High-performance cyanate ester (CE) resins are of significant interest in the domains of information and communication technology due to exceptional dielectric properties and thermal stability. Herein, we propose an efficient strategy for the preparation of low-k and wave-transparent CE resins modified with a novel furfuryl-based diglycidyl-containing hollow polymer microspheres (PDG-HPPs). The high density of epoxy and imide groups on the surface of PDG-HPPs have been demonstrated to participate in and promote the curing reaction of bisphenol A dicyanate ester (BADCy) resin, resulting in a significantly reduced the curing temperature and enhanced interfacial compatibility. Owing to functional groups, unique hollow structure and nanoconfinement effect, PDG-HPPs efficiently reduced dielectric constant (D-k) of BADCy/PDG-HPPs composite, concurrently enhancing their toughness and stiffness. BADCy/PDG-HPPs composite with 5 phr PDG-HPPs exhibited extremely low D-k (2.52) at 10(6) Hz (remarkably lower than BADCy polymer, 3.01), highly enhanced wave transmission at 1-18 GHz (>83%), maximum impact strength of 32.0 kJ/m(2) (129% higher than BADCy polymer), and maximum storage modulus of 2432 MPa (33% higher than BADCy polymer). Moreover, BADCy/PDG-HPPs composite exhibited improved specific strength, as well as high heat resistance. Due to their optimal comprehensive performance, BADCy/PDG-HPPs composite possess significant potential for application in the fields of microelectronics and aerospace.

This study introduces an ion-exchange enhanced adsorption method to create a titanium dioxide (TiO2)/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite shell on polyimide (PI) fibers, improving their friction and wear performance. PTFE’s low coefficient of friction reduces fiber friction when applied to PI fiber surface. Introducing TiO2 improves the uniformity of the PTFE coating, further lowering the friction coefficient. The maximum reduction in the coefficient of friction of the PI/TiO2/PTFE composite fiber was 46%. During wear, PTFE forms a lubricating transfer film on the fiber wear interface, increasing wear resistance. TiO2 particles within the transfer film as a high-hardness filler, reinforcing the film and further improving fiber wear properties. The PI/TiO2/PTFE composite fiber achieved 1782 cycles to failure, approximately 300 times greater than the original fiber. Importantly, the composite fiber’s mechanical properties, surface energy, and interfacial bonding strength remain comparable to those of the original fiber. This approach offers a highly efficient method for enhancing PI fiber’s friction and wear properties, expanding its potential applications.

Macromolecular architecture control of fluorescent polymers presents an important approach to diverse self-assembled nanostructures and tailored functions.

Developing advanced strategies that are easy to implement and highly energy-efficient to prepare high-performance polymer foams is of paramount importance for practical applications. Here, we report a method that can transform low-value styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer into high-value polymer foam through a simple and low-energy-consuming process. SMA was prepared via self-stabilized precipitation polymerization (2SP), followed by partial ammonolysis, mechanical foaming, and chemical cross-linking to obtain hydrogel foams. The hydrogel foams were then converted into ultralight and high-performance polymer foams using low-energy ambient pressure drying and imidization at 180 degrees C. The obtained polymer foams have ultralow density (0.028 +/- 0.003-0.049 +/- 0.004 g/cm3), high porosity (93.38-95.28%), low thermal conductivity (0.030 +/- 0.001-0.034 +/- 0.002 W/m K), excellent cyclic compressibility, and strong oil absorption capacity (up to 20.3 +/- 1.0 g/g). Owing to the simplicity and efficiency of the present strategy, as well as the structural diversity and superior performance of maleic anhydride copolymer-based foams, widespread application in diverse fields such as building insulation materials can be expected.

