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Silver-loaded carbon nanofibers for ammonia sensing

  • Yang Yu , Xin Xin , Shanxiang Zhang , Jinxia Sui , Jing Yu , Xiaoxiong Wang EMAIL logo and Yun-Ze Long EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: November 3, 2020
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e-Polymers
From the journal e-Polymers Volume 20 Issue 1

Abstract

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were prepared by electrospinning, and silver (Ag) ions were grown on the surface of the CNFs by in situ solution synthesis. The structure and morphology of obtained Ag-doped CNFs (Ag-CNFs) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The gas sensibility of the composite fiber was investigated by ammonia (NH3) obtained by natural volatilization from 1 to 4 mL of NH3 solution at room temperature. It was found that the fibers exhibited a sensitive current corresponding to different NH3 concentrations and a greater response at high concentrations. The sensing mechanism was discussed, and the good absorptivity was demonstrated. The results show that Ag-CNF is a promising material for the detection of toxic NH3.

Keywords: electrospinning; carbon nanofibers; sensors

1 Introduction

In recent years, many studies have focused on the development of low-cost, flexible, multi-application, and lightweight sensors with stable operation, high sensitivity, fast response, and low operating temperature. At present, displacement sensors (1,2,3), strain sensors (4,5), humidity sensor (6,7), pressure sensors (8,9), temperature sensors (10,11), and gas sensors (12,13) have been widely explored. Electrospinning is a low-cost, simple, highly efficient, and promising method for the preparation of one-dimensional (1D) micro-/nanofibers (14,15). It can be used to prepare polymer, organic, inorganic and multi-component composite nanofibers, having been widely used in nanoelectronics, nanosensors, drug release, and catalysts (16,17,18,19,20,21). Compared to thin-film sensors, fiber-based sensors produced by electrospinning have higher sensitivity and faster response time (22,23,24,25), having been used to detect multiple chemicals, including NH3, NO2, CO, N2H4, formaldehyde, ethanol, and other organic gases (26,27,28,29,30).

Nowadays, metal oxide semiconductors and solid electrolytes sensors occupy most of the markets for gas sensors (31,32). However, both of them need to work at higher temperatures (hundreds to more than 1,000°C), consume large power, and have low sensitivity, poor anti-interference ability, and inconvenient use. With the development of nanotechnology, a large number of research reports on carbon-based gas sensors have been published in recent years, which show good analytical sensitivity at room temperature (33,34), such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, graphene oxide and activated carbon (35,36,37,38,39). 1D CNFs have high surface adsorption capacity, good electrical conductivity, electronic ballistic transmission characteristics, and other excellent properties, becoming one of the ideal materials for the fabrication of nanoscale gas sensors with high sensitivity, fast response, small size, and low energy consumption (40,41,42). Among the many CNFs, the CNFs prepared based on the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) are the most common ones with high tensile strength (43,44,45), low production cost, and suitable for large-scale production.

Ammonia is a common irritating gas. It is widely used in chemical and agricultural fields and has corrosive and irritating effects on human skin and mucous membranes. This study found that carbon materials have good response characteristics to NH3. Silver and its compounds are one of the most important antibacterial materials. They have high bactericidal activity and biocompatibility and have antibacterial effects against bacteria, fungi, and even viruses. Many studies have modified nanomaterials based on this property of Ag, such as Ag-CNT, Ag/ZNO, and so on, see Table 1 for details (46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54). This study describes an antibacterial NH3 sensor based on the CNFs. Ag-CNFs were prepared by electrospinning and impregnation. We measured and analyzed the response characteristics to NH3 by focusing on the change in resistance of Ag-CNFs and found that it exhibits good NH3 sensing performance in 1–4 mL of NH3 solution. Ag-CNFs can be used as an NH3 gas sensor at room temperature that is inexpensive to produce, flexible, sensitive, and antibacterial.

