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Polymers
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State-of-the-Art Polymer Science and Technology in Romania (2020,2021)
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State-of-the-Art Polymer Science and Technology in Romania (2020,2021)

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 18237

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sergiu Coseri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of Romanian Academy, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Interests: polysaccharides; cellulose; bio-based materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Bogdan Cristofor Simionescu

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
1. “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Romanian Academy, 700487 Iasi, Romania
2. Polymers Research Center, “Gh. Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, 700050 Iasi, Romania
Interests: biomaterials; polymer synthesis; functional polymers; complex macromolecular architectures

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer science and technology is one of the most important and representative fields for the scientific community in Romania, including both current trends and fundamental studies of polymers. As a highly dynamic field, in a constantly changing and challenging field, Polymer Science and Technology focuses mainly on polymer innovations and research applications in science, technology, engineering and medicine. Romania has a long tradition in this field, with traditional teaching and research centers, located in major universities such as Bucharest, Iasi, Cluj Napoca, Timisoara. Apart from these, there are well-equipped research institutes belonging to the Romanian Academy, recognized in the world for the scientific value of published works and for highly qualified human resources. In this special issue, I am very pleased to include works of high scientific value made by the best specialists in Romania, from research centers representative of the field.

Dr. Sergiu Coseri
Prof. Dr. Bogdan Cristofor Simionescu
Guest editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 3772 KiB  
Article
Complex Behavior in the Dynamics of a Polymeric Biocomposite Material—“Liquid Wood”. Experimental and Theoretical Aspects
by Tudor-Cristian Petrescu, Petru Mihai, Johannes Theodorus Voordijk, Valentin Nedeff, Dorin Văideanu, Florin Nedeff, Traian-Dănuț Babor, Decebal Vasincu and Maricel Agop
Polymers 2022, 14(1), 64; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14010064 - 24 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2067
Abstract
The purpose of the present paper is to analyze, both experimentally and theoretically, the behavior of the polymeric biocomposite generically known as “liquid wood”, trademarked as Arbofill. The experimental part refers to the mechanical performance in tension and compression, having as finality the [...] Read more.
The purpose of the present paper is to analyze, both experimentally and theoretically, the behavior of the polymeric biocomposite generically known as “liquid wood”, trademarked as Arbofill. The experimental part refers to the mechanical performance in tension and compression, having as finality the possibility of using “liquid wood” as a material suitable for the rehabilitation of degraded wooden elements in civil structures (ex. use in historical buildings, monuments etc.). The theoretical part refers to computer simulations regarding the mechanical behavior of “liquid wood” as well as to a theoretical model in the paradigm of motion, which describes the same behavior. This model is based on the hypothesis that “liquid wood” can be assimilated, both structurally and functionally, to a multifractal object, situation in which its entities are described through continuous, non-differentiable curves. Then, descriptions of the behavior of “liquid wood”, both in the Schrödinger-type and in hydrodynamic-type representations at various scale resolutions, become operational. Since in the hydrodynamic-type representation, the constitutive law of “liquid wood” can be highlighted, several operational procedures (Ricatti-type gauge, differential geometry in absolute space etc.) will allow correlations between the present proposed model and the experimental data. The obtained results, both practical (81% bearing capacity in compression and 36% bearing capacity in tension, compared to control samples) and theoretical (validation of material performance in virtual environment simulations, stresses and strains correlations in a theoretical model) indicate that “liquid wood” could be used in the construction industry, as a potential rehabilitation material, but with more development clearly needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Polymer Science and Technology in Romania (2020,2021))
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15 pages, 2341 KiB  
Article
Composites Based on Natural Polymers and Microbial Biomass for Biosorption of Brilliant Red HE-3B Reactive Dye from Aqueous Solutions
by Daniela Suteu, Alexandra Cristina Blaga, Ramona Cimpoesu, Adrian Cătălin Puiţel and Ramona-Elena Tataru-Farmus
Polymers 2021, 13(24), 4314; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13244314 - 09 Dec 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2209
Abstract
Natural polymers have proven to be extremely interesting matrices for the immobilization of microbial biomasses, via various mechanisms, in order to bring them into a form easier to handle—the form of composites. This article aimed to study composites based on a residual microbial [...] Read more.
Natural polymers have proven to be extremely interesting matrices for the immobilization of microbial biomasses, via various mechanisms, in order to bring them into a form easier to handle—the form of composites. This article aimed to study composites based on a residual microbial biomass immobilized in sodium alginate via an encapsulation technique as materials with adsorbent properties. Thus, this study focused on the residual biomass resulting from beer production (Saccharomyces pastorianus yeast, separated after the biosynthesis process by centrifugation and dried at 80 °C)—an important source of valuable compounds, used either as a raw material or for transformation into final products with added value. Thus, the biosorptive potential of this type of composite was tested—presenting in the form of spherical microcapsules 900 and 1500 μm in diameter—in a biosorption process applied to aqueous solutions containing the reactive dye Brilliant Red HE-3B (16.88–174.08 mg/L), studied in a batch system. The preparation and characterization of the obtained polymeric composites (pHPZC, SEM, EDS and FTIR spectra) and an analysis of different equilibrium isotherms (Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich—D–R) were investigated in order to estimate the quantitative characteristic parameters of the biosorption process, its thermal effects, and its possible mechanisms of action. The modelling of the experimental data led to the conclusion that the studied biosorption process took place after reaching the Langmuir isotherm (LI), and that the main mechanism was possibly physical, being spontaneous and probably exothermic according to the values obtained for the free energy of biosorption (E = 8.45–13.608 kJ/mol, from the DR equation), as well as the negative values for the Gibbs free energy and the enthalpy of biosorption (ΔH0 = −87.795 kJ/mol). The results obtained lead to the conclusion that encapsulation of this residual microbial biomass in sodium alginate leads to an easier-to-handle form of biomass, thus being an efficient biosorbent for static or dynamic operating systems for effluents containing moderate concentrations of reactive organic dyes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Polymer Science and Technology in Romania (2020,2021))
