heat

By wetting porous polymer coatings with alcohol, researchers have come up with an inexpensive and scalable way to control light and heat in buildings.

Infused CMF better than aluminum as leading-edge wing material

A combination of steel composite metal foam and epoxy resin is a better leading-edge material for aircraft wings than the aluminum currently used.

‘Chimera’ membrane promises to filter out micropollutants

new type of membrane can filter micropollutants like pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and plasticizers from drinking or wastewater