Table 1

Applications of Ag-loaded nanomaterials

MaterialsFunctionRef.
Ag-CNTGas sensor for NH3 and CO2; improved field emission properties(44,45)
Ag/ZnOIOT and field electron emission application(46)
Al/Ag-CNFGas sensors for C2H2(47)
Ag-TiO2Visible light photocatalysis(48)
Ag/SnO2Sensor for H2O2(49)
Ag-Pt/pCNFsDetect DA(50)
Ag-TiO2–CNTLight photocatalysis(51)
PANI/Ag/CNFSolid flexible aerogel supercapacitor(52)

2 Experimental section and characterization

2.1 Materials

Silver nitrate (AgNO3, ≥99.8%), 2,2-dimethylolbutanoic acid (DMBA), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and NH3 solution (25–28%) were purchased from Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd, China. The PAN (MW = 1,50,000) was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, USA.

2.2 Preparation of pure PAN fibers by electrospinning

The PAN–DMF solution having a polymer mass ratio of 12% was prepared by stirring at room temperature for 4 h by a magnetic stirrer. Self-assembled equipment was used for electrospinning, including a high-voltage power supply, propulsion pumps, and aluminum foil as the receiver. The spinning solution was placed in a plastic syringe and mounted on a propulsion pump. The aluminum foil was placed perpendicular to the horizontal plane and connected to the ground. The volume feed rate, applied voltage, and tip-to-collector distance were 1 mL/h, 15 kV, and 10 cm, respectively. The spinning temperature was 20°C and the humidity was 50%.

2.3 Preparation of Ag-CNFs

The pure PAN fiber obtained by electrospinning was subjected to a two-stage heating process. First, the pre-oxidation process was carried out by heating at 260°C for 140 min and the heating rate was 2°C/min. Then, the temperature was raised to 900°C for 120 min at a rate of 5°C/min in an argon atmosphere. Finally, natural cooling is performed to obtain CNFs. Since the Ag nanostructure has antibacterial properties, it is compounded onto the CNF to protect it (55,56). AgNO3 (10 mM) was mixed with 20 mL water to soak the CNFs for 3 h. CNFs were taken out and washed with DMBA until no bubbles generated. Then, it was dried at 60°C for 4 h to obtain Ag-CNFs.

2.4 Sensor assembly

A simple gas sensor was assembled by sandwiching Ag-CNFs between two copper electrodes (copper sheets), and the size of the composite was 20 × 60 × 2 mm3. Two copper wires were fixed to the copper electrodes by soldering. Copper wire was used to connect an electrical performance measurement system that responds to changes in current in an NH3 environment.

2.5 Characterization

The samples were characterized by XRD at room temperature. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM, JSM-6390) was used to observe the surface morphology of pure PAN fibers, CNFs and Ag-CNFs. Electrical properties were tested by a Keithley 6487 high resistance meter system (Washington, USA) at room temperature.

2.6 Simulation by COMSOL Multiphysics

COMSOL Multiphysics has been increasingly used in the process of simulating gas sensing mechanism. And in this article, COMSOL is applied to demonstrate the distribution of NH3 in Ag-CNFs. The model of transport of diluted species has been used and the boundary concentration of NH3 around Ag-CNFs has been set as 0.5 mol/m3 to make simulation results more obvious. The temperature has been set as 20°C and the porosity of Ag-CNFs is 0.1.

3 Results and discussion

3.1 XRD

X-ray diffraction is a powerful tool for characterizing the structure of materials. The diffraction peaks of the nanofibers are indexed by standard cards of C and Ag (PDF No. 80-0017 and 87-0717). A comparison of the XRD patterns of the CNFs and Ag-CNFs with the standard map is shown in Figure 1. It can be seen that the diffraction peaks appear in the spectra of both samples, indicating a good crystallinity. The main peak of the CNFs is at 44°, corresponding to the (111) plane of C. The main peak of Ag-CNFs at 44° corresponds to the (200) crystalline plane of Ag and the (111) plane of C, and the second-largest peak at 38° corresponds to the (111) plane of Ag. This confirms that the Ag-ions are effectively modified on the surface of the CNFs.

Figure 1 XRD patterns of CNFs and Ag-CNFs.
Figure 1

XRD patterns of CNFs and Ag-CNFs.

