PDMS-based nanocomposite films, incorporating poly(aniline-co-carbazole)@graphene oxide-Fe₃O₄ (poly(Ani-co-Cz)@GO-Fe₃O₄) nanocomposite with electric and magnetic properties, were synthesized and extensively characterized to investigate their structural, mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties. Comprehensive characterization by FTIR, XPS, UV–Vis, XRD, SEM, EDX, AFM, and VSM confirmed successful integration and uniform dispersion of the nanocomposite within the PDMS matrix, preserving polymer integrity while imparting superparamagnetic behavior. Electrical conductivity was preserved with nanocomposite loading, enhancing EMI shielding performance in the X-band (8–12.4 GHz) region. Mechanical tests revealed significant improvements in tensile strength and modulus due to strong interfacial interactions and restricted polymer chain mobility, though these enhancements reduced film flexibility. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis showed tunable viscoelastic behavior and glass transition shifts attributed to hydrogen bonding within the nanocomposite. EMI shielding assessments demonstrated synergistic reflection and absorption mechanisms, with dielectric loss dominating over magnetic loss, resulting in a maximum shielding effectiveness of 1.2 dB at 40 wt Synthesis and shielding property of PDMS/poly(Ani-co-Cz)@GO-Fe₃O₄ composite elastomer films.
Mycelium-based composites (MBCs) offer a bio-based route for valorizing lignocellulosic residues as lightweight packaging materials; however, the combined effects of substrate composition and particle architecture on their moisture response and mechanical performance remains insufficiently understood. This study evaluated five Pleurotus ostreatus-based composites produced from Quercus castanea Neé wood chips, sawdust, and corn cob. The composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, apparent density, static water contact angle, water absorption, Shore D surface hardness, compression, and three-point bending. Formulation effects were evaluated using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD test, complemented by Dunnett-adjusted comparisons of S1–S4 against the 100 wt
Chitosan modified with polyethylene glycol-200 and crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (MCS) was synthesized for the recovery of Sc(III) ions from aqueous solutions. The prepared adsorbents were characterized by FT-IR, TGA, BET, XRD, XRF, and SEM. The effects of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial concentration, and temperature on the adsorption performance were systematically investigated. The characterization results confirmed the successful fabrication of MCS, and the PEG-200-assisted pore-forming strategy improved the accessible pore structure and Sc(III) adsorption performance of MCS relative to glutaraldehyde-crosslinked chitosan (GCS). A working pH of 5, an adsorbent dosage of 50 mg, a contact time of 100 min, and a temperature of 30 °C were selected for the subsequent adsorption experiments. The adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics of Sc(III) onto MCS were further investigated. The adsorption data were best described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models, and the Langmuir model predicted a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 55.28 mg·g−1 at 30 °C. The adsorption of Sc(III) was mainly associated with coordination interactions, electrostatic attraction, and hydrogen bonding involving the N/O-containing functional groups of MCS. The synergistic combination of PEG-200-assisted pore formation and GA crosslinking helped balance acid stability and pore accessibility, indicating that MCS has potential as an adsorbent for Sc(III) recovery from acidic aqueous media.