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18 pages, 3995 KiB  
Article
Thermosensitive Poloxamer-graft-Carboxymethyl Pullulan: A Potential Injectable Hydrogel for Drug Delivery
by Marieta Constantin, Bogdan Cosman, Maria Bercea, Gabriela-Liliana Ailiesei and Gheorghe Fundueanu
Polymers 2021, 13(18), 3025; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13183025 - 07 Sep 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2362
Abstract
A thermosensitive copolymer composed of amphiphilic triblock copolymer, poloxamer 407, grafted on hydrophilic pullulan with pendant carboxymethyl groups (CMP) was prepared and characterized. The structure of the new copolymer was assessed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance ( [...] Read more.
A thermosensitive copolymer composed of amphiphilic triblock copolymer, poloxamer 407, grafted on hydrophilic pullulan with pendant carboxymethyl groups (CMP) was prepared and characterized. The structure of the new copolymer was assessed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. The content of the poloxamer in the grafted copolymer was 83.8% (w/w). The effect of the copolymer concentration on the gelation behavior was analyzed by the vertical method and rheological tests; the gel phase of the copolymer occurred at a lower concentration (11%, w/v) as compared with poloxamer (18%, w/v). The starting gelation time under the simulated physiological conditions (phosphate buffer with a pH of 7.4, at 37 °C) was sensitive on the rest temperature before the test, this being 990 s and 280 s after 24 h rest at 4 °C and 20 °C, respectively. The rheological tests evidenced a high elasticity and excellent ability of the copolymer to recover the initial structure after the removal of the applied force or external stimuli. Moreover, the hydrogel has proved a sustained release of amoxicillin (taken as a model drug) over 168 h. Taken together, the results clearly indicate that this copolymer can be used as an injectable hydrogel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Polymer Science and Technology in Romania (2020,2021))
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15 pages, 3706 KiB  
Article
Affordable Magnetic Hydrogels Prepared from Biocompatible and Biodegradable Sources
by Raluca Ioana Baron, Gabriela Biliuta, Vlad Socoliuc and Sergiu Coseri
Polymers 2021, 13(11), 1693; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13111693 - 22 May 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2432
Abstract
Magnetic hydrogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/water-soluble tricarboxy cellulose (CO)/magnetic fluids (MFs) have been prepared by a freeze–thaw cycle technique. The system designed here combines the renewability and biocompatibility aspects of PVA and CO, as well as the magnetic properties of MFs, thereby [...] Read more.
Magnetic hydrogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/water-soluble tricarboxy cellulose (CO)/magnetic fluids (MFs) have been prepared by a freeze–thaw cycle technique. The system designed here combines the renewability and biocompatibility aspects of PVA and CO, as well as the magnetic properties of MFs, thereby offering special properties to the final product with potential applications in medicine. In the first step, the water-soluble CO is synthesized using a one-shot oxidation procedure and then the aqueous solutions of CO are mixed with PVA solutions and magnetic fluids in the absence of any additional cross-linking agent. The magnetic hydrogels were thoroughly investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetometry (VSM), and thermogravimetric analysis. The morphological results show an excellent distribution of magnetic particles and CO inside the PVA matrix. The VSM results show that the magnetic hydrogels possess superparamagnetic properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Polymer Science and Technology in Romania (2020,2021))
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17 pages, 2264 KiB  
Article
Aliphatic Polyurethane Elastomers Quaternized with Silane-Functionalized TiO2 Nanoparticles with UV-Shielding Features
by Lenuta Stroea, Andreea-Laura Chibac-Scutaru and Violeta Melinte
Polymers 2021, 13(8), 1318; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13081318 - 16 Apr 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2389
Abstract
The design of high-performance nanocomposites with improved mechanical, thermal or optical properties compared to starting polymers has generated special interest due to their use in a wide range of targeted applications. In the present work, polymer nanocomposites composed of polyurethane elastomers based on [...] Read more.
The design of high-performance nanocomposites with improved mechanical, thermal or optical properties compared to starting polymers has generated special interest due to their use in a wide range of targeted applications. In the present work, polymer nanocomposites composed of polyurethane elastomers based on polycaprolactone or polycaprolactone/poly(ethylene glycol) soft segments and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles as an inorganic filler were prepared and characterized. Initially, the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles was modified with (3-iodopropyl) trimethoxysilane as a coupling agent, and thereafter, the tertiary amine groups from polyurethane hard segments were quaternized with the silane-modified TiO2 nanoparticles in order to ensure covalent binding of the nanoparticles on the polymeric chains. In the preparation of polymer nanocomposites, two quaternization degrees were taken into account (1/1 and 1/0.5 molar ratios), and the resulting nanocomposite coatings were characterized by various methods (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, contact angle, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis). The mechanical parameters of the samples evaluated by tensile testing confirm the elastomeric character of the polyurethanes and of the corresponding composites, indicating the obtaining of highly flexible materials. The absorbance/transmittance measurements of PU/TiO2 thin films in the wavelength range of 200–700 nm show that these partially block UV-A radiation and all UV-B radiation from sunlight and could possibly be used as UV-protective elastomeric coatings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Polymer Science and Technology in Romania (2020,2021))
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Review