3.2 SEM

Figure 2a shows the morphology of the as-spun pure PAN nanofibers prepared by electrospinning with a smooth surface and uniform diameter. Its average diameter is 320 ± 24.67 nm. To avoid fiber melting or fusion, we oxidized PAN nanofibers at 260°C to convert C–C and C–N to C–C and C–N bonds (57,58), followed by carbonization at 900°C. After carbonization, a significant color change from white to black was observed, and the morphology of the obtained CNFs is shown in Figure 2b. It can be seen that CNFs have uniform diameter distribution, have no significant change in appearance, and maintain fibrous morphology, which is related to the entanglement network and flexibility of pure PAN fibers. The average diameter of the CNFs is 301 ± 26.20 nm. It is reduced by ∼20 nm than pure PAN fiber, derived from the volatilization of DMF as a solvent and the disappearance of O and H components in PAN. The SEM image in Figure 2b shows that the nanofibers are slightly curved. This is because the defects in the PAN fiber itself will be inherited in the CNF fiber (59). In the figure, it can be observed that the PAN fiber precursors have a certain phenomenon of adhesion and merging due to problems such as residual solvent during the spinning process. Manocha et al. tested the shrinkage of PAN fibers when heated at 200–1,000°C. The shrinkage of fibers happened in three temperature sections 200–350°C, 600–800°C, and 800–1,000°C and was mainly concentrated in the first two stages. Under the combined effect of shrinkage stress and defects, the fibers become bent (60). Ag-CNFs were obtained by Ag-ion modification of CNFs with AgNO3 solution, and its morphology is as shown in Figure 2c. It can be seen that there are micron-/nanoscale Ag particles on the surface of the fiber, which proves the feasibility of the inorganic salt impregnating the surface of the nanofiber to form a nanostructure (61).

Figure 2 (a) SEM images and diameter distribution histogram of pure PAN fibers, (b) CNFs, and (c) Ag-CNFs.
Figure 2

(a) SEM images and diameter distribution histogram of pure PAN fibers, (b) CNFs, and (c) Ag-CNFs.

3.3 NH3 sensing measurement

We tested the NH3 sensing performance of Ag-CNFs at room temperature. The Ag-CNF sensor was placed in a sealed container and the concentration of NH3 was controlled by the natural evaporation of the NH3 solution. The voltage across the sensor was 0.2 V. The structure of test device is shown in Figure 3. The electrical properties of the sensor were measured at different NH3 concentrations. Figure 4 shows the electrical response of Ag-CNFs to 1, 2, 3, and 4 mL of the NH3 solution, in a closed container, the density of 1–4 mL of NH3 after volatilization is 0.0754, 0.1508, 0.2262, and 0.3016 mol/m3, indicating the effect of NH3 on electrical transport behavior. It can be seen that a high concentration of NH3 results in a bigger current, meaning that the resistance of the sensor decreases and the conductivity is improved. A sensor exposed to a higher concentration of NH3 solution exhibits a larger current change, that is, as the gas concentration increases, the sensor response becomes larger. In addition, the sensor current remains stable at the same NH3 concentration, indicating that Ag-CNFs have good NH3 sensing properties.

Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the device for Ag-CNF testing NH3 concentration, the voltage applied during the test is 0.2 V.
Figure 3

Schematic diagram of the device for Ag-CNF testing NH3 concentration, the voltage applied during the test is 0.2 V.

Figure 4 Sensing properties of Ag-CNFs for NH3 at different NH3 contents. After adding NH3 water, it was allowed to stand for 10 min, and the power-on test time was 1 min.
Figure 4

Sensing properties of Ag-CNFs for NH3 at different NH3 contents. After adding NH3 water, it was allowed to stand for 10 min, and the power-on test time was 1 min.