Biodegradable food packaging materials with improved barrier, antioxidant, and mechanical properties are promising sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. The present study demonstrated the performance and efficacy of a novel combination of PVA/starch crosslinked films using organic acids, namely, gallic acid (GA) and malic acid (MA), at varying concentrations (5–20 wt
Using a borneol-based polymer as a supporting material, a straightforward method was adopted to prepare a series of ZnO/borneol-based polymer composite materials with varying sizes. The FTIR, XRD, TGA, SEM, contact angle goniometer, and TEM techniques were employed to characterize the composites. Successful dispersion of nano-ZnO on the uniform surface of the borneol-based polymer was demonstrated by the XRD patterns, as well as the XPS survey scan. In addition, the introduction of nano-ZnO onto the borneol-based polymer showed significant improvement of the antimicrobial properties of the composites. The 2–8 nm ZnO QDs composite displayed the best antibacterial performance with broad-spectrum that against B. subtilis (> 99
The novelty of integrating calcium manganite (CaMnO₃, a transition-metal perovskite) into a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer matrix lies in its ability to transform an insulating polymer into a highly tunable, flexible dielectric material with a narrow, tailorable optical band gap and pronounced nonlinear optical susceptibility for advanced optoelectronics. To identify CaMnO3-doped PVA polymer materials as superior capacitive elements, their structural characteristics, surface morphology, grain arrangement, surface texture, and frequency-dependent electrical properties have been evaluated. The materials were synthesized using the casting approach. An X-ray diffraction study indicates an orthorhombic perovskite structure with a Pnma space group. Polycrystalline grains with an average diameter of 0.3 μm, exhibiting a regularly oriented grain structure and alignments as depicted in the polar histogram, can be detected via SEM topography. Complex impedance spectroscopy has been utilized to reveal resistance (related to grain boundaries), semiconducting characteristics (attributable to short-range charge carrier hopping), various conduction mechanisms via the Arrhenius equation, the electric modulus spectrum (approaching zero as the movement of charge is limited under a constant electric field), and frequency-dependent relaxation. The material with low CaMnO3 concentration has been shown to be suitable for innovative mining device applications, as evidenced by scientific studies of high-frequency dielectric permittivity and low dielectric loss at elevated frequencies, indicating minimal energy dissipation.
The ratcheting effect caused by dynamic loading can cause excessive plastic deformation of nitrile rubber (NBR), reducing the performance of rubber products. Hence, research on how loading level affects the NBR ratcheting effect is necessary to improve rubber service life. This work examines the impact of mean stress, stress amplitude, loading rate, and loading history on the NBR ratcheting effect. Within the tested parameter range, the stress amplitude and stress loading rate were discovered to have a major effect on the rubber ratcheting strain, with the mean stress having a more significant effect on ratcheting behavior when the peak stress is the same or when the loading sequence is considered. In the study of the evolutionary law of ratcheting behavior in rubber materials, it was found that because the metal ratcheting model does not apply to large deformation materials, the introduction of a deformation correction parameter, denoted as γ, has enhanced the applicability of the metal ratcheting model, and facilitated the successful fitting of NBR’s ratcheting effect under the regulation of mean stress. Thus, this work proposes a phenomenological modeling framework that effectively captures the ratcheting evolution of NBR under the studied conditions, which could inform future analysis of highly elastic materials. Ratcheting behavior of NBR under various stress-loading conditions was studied. Mean stress has a greater impact on rubber ratcheting behavior. Ratcheting behavior is marked under high stress or low stress loading rates. Correction parameters can raise the applicability of ratchet model. Modified model was defined for ratcheting effect of highly elastic materials.
The adsorption of dye pollutants from contaminated water using biopolymers remains a significant environmental challenge due to the poor structural stability and limited adsorption capacity. To address these limitations, a novel pH-responsive PA-CMC@MMT hydrogel was successfully synthesized via epichlorohydrin-mediated crosslinking of Pullulan (PA) and Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) incorporated with Montmorillonite (MMT) under microwave-assisted conditions. The incorporation of MMT and chemical crosslinking significantly improved the structural integrity and functional performance of the hydrogel network. Key synthesis parameters, including microwave power, irradiation time, crosslinker, solvent volume, polymer ratio, montmorillonite content and pH, were systematically optimized to achieve the maximum swelling percentage. Various characterization techniques, including FTIR, XPS, XRD, SEM, TGA and EDX, were used to verify the successful formulation of the prepared hydrogels. Zeta potential measurements provided insight into the surface charge characteristics of the material. The adsorption performance of the hydrogel was evaluated using various dyes, and it shows maximum removal efficiencies of 96.17 ± 0.57
The growing demand for sustainable structural materials has driven interest in natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites; however, limited studies have explored the use of marine-derived chitin as a bio-based toughening agent in Boehmerianivea fiber reinforced vinyl ester systems. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of krill shell chitin biopolymer on the mechanical, dynamic mechanical, thermal, and creep behaviour of Boehmerianivea fiber–vinyl ester composites. A neat vinyl ester resin served as the baseline system, while composites were fabricated with a fixed fiber content of 30 vol
The design of multifunctional composites with tunable thermal, electrical, and optical properties, offering a broad range of possible applications, is a key challenge in the search for next-generation innovative materials. In this work, we present the thermal and electrical characterization of polymer-based composite materials incorporating low-weight fractions of thermochromic silver iodomercurate (Ag₂HgI₄) as inclusions. The electrical and thermal properties of the composites were characterized over a temperature range of 20–75 °C, revealing percolative behavior in both cases. Our results show that, unlike the pristine powder, the composites remain thermally stable after multiple heating and cooling cycles. Phonon band analyses of Ag₂HgI₄, comparing the pristine powder, pelletized powder, and powder embedded as an inclusion, provided insights into the observed differences in thermal-conductivity behavior. Furthermore, color changes associated with the phase transition (≈58 °C) were documented. Overall, our findings demonstrate that polymer encapsulation is an effective strategy for stabilizing Ag₂HgI₄, resulting in a robust, multifunctional material with strong potential for thermal sensing and actuation applications.