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21 pages, 5692 KiB  
Review
From Amorphous Silicones to Si-Containing Highly Ordered Polymers: Some Romanian Contributions in the Field
by Maria Cazacu, Carmen Racles, Mirela-Fernanda Zaltariov, Mihaela Dascalu, Adrian Bele, Codrin Tugui, Alexandra Bargan and George Stiubianu
Polymers 2021, 13(10), 1605; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13101605 - 16 May 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3190
Abstract
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), in spite of its well-defined helical structure, is an amorphous fluid even at extremely high molecular weights. The cause of this behavior is the high flexibility of the siloxane backbone and the lack of intermolecular interactions attributed to the presence of [...] Read more.
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), in spite of its well-defined helical structure, is an amorphous fluid even at extremely high molecular weights. The cause of this behavior is the high flexibility of the siloxane backbone and the lack of intermolecular interactions attributed to the presence of methyl groups. These make PDMS incompatible with almost any organic or inorganic component leading to phase separation in siloxane-siloxane copolymers containing blocks with polar organic groups and in siloxane-organic copolymers, where dimethylsiloxane segments co-exist with organic ones. Self-assembly at the micro- or nanometric scale is common in certain mixed structures, including micelles, vesicles, et cetera, manifesting reversibly in response to an external stimulus. Polymers with a very high degree of ordering in the form of high-quality crystals were obtained when siloxane/silane segments co-exist with coordinated metal blocks in the polymer chain. While in the case of coordination of secondary building units (SBUs) with siloxane ligands 1D chains are formed; when coordination is achieved in the presence of a mixture of ligands, siloxane and organic, 2D structures are formed in most cases. The Romanian research group’s results regarding these aspects are reviewed: from the synthesis of classic, amorphous silicone products, to their adaptation for use in emerging fields and to new self-assembled or highly ordered structures with properties that create perspectives for the use of silicones in hitherto unexpected areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Polymer Science and Technology in Romania (2020,2021))
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18 pages, 4575 KiB  
Review
Insights on Cellulose Research in the Last Two Decades in Romania
by Sergiu Coseri
Polymers 2021, 13(5), 689; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13050689 - 25 Feb 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2282
Abstract
In the current global context, cellulose fulfills those characteristics that give it clear advantages over synthetic fibers, having a huge potential for substituting fossil-based materials which are polluting and harmful to ecosystems. Research conducted in most laboratories around the world in the field [...] Read more.
In the current global context, cellulose fulfills those characteristics that give it clear advantages over synthetic fibers, having a huge potential for substituting fossil-based materials which are polluting and harmful to ecosystems. Research conducted in most laboratories around the world in the field of cellulose is overwhelmingly aimed at industrial needs because features such as renewability and low cost are the most important attributes for economic success. In this global effort, Romanian researchers contribute through achievements that are briefly reviewed in this paper. These refer to the main achievements reported after 2000 in the field of cellulose characterization and cellulose functionalization, as well as the main areas where cellulose-based materials were applied. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue State-of-the-Art Polymer Science and Technology in Romania (2020,2021))
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