This is due to the adsorption of NH3 by Ag-CNFs, as shown in Figure 4. Ag-CNFs is exposed to NH3 (Figure 5a). The NH3 molecule adheres to the pores on the surface of the sample that is not electrically conductive compared with the state after adsorption, increasing the cross section of the conductive path, as shown in Figure 5b. The resistance of Ag-CNFs adsorbed with NH3 decreased and the current increased. When the surface adsorption reaches saturation, NH3 molecules begin to diffuse from the surface to the inside. When the adsorption process is completed, the conductive regions of the Ag-CNFs are stabilized and the current is constant (Figure 5c). The higher the concentration of NH3, the larger the corresponding current change, indicating its better adsorption performance. When the Ag-CNFs are in the NH3 environment, the NH3 concentration on the surface will increase rapidly. As the time in the NH3 environment increases, the internal NH3 concentration will gradually increase until it reaches saturation. The equation of gas diffusion in this simulation can be described by:

(1)De,i=εPτF,iDF,i

where De,i is gas diffusion coefficient in Ag-CNFs, εP is porosity of Ag-CNFs, τF,i is effective diffusivity constant, and DF,i is gas diffusion coefficient in free air. The effective diffusion coefficient model can be described by Millington–Quirk model or Freundlich equation:

(2)τF,i=εP−13
(3)kP,i,F=KF,iNP,icNF,i−1cref,iNF,i

where kP,i,F is adsorbate constant of NH3, NP,i is adsorbent constant of Ag-CNFs, KF,i is Freundlich constant, NF,i is Freundlich exponent, and cref,i is reference concentration. In fact, Millington–Quirk model describes better in this case, because Freundlich equation focuses too much on the surface state. And, the simulation result is shown in Figure 6. This figure demonstrated the adsorption of NH3 molecules on Ag-CNF by different colors and inward diffusion. As previously imagined, NH3 adsorption mainly happened on the surface, and after a certain period of diffusion, NH3 would appear in deeper parts, but with much lower concentration. It showed that diffusion on fibers with smaller diameters will reach equilibrium faster, which has a quicker response at low NH3 concentration. In case of this report, this means that in a given period, the NH3 concentration will be reflected more obviously by the change of resistance and this explains the high sensitivity of the sensor.

Figure 5 Process of adsorption of NH3 by Ag-CNFs. (a) Ag-CNFs in NH3 atmosphere. (b) Ag-CNFs begin to adsorb NH3 and surface seepage occurs. (c) Surface adsorption is saturated and begins to diffuse internally.
Figure 5

Process of adsorption of NH3 by Ag-CNFs. (a) Ag-CNFs in NH3 atmosphere. (b) Ag-CNFs begin to adsorb NH3 and surface seepage occurs. (c) Surface adsorption is saturated and begins to diffuse internally.

Figure 6 Distribution of the NH3 concentration in the Ag-CNFs surface simulated by COMSOL.
Figure 6

Distribution of the NH3 concentration in the Ag-CNFs surface simulated by COMSOL.

Ag-CNF-based sensors can be used not only for toxic gas alarm systems, but also for characterizing food spoilage. When animals, plants, and foods prepared by them are decomposed by enzymes produced by microorganisms, abnormal odors may occur. If the protein is decomposed, it will produce harmful gases such as NH3 and H2S. Human senses may be more difficult to capture trace amounts of gas from food spoilage in a timely manner. By putting Ag-CNFs sensors together with food, we can get information on food spoilage in a sensitive and timely manner, avoiding food poisoning caused by consumption.

Gas sensors involve physical and chemical adsorption and other reasons. The chemical gas sensor itself requires a long time of adsorption and desorption processes, so the repeatability problem of the gas sensor has always been a problem in the field. When the gas is to be measured, there are differences in the same concentration response multiple times in a short time, but after a longer time interval and calibration, better repeatability can be obtained (62,63). With further research on the sensor, optimizing the conditions of electrospinning PAN, and to get finer fibers, continuous operation of the gas sensor reliability will be improved due to the larger specific surface area.