Designing bio-nanocomposite hydrogels that combine structural performance with controlled bioactive release remains a key challenge in functional polymer science. In this work, we developed a crosslinked nanocomposite hydrogel system based on chitosan-tuna protein interactions, in which chitosan nanoparticles (CsNP) and phycocyanin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (Ph-CsNP) were incorporated as reinforcing nanoparticle agents. The nanoparticles were first prepared by ionotropic gelation and thoroughly characterized in terms of colloidal properties such as particle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index, as well as encapsulation efficiency. The resulting Ph-CsNP were then incorporated into the matrix of a glutaraldehyde crosslinked composite, and the effect of nanoparticle loading on the viscoelastic, mechanical, structural and thermal properties of the hydrogel network was systematically explored. The results revealed that both CsNP and Ph-CsNP are reinforcing agents, enhancing the network integrity and swelling capacity, and thus emphasizing the interactions between the polysaccharide and the protein at the interface, which define the composite architecture. Release kinetics analysis revealed that phycocyanin release from both formulations followed a diffusion-controlled Fickian mechanism, whereas incorporation into the hydrogel matrix further prolonged release and improved bioactive retention in the HG-20(Ph-CsNP) formulation. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of incorporating nanoparticle reinforcement with biopolymer composite engineering to develop tunable polymeric matrices exhibiting programmable release behavior. Such systems represent promising candidates for functional biomaterials and controlled bioactive delivery, although additional biological studies are needed to validate their biomedical potential.
The demand for reinforcing composites with natural fibers in a wide range of materials is guided by several factors such as strength, biocompatibility, and cost-effective processing. The present study uses a jute textile fiber-based, randomly distributed pre-form mat as a biodegradable reinforcing fiber to make composites with epoxy resin. The jute-epoxy composites were fabricated through compression molding techniques with varying weight (wt.) percentages (5
In recent years, cyclodextrin-cellulose composite materials have attracted considerable interest due to the molecular recognition and encapsulation capabilities of cyclodextrin, as well as the structural integrity, sustainability and tunable surface chemical of cellulose. This review systematically outlines the structural characteristics of both components, summarizes key fabrication strategies, and analyzes their advance in multifaceted applications. Importantly, the performance of these composites originates not merely from the coexistence of the two building blocks, but from their synergistic effects: cellulose provides a robust, porous, and processable framework, while cyclodextrin contributes selective host-guest inclusion, interfacial recognition, and controlled-release capability. In food applications, these materials significantly enhance preservation and packaging performance by encapsulating antimicrobial and antioxidant agents; this enhancement is enabled by the synergy between the mechanical barrier function of cellulose matrices and the active-molecule hosting ability of cyclodextrin. In environmental remediation, they demonstrate outstanding adsorption and separation capabilities for water treatment, air purification, and the design of functional material. Furthermore, the unique cavity structure exhibits enantioselective separation for chiral drugs and sensing functions for detecting toxic alcohols. Finally, the review discusses the shortcomings of current research and looks forward to the future development trends of these materials in the directions of intelligent responsive materials.
