Semiconducting polymers, large, chain-like molecules made from repeating subunits, are increasingly drawing the attention of researchers because of their potential applications in organic electronic devices. Like most semiconducting materials, semiconducting polymers can be classified as p-type or n-type according to their conducting properties. Although p-type semiconducting polymers have seen dramatic improvements thanks to recent advances, the same cannot be said about their n-type counterparts, whose electron conduction (or ‘electron mobility’) is still poor. lire plus…

Molecularly imprinted polymers that bind odor-causing molecules appear safe for both skin and its microbiome. Polymer nanoparticles could provide a new way to fight underarm odor without disturbing the balance of skin bacteria or causing irritation (ACS Appl. Bio. Mater. 2019, DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.9b00388). lire plus…

Over hundreds of thousands of years, nature has developed products, materials, and processes to solve many problems we are confronted with. Humans have taken advantage of some of these models and systems to create more sustainable and robust solutions to materials challenges. By taking inspiration from nature, scientists can engineer artificial materials that produce new solutions and opportunities for industrial, environmental, and medicinal applications. lire plus…

Many companies are working on materials that would be as light and resistant as plastic but at the same time fully biodegradable. What if they could be made from… rubbish? A modern, ecological (waste-free—the conversion of raw material to product reaches 100%) and economical (does not require high temperatures or expensive catalysts) method of obtaining organic monomers is coming into being at the IPC PAS. lire plus…

Researchers have designed a flexible pressure sensor that is expected to have a much wider applicability. A KAIST research team fabricated a piezoresistive pressure sensor of high uniformity with low hysteresis by chemically grafting a conductive polymer onto a porous elastomer template. lire plus…

Cela peut paraître incroyable, mais jusqu’à présent, le monde scientifique était incapable d’expliquer le phénomène physique derrière l’élasticité d’un gel. C’est maintenant un mystère en partie résolu grâce à une équipe de chercheurs américains. lire plus…

Under the leadership of the head of the laboratory for the synthesis of new crystalline materials of the Samara Center for Theoretical Materials Science (SCTMS) of the Samara Polytech candidate of chemical sciences Eugeny Alexandrov and the head of the department « Chemistry and Technology of Chemical Compounds of Nitrogen », doctor of technical sciences Andrei Pimenov, the synthesis of the first metal-organic polymeric materials, or metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). lire plus…

Scientists have solved a four decade long challenge of producing very thin nylon films that can be used for instance in electronic memory components. The thin nylon films are several 100 times thinner than human hair and could thus be attractive for applications in bendable electronic devices or for electronics in clothing. lire plus…