Interfacial polymerization (IP) is an ultrafast process due to the highly reactive sites of the monomers (e.g., piperazine (PIP) with amine groups), leading to uncontrollable formation of polyamide (PA) films. To manipulate the IP reaction precisely for well-designed PA properties, we applied a lithium (Li+) salt to control the reactivity of PIP and further adjust the characteristics of PA layer. The interaction between Li+ and PIP was investigated by systematic characterizations to reveal its impacts on IP and PA formation. The Li+-PIP interaction weakened the reactivity and diffusion of PIP, leading to an optimized PA film (NF-0.2) with halved film thickness and a more uniform nodule structure as a result of the competing effects between PIP diffusion and PA formation. This PA membrane shows nearly doubled water permeance and greatly enhanced Na2SO4 rejection to 99.8 %. We further demonstrate that the NF-0.2 membrane exhibited superior NaCl/Na2SO4 selectivity of over 1700 and improved micropollutants rejection. This Li + -regulated IP (Li-IP) strategy provides fundamental insights into the design and regulation of high-performance PA membranes.

Oil-contaminated wastewater poses a serious threat to environment and human health, and efficient separation of oil–water mixtures, especially surfactant-stabilized emulsions, remains a critical challenge. Herein, a superhydrophilic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nonwoven membrane (PET@HPFM) is fabricated via a facile and scalable surface modification strategy using amino-functionalized microspheres (HPFMs) synthesized by self-stabilized precipitation polymerization (2SP) process. Through the introduction of HPFMs containing both amino and carboxyl groups, the PET membrane surface is grafted with abundant hydrophilic groups and tailored micro/nanostructures, leading to dramatically enhanced wettability. The resulting PET@HPFM membrane exhibits instantaneous water spreading (water contact angle ≈ 0°), robust underwater oil repellence (underwater oil contact angle up to 152°), and ultralow oil adhesion, enabling rapid water transport while effectively preventing oil fouling. Benefiting from these features, the PET@HPFM achieves ultrahigh permeation flux (up to 7.8 × 104 kg·m−2·h−1) together with water recovery (> 97%) for a wide range of light oil–water mixtures. Notably, it also demonstrates excellent separation performance for surfactant-stabilized emulsions, with rejection exceeding 99.5%. Moreover, the PET@HPFM membrane maintains excellent separation performance under repeated operation and harsh chemical environments, highlighting its robustness and reusability. The superior performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of surface hydrophilicity and hierarchical structure, which facilitates the formation of a dense and stable hydration layer and minimizes oil adhesion. This work provides a simple yet effective strategy for designing high-performance PET-based membranes, offering promising potential for practical oil–water separation applications.

Implantable fiber sensors are emerging as viable platforms for continuous in situ monitoring of physiological signals, yet their clinical translation remains limited. The core challenge lies not only in balancing mechanical compliance, electrical reliability, analytical specificity, and long-term stability but also in maintaining these properties at the tissue-device interface throughout chronic implantation. Biomimetic hierarchical architectures, which are common in living systems, have provided a practical route by enabling structural and functional integration across multiple scales. In this review, we summarize recent progress in biomimetic design principles for improving the performance of implantable fiber sensors. We first discuss bioinspired hierarchically structured conductive fiber substrates that combine conductivity, flexibility, and resistance to cyclic deformation. We then focus on bioinspired interfaces, membranes, and surface coatings to improve sensitivity, regulate mass transport, and suppress biofouling. Finally, we address mechanically adaptive and self-stabilizing interphases and discuss biosafety, biocompatibility evaluation, and postprocessing compatibility for the clinical translation of these sensing systems. Overall, this review aims to provide actionable biomimetic design insights that can accelerate the development of next-generation implantable fiber sensors with improved long-term performance and clinical applicability.

Bacterial infection is a major factor hindering wound healing, and cations cross-linked-hydrogel have been widely explored in clinical practice. Heavy metal ions are serious environmental pollutants and pose significant health risks, but they play a crucial role in antibacterial therapy. Therefore, ensuring antibacterial performance while eliminating the toxicity of released heavy metals remains a significant challenge. Here, multifunctional carbon dots (C-CDs) derived from Chinese herbal coptidis were developed with integrated fluorescence sensing and antibacterial capability. The C-CDs achieved high sensitive detecting Cu2+ with detection limit of 68.85 nM, further exploring a portable, smartphone-test-paper platform, enabling effective sensing in food and environmental water. The C-CDs-hydrogel accomplished efficient wound healing and promoted collagen maturation, achieving an efficiency of 94.52% in a murine model. Mechanistic studies indicated the berberine fragment inherited from coptidis contributing antibacterial function, whereas the surfacial groups of CDs enabled precise detection of Cu2+. This work provided a promising methodology for wound-healing-hydrogels using multifunctional CDs derived from herbal medicines with augmented sensing and antibacterial effects.