4 Conclusions

In summary, Ag-CNFs were successfully prepared by electrospinning and in situ solution polymerization, prepared into an NH3 sensor at room temperature. The surface of the CNFs was modified with Ag nanoparticles having antibacterial properties to protect the fibers. It can be used to detect NH3 naturally evolved from 1 to 4 mL of NH3 solution in a closed vessel and has a high response at higher NH3 concentrations. This work can provide a viable way to create a low-cost, high-sensitivity, stable, detectable NH3 concentration sensor for use in toxic gas alarm systems and characterize food spoilage.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51673103) and the Postdoctoral Scientific Research Foundation of Qingdao (2016014).

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Received: 2020-03-30
Revised: 2020-07-03
Accepted: 2020-07-04
Published Online: 2020-11-03

© 2020 Yang Yu et al., published by De Gruyter

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Regular Articles
  2. The regulatory effects of the number of VP(N-vinylpyrrolidone) function groups on macrostructure and photochromic properties of polyoxometalates/copolymer hybrid films
  3. How the hindered amines affect the microstructure and mechanical properties of nitrile-butadiene rubber composites
  4. Novel benzimidazole-based conjugated polyelectrolytes: synthesis, solution photophysics and fluorescent sensing of metal ions
  5. Study on the variation of rock pore structure after polymer gel flooding
  6. Investigation on compatibility of PLA/PBAT blends modified by epoxy-terminated branched polymers through chemical micro-crosslinking
  7. Investigation on degradation mechanism of polymer blockages in unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs
  8. Investigation on the effect of active-polymers with different functional groups for EOR
  9. Fabrication and characterization of hexadecyl acrylate cross-linked phase change microspheres
  10. Surface-induced phase transitions in thin films of dendrimer block copolymers
  11. ZnO-assisted coating of tetracalcium phosphate/ gelatin on the polyethylene terephthalate woven nets by atomic layer deposition
  12. Animal fat and glycerol bioconversion to polyhydroxyalkanoate by produced water bacteria
  13. Effect of microstructure on the properties of polystyrene microporous foaming material
  14. Synthesis of amphiphilic poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) containing trityl ether acid cleavable junction group and its self-assembly into ordered nanoporous thin films
  15. On-demand optimize design of sound-absorbing porous material based on multi-population genetic algorithm
  16. Enhancement of mechanical, thermal and water uptake performance of TPU/jute fiber green composites via chemical treatments on fiber surface
  17. Enhancement of mechanical properties of natural rubber–clay nanocomposites through incorporation of silanated organoclay into natural rubber latex
  18. Preparation and characterization of corn starch/PVA/glycerol composite films incorporated with ε-polylysine as a novel antimicrobial packaging material
  19. Preparation of novel amphoteric polyacrylamide and its synergistic retention with cationic polymers
  20. Effect of montmorillonite on PEBAX® 1074-based mixed matrix membranes to be used in humidifiers in proton exchange membrane fuel cells
  21. Insight on the effect of a piperonylic acid derivative on the crystallization process, melting behavior, thermal stability, optical and mechanical properties of poly(l-lactic acid)
  22. Lipase-catalyzed synthesis and post-polymerization modification of new fully bio-based poly(hexamethylene γ-ketopimelate) and poly(hexamethylene γ-ketopimelate-co-hexamethylene adipate) copolyesters
  23. Dielectric, mechanical and thermal properties of all-organic PI/PSF composite films by in situ polymerization
  24. Morphological transition of amphiphilic block copolymer/PEGylated phospholipid complexes induced by the dynamic subtle balance interactions in the self-assembled aggregates
  25. Silica/polymer core–shell particles prepared via soap-free emulsion polymerization
  26. Antibacterial epoxy composites with addition of natural Artemisia annua waste
  27. Design and preparation of 3D printing intelligent poly N,N-dimethylacrylamide hydrogel actuators
  28. Multilayer-structured fibrous membrane with directional moisture transportability and thermal radiation for high-performance air filtration
  29. Reaction characteristics of polymer expansive jet impact on explosive reactive armour
  30. Synthesis of a novel modified chitosan as an intumescent flame retardant for epoxy resin
  31. Synthesis of aminated polystyrene and its self-assembly with nanoparticles at oil/water interface
  32. The synthesis and characterisation of porous and monodisperse, chemically modified hypercrosslinked poly(acrylonitrile)-based terpolymer as a sorbent for the adsorption of acidic pharmaceuticals
  33. Crystal transition and thermal behavior of Nylon 12
  34. All-optical non-conjugated multi-functionalized photorefractive polymers via ring-opening metathesis polymerization
  35. Fabrication of LDPE/PS interpolymer resin particles through a swelling suspension polymerization approach
  36. Determination of the carbonyl index of polyethylene and polypropylene using specified area under band methodology with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy
  37. Synthesis, electropolymerization, and electrochromic performances of two novel tetrathiafulvalene–thiophene assemblies
  38. Wetting behaviors of fluoroterpolymer fiber films
  39. Plugging mechanisms of polymer gel used for hydraulic fracture water shutoff
  40. Synthesis of flexible poly(l-lactide)-b-polyethylene glycol-b-poly(l-lactide) bioplastics by ring-opening polymerization in the presence of chain extender
  41. Sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) functionalized polysilsesquioxane hybrid membranes with enhanced proton conductivity
  42. Fmoc-diphenylalanine-based hydrogels as a potential carrier for drug delivery
  43. Effect of diacylhydrazine as chain extender on microphase separation and performance of energetic polyurethane elastomer
  44. Improved high-temperature damping performance of nitrile-butadiene rubber/phenolic resin composites by introducing different hindered amine molecules
  45. Rational synthesis of silicon into polyimide-derived hollow electrospun carbon nanofibers for enhanced lithium storage
  46. Synthesis, characterization and properties of phthalonitrile-etherified resole resin
  47. Highly thermally conductive boron nitride@UHMWPE composites with segregated structure
  48. Synthesis of high-temperature thermally expandable microcapsules and their effects on foaming quality and surface quality of foamed ABS materials
  49. Tribological and nanomechanical properties of a lignin-based biopolymer
  50. Hydroxyapatite/polyetheretherketone nanocomposites for selective laser sintering: Thermal and mechanical performances
  51. Synthesis of a phosphoramidate flame retardant and its flame retardancy on cotton fabrics
  52. Preparation and characterization of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) copolymers with enhanced hydrophilicity
  53. Fabrication of flexible SiO2 nanofibrous yarn via a conjugate electrospinning process
  54. Silver-loaded carbon nanofibers for ammonia sensing
  55. Polar migration behavior of phosphonate groups in phosphonate esterified acrylic grafted epoxy ester composites and their role in substrate protection
  56. Solubility and diffusion coefficient of supercritical CO2 in polystyrene dynamic melt
  57. Curcumin-loaded polyvinyl butyral film with antibacterial activity
  58. Experimental-numerical studies of the effect of cell structure on the mechanical properties of polypropylene foams
  59. Experimental investigation on the three-dimensional flow field from a meltblowing slot die
  60. Enhancing tribo-mechanical properties and thermal stability of nylon 6 by hexagonal boron nitride fillers
  61. Preparation and characterization of electrospun fibrous scaffolds of either PVA or PVP for fast release of sildenafil citrate
  62. Seawater degradation of PLA accelerated by water-soluble PVA
  63. Review Article
  64. Mechanical properties and application analysis of spider silk bionic material
  65. Additive manufacturing of PLA-based scaffolds intended for bone regeneration and strategies to improve their biological properties
  66. Structural design toward functional materials by electrospinning: A review
  67. Special Issue: XXXII National Congress of the Mexican Polymer Society
  68. Tailoring the morphology of poly(high internal phase emulsions) synthesized by using deep eutectic solvents
  69. Modification of Ceiba pentandra cellulose for drug release applications
  70. Redox initiation in semicontinuous polymerization to search for specific mechanical properties of copolymers
  71. pH-responsive polymer micelles for methotrexate delivery at tumor microenvironments
  72. Microwave-assisted synthesis of the lipase-catalyzed ring-opening copolymerization of ε-caprolactone and ω-pentadecanolactone: Thermal and FTIR characterization
  73. Rapid Communications
  74. Pilot-scale production of polylactic acid nanofibers by melt electrospinning
  75. Erratum
  76. Erratum to: Synthesis and characterization of new macromolecule systems for colon-specific drug delivery
https://doi.org/10.1515/epoly-2020-0056
Keywords for this article
electrospinning; carbon nanofibers; sensors
Creative Commons
BY 4.0

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Regular Articles
  2. The regulatory effects of the number of VP(N-vinylpyrrolidone) function groups on macrostructure and photochromic properties of polyoxometalates/copolymer hybrid films
  3. How the hindered amines affect the microstructure and mechanical properties of nitrile-butadiene rubber composites
  4. Novel benzimidazole-based conjugated polyelectrolytes: synthesis, solution photophysics and fluorescent sensing of metal ions
  5. Study on the variation of rock pore structure after polymer gel flooding
  6. Investigation on compatibility of PLA/PBAT blends modified by epoxy-terminated branched polymers through chemical micro-crosslinking
  7. Investigation on degradation mechanism of polymer blockages in unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs
  8. Investigation on the effect of active-polymers with different functional groups for EOR
  9. Fabrication and characterization of hexadecyl acrylate cross-linked phase change microspheres
  10. Surface-induced phase transitions in thin films of dendrimer block copolymers
  11. ZnO-assisted coating of tetracalcium phosphate/ gelatin on the polyethylene terephthalate woven nets by atomic layer deposition
  12. Animal fat and glycerol bioconversion to polyhydroxyalkanoate by produced water bacteria
  13. Effect of microstructure on the properties of polystyrene microporous foaming material
  14. Synthesis of amphiphilic poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) containing trityl ether acid cleavable junction group and its self-assembly into ordered nanoporous thin films
  15. On-demand optimize design of sound-absorbing porous material based on multi-population genetic algorithm
  16. Enhancement of mechanical, thermal and water uptake performance of TPU/jute fiber green composites via chemical treatments on fiber surface
  17. Enhancement of mechanical properties of natural rubber–clay nanocomposites through incorporation of silanated organoclay into natural rubber latex
  18. Preparation and characterization of corn starch/PVA/glycerol composite films incorporated with ε-polylysine as a novel antimicrobial packaging material
  19. Preparation of novel amphoteric polyacrylamide and its synergistic retention with cationic polymers
  20. Effect of montmorillonite on PEBAX® 1074-based mixed matrix membranes to be used in humidifiers in proton exchange membrane fuel cells
  21. Insight on the effect of a piperonylic acid derivative on the crystallization process, melting behavior, thermal stability, optical and mechanical properties of poly(l-lactic acid)
  22. Lipase-catalyzed synthesis and post-polymerization modification of new fully bio-based poly(hexamethylene γ-ketopimelate) and poly(hexamethylene γ-ketopimelate-co-hexamethylene adipate) copolyesters
  23. Dielectric, mechanical and thermal properties of all-organic PI/PSF composite films by in situ polymerization
  24. Morphological transition of amphiphilic block copolymer/PEGylated phospholipid complexes induced by the dynamic subtle balance interactions in the self-assembled aggregates
  25. Silica/polymer core–shell particles prepared via soap-free emulsion polymerization
  26. Antibacterial epoxy composites with addition of natural Artemisia annua waste
  27. Design and preparation of 3D printing intelligent poly N,N-dimethylacrylamide hydrogel actuators
  28. Multilayer-structured fibrous membrane with directional moisture transportability and thermal radiation for high-performance air filtration
  29. Reaction characteristics of polymer expansive jet impact on explosive reactive armour
  30. Synthesis of a novel modified chitosan as an intumescent flame retardant for epoxy resin
  31. Synthesis of aminated polystyrene and its self-assembly with nanoparticles at oil/water interface
  32. The synthesis and characterisation of porous and monodisperse, chemically modified hypercrosslinked poly(acrylonitrile)-based terpolymer as a sorbent for the adsorption of acidic pharmaceuticals
  33. Crystal transition and thermal behavior of Nylon 12
  34. All-optical non-conjugated multi-functionalized photorefractive polymers via ring-opening metathesis polymerization
  35. Fabrication of LDPE/PS interpolymer resin particles through a swelling suspension polymerization approach
  36. Determination of the carbonyl index of polyethylene and polypropylene using specified area under band methodology with ATR-FTIR spectroscopy
  37. Synthesis, electropolymerization, and electrochromic performances of two novel tetrathiafulvalene–thiophene assemblies
  38. Wetting behaviors of fluoroterpolymer fiber films
  39. Plugging mechanisms of polymer gel used for hydraulic fracture water shutoff
  40. Synthesis of flexible poly(l-lactide)-b-polyethylene glycol-b-poly(l-lactide) bioplastics by ring-opening polymerization in the presence of chain extender
  41. Sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) functionalized polysilsesquioxane hybrid membranes with enhanced proton conductivity
  42. Fmoc-diphenylalanine-based hydrogels as a potential carrier for drug delivery
  43. Effect of diacylhydrazine as chain extender on microphase separation and performance of energetic polyurethane elastomer
  44. Improved high-temperature damping performance of nitrile-butadiene rubber/phenolic resin composites by introducing different hindered amine molecules
  45. Rational synthesis of silicon into polyimide-derived hollow electrospun carbon nanofibers for enhanced lithium storage
  46. Synthesis, characterization and properties of phthalonitrile-etherified resole resin
  47. Highly thermally conductive boron nitride@UHMWPE composites with segregated structure
  48. Synthesis of high-temperature thermally expandable microcapsules and their effects on foaming quality and surface quality of foamed ABS materials
  49. Tribological and nanomechanical properties of a lignin-based biopolymer
  50. Hydroxyapatite/polyetheretherketone nanocomposites for selective laser sintering: Thermal and mechanical performances
  51. Synthesis of a phosphoramidate flame retardant and its flame retardancy on cotton fabrics
  52. Preparation and characterization of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) copolymers with enhanced hydrophilicity
  53. Fabrication of flexible SiO2 nanofibrous yarn via a conjugate electrospinning process
  54. Silver-loaded carbon nanofibers for ammonia sensing
  55. Polar migration behavior of phosphonate groups in phosphonate esterified acrylic grafted epoxy ester composites and their role in substrate protection
  56. Solubility and diffusion coefficient of supercritical CO2 in polystyrene dynamic melt
  57. Curcumin-loaded polyvinyl butyral film with antibacterial activity
  58. Experimental-numerical studies of the effect of cell structure on the mechanical properties of polypropylene foams
  59. Experimental investigation on the three-dimensional flow field from a meltblowing slot die
  60. Enhancing tribo-mechanical properties and thermal stability of nylon 6 by hexagonal boron nitride fillers
  61. Preparation and characterization of electrospun fibrous scaffolds of either PVA or PVP for fast release of sildenafil citrate
  62. Seawater degradation of PLA accelerated by water-soluble PVA
  63. Review Article
  64. Mechanical properties and application analysis of spider silk bionic material
  65. Additive manufacturing of PLA-based scaffolds intended for bone regeneration and strategies to improve their biological properties
  66. Structural design toward functional materials by electrospinning: A review
  67. Special Issue: XXXII National Congress of the Mexican Polymer Society
  68. Tailoring the morphology of poly(high internal phase emulsions) synthesized by using deep eutectic solvents
  69. Modification of Ceiba pentandra cellulose for drug release applications
  70. Redox initiation in semicontinuous polymerization to search for specific mechanical properties of copolymers
  71. pH-responsive polymer micelles for methotrexate delivery at tumor microenvironments
  72. Microwave-assisted synthesis of the lipase-catalyzed ring-opening copolymerization of ε-caprolactone and ω-pentadecanolactone: Thermal and FTIR characterization
  73. Rapid Communications
  74. Pilot-scale production of polylactic acid nanofibers by melt electrospinning
  75. Erratum
  76. Erratum to: Synthesis and characterization of new macromolecule systems for colon-specific drug delivery
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