Natural fibers have evolved through optimized biosynthetic pathways to achieve an exceptional combination of strength, toughness, and compliance. Although these biological systems have inspired rapid advances in biomimetic fiber materials and fiber electronics, existing studies remain largely fragmented across biological principles, fabrication strategies, structural design, and device applications. To bridge these disconnected areas, this review proposes a bioinspiration-processing-structure-function (BPSF) conceptual framework that establishes a unified design pathway for bioinspired fiber materials and fiber electronics. Guided by this framework, we first summarize the transferable design principles derived from fibrous and non-fibrous biological systems. We then discuss how biomimetic processing strategies translate these biological principles into controllable fiber structures. Building on this processing-structure relationship, we further examine how structural engineering controls load transfer, interfacial coupling, and electromechanical stability, and highlight how these structural advantages enable reliable sensing, actuation, and adaptation in integrated fiber electronic systems. Finally, we discuss the key challenges and opportunities. This review establishes a cross-level design paradigm that links biological inspiration with processing, structural engineering, and device functionality, providing a perspective for advancing bioinspired fibers from passive structural mimics toward robust, adaptive, and intelligent fiber electronic systems.

TiFe-based alloys are promising for practical solid-state hydrogen storage owing to low cost, high theoretical capacity etc., but harsh activation and slow kinetics severely limit commercialization. Herein, we propose a facile yet effective chemical substitution strategy by introducing rare-earth La into the TiFe-based alloys. The La substitution not only refines the grains but also creates a multi-phase microstructure, which provides abundant interfaces for hydrogen diffusion. Remarkably, the optimized La0.06 alloy achieves full activation in a single step under mild conditions (150 degrees C, 3 MPa H2), overcoming a key bottleneck. It exhibits a superior hydrogen absorption capacity of 1.668 wt% and a fast saturation rate of 96.04%. More importantly, we elucidate the underlying mechanism: the in-situ formed stable LaH2 phase acts as a "hydrogen pump" at the phase boundaries, facilitating atomic hydrogen transfer and continuously disrupting the surface oxide layer, thereby dramatically enhancing both the activation and sorption kinetics.

The petrochemical industry produces many intermediary products containing mixed olefinic components which have not been utilized efficiently. In the present work, maleic anhydride was copolymerized with C5 mixed olefins contained in light naphtha using the self-stabilized precipitation polymerization, yielding light naphathabased maleic anhydride copolymer (MCP). Subsequently, MCP was amidated with sodium taurinate to append sulfonate groups and neutralized to obtain neutralized sodium taurinate-modified MCP (NTMCP) as a superplasticizer for cement pastes. The effects of amidation degree on the dispersing capacity and retarding effect of NTMCP were investigated systematically. NTMCP can enhance the fluidity and reduce the fluidity loss over time of cement pastes dramatically, with the 2 h fluidity reaching up to 250 mm. Moreover, NTMCP displayed a highly adjustable retarding property, and the initial setting time can be tuned from 180 to 1500 min by decreasing the amidation degree. The introduction of sulfonate ions improved the adsorption capacity and Ca2+ resistance of NTMCP remarkably, accounting for the improvement in fluidity and compressive strength. The performance and cost of the developed superplasticizer can be optimized further by forming a complex system with NTMCP and commercially available naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensate (NSF) superplasticizers. Overall, our research has developed a facile and efficient strategy for converting mixed olefins into NTMCP with great application prospect as superplasticizer in cement pastes.

In pursuit of global sustainability goals, there is a growing need for high-performance biobased polymer films. Herein, plant-derived castor oil (CO)-based cross-linked films were prepared following a three-step strategy: (1) the self-stabilized precipitation polymerization of styrene and maleic anhydride to prepare poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) (SMA); (2) the esterification reaction of SMA and CO to prepare CO-grafted SMA (SMA-g-CO); and (3) the preparation of SMA-g-CO/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) films through solution-blending, casting, and heat-induced curing. By varying the molecular weights of SMA and PEG, the grafting amount of CO, and the feed ratio of SMA-g-CO to PEG, a series of CO-based films were successfully prepared, with the highest biomass content reaching up to 63.4 wt %. The microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal properties, optical performance, toxicity, and solvent resistance of the films were investigated systematically. SMA-g-CO/PEG films possessed excellent tensile strength (up to 70 MPa), good mechanical performance retention after reprocessing, and a high glass transition temperature (up to 184.2 °C). The films also demonstrated intriguing and stable photoluminescence behavior, contributing to outstanding UV-shielding and visible light-transmitting properties. Thus, the present work enables the effective conversion of renewable CO into high-performance SMA-g-CO/PEG films with great application potential in constructing a circular economy.

Although 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) derivatives have been widely utilized as flame retardants in epoxy resin (EP), achieving multifunctionality in EP composites remains a significant challenge. Herein, a novel "structure-interface-function" design strategy is proposed. We report for the first time the preparation of DOPO-based hollow microspheres FADM through self-stabilized precipitation copolymerization of DOPO-containing monomer, divinylbenzene, and maleic anhydride. Benefiting from elaborate molecular design, FADM exhibited superior flame retardancy and excellent interfacial compatibility. By incorporating merely 4 wt% of FADM, the EP composites exhibited a limiting oxygen index of 34.9 % and successfully attained a UL-94 V-0 rating. Moreover, the EP/FADM composites exhibited a 22.6 % reduction in total heat release and a 36.0 % decrease in smoke production rate. Most importantly, the anhydride groups present on the surface of FADM actively participate in the curing process of EP resin, thus enhancing interfacial compatibility. The unique hollow structure endowed FADM with outstanding energy absorption capacity, resulting in a 50 % increase in impact strength of the EP/FADM composites through crack deflection mechanism. Furthermore, the EP/FADM composites exhibited low dielectric properties and good transparency due to well-dispersed FADM with hollow structure in EP matrix. This "structure-interface-function" strategy presents a new design concept to construct multifunctional EP systems with superior properties for electronic packaging and aerospace.

In this study, poly(ethylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PEMA) was selected as the backbone, and PEMA-g-DA/DMAPA was synthesized through an amidation reaction with dopamine (DA) and N,N-dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA). The antifogging performance, stability, universality, and antibacterial property after quaternization of the PEMA-DA-DMAPA coating were tested and analyzed. Experimental results showed that the PEMA-DA-DMAPA coating exhibited great antifogging performance, with the water contact angle (WCA) as low as 10.7°. The coefficient of friction of the PEMA-DA-DMAPA coating decreased significantly compared with that of the substrate. Even after 5 days of immersion or 60 cycling tests, the coating still maintained excellent antifogging properties. This coating can be widely applied to the surfaces of transparent substrates, such as poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polycarbonate (PC). Specifically, the WCA on the PC surface dropped significantly from 89.5° to 11.9°. After quaternization, the coating exhibited notable antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), with a maximum antibacterial rate of 97.23%.

Engineering advanced thermochromic smart windows capable of simultaneously addressing multifaceted performance, durability, and multifunctionality requirements is crucial for their practical applications. Herein, a mini library of lower critical solution temperature (LCST) copolymers with well‐defined structure and programmed hydrophile‐lipophile balance (HLB) is synthesized by the reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization of highly hydrophilic N‐vinylpyrrolidone (NVP) and four maleimide derivative (MI) monomers with descending hydrophilicity. MI‐NVP copolymers afford a copolymer composition‐dependent phase transition temperature tunable over an ultra‐wide range of 20–67 °C and efficient UV shielding capability. By ingeniously doping MI‐NVP copolymers into non‐thermoresponsive polyacrylamide hydrogel, smart windows with outstanding thermochromic properties, solar modulation performance, inherent stability (1000 cycles), and fast response rate (14 ± 2 s) are obtained. Further integration with photothermal Cs x WO 3 or electrothermal indium tin oxide (ITO) glass delivers enhanced spectral selectivity or active‐mode regulation. Overall, by meticulously tailoring the multilevel structure of thermochromic hydrogels, this strategy establishes a novel MI‐NVP copolymer platform for thermochromic smart windows that significantly advances energy conservation and occupant comfort.

Implementing a macromolecular engineering strategy for thermoresponsive fluorescence polymers is an important approach to a wide-range tunable photoluminescence behavior that meets the requirement of various application scenarios. Herein, three tetraphenylethylene (TPE) derivatives bearing different numbers of bromopropionate and hydroxyl groups were synthesized with simplicity and efficiency. After Cu(0)-mediated single-electron transfer living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) of methyl acrylate (MA), functional group conversion of hydroxyl groups to trithiocarbonate groups, and mechanistic transition to reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), aggregation-induced emission-active miktoarm star TPE-(PMA) n -(PDMAEMA)4-n (n = 1-3) with a well-defined macromolecular structure were synthesized. Owing to the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behavior of the PMA arm, TPE-(PMA) n -(PDMAEMA)4-n displayed an intriguing thermoresponsive emission behavior in EtOH/H2O mixtures. The macromolecular structure had a profound influence on the performance of TPE-(PMA) n -(PDMAEMA)4-n , delivering highly differentiated fluorescence thermoresponsiveness. The underlying mechanism was revealed based on variable-temperature 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and dynamic laser scattering. The knowledge gained in our work is important for the rational design and application of a thermoresponsive intelligent fluorescence system.

Preparing porous carbon electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors using green, low-cost, and well-sourced renewable resources is increasingly becoming an important research area. This paper highlights the possibility of furfural residue (FR) as a precursor to porous carbon for utilization as supercapacitor electrode materials. We propose a simple method to prepare FR-based nitrogen-doped porous carbon through H3PO4 hydrothermal pretreatment and KOH/melamine synergistic activation. The obtained carbon material (NFRPC700) displays a large specific surface area(3259.4 m2g-1), high pore volume(1.67 cm3g-1), and excellent nitrogen doping. In the three-electrode system, NFRPC-700 demonstrates great electrochemical performance (specific capacitance value of 337 F g- 1 at 0.5 A g- 1). Assembly into a symmetric supercapacitor provides superior cycling stability (the capacitance retention remained essentially unchanged after 20,002 cycles at a current density of 5 A g-1) and high energy density(11.81 Wh kg- 1 at 275 W kg-1 power density). This study provides an effective method to achieve high-value utilization of FR waste.

The synthesis and application of thickening polymers for aqueous solutions are crucial in a multitude of industries. Herein, we propose the 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP)-catalyzed esterification reaction between poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) (SMA) and sugar (alcohol) for preparing a new type of thickening polymer. A thorough investigation of the esterification kinetics of SMA and sorbitol as well as the average reacted hydroxyl number (Ne) of sorbitol was conducted by a combination of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and potentiometric titration. The present method can be extended to sugars, including sucrose and maltose, thus delivering SMA-g-sugar (alcohol) with diverse structures. The apparent viscosity of aqueous solutions thickened by SMA-g-sugar (alcohol) before and after further chain extension with diamine was evaluated by using a rotational rheometer. After chain extension with polyetheramine D230, great thickening property and excellent stability against thermal cycles and shear time can be achieved. The present method has broad compatibility, controllable polymer structure, and possibility for further chain extension, thus holding great prospect for preparing thickening polymers applied across different industrial sectors.

The petrochemical industry produces many intermediate products rich in mixed olefinic fractions, which call for more efficient utilization. Herein, the self-stabilized precipitation polymerization was used to copolymerize C5 mixed olefins contained in light naphtha with maleic anhydride, giving light naphatha-based maleic anhydride copolymer PLNM. PLNM was grafted with fatty alcohols of different chain lengths by esterification reaction and subjected to amidation reaction with amino-terminated polyoxypropylene D230 to construct a 3D cross-linking network for shape-stabilized phase change materials (SSPCMs). The esterification kinetics were investigated in detail, which enabled the preparation of a series of fatty alcohol-modified PLNM (FMPLNM) bearing good compatibility with corresponding fatty alcohols above a critical esterification degree. The shape stability, thermal storage performance, cyclic stability, and thermal management performance of the light naphtha-based SSPCMs were assessed systematically. Thus, we have developed an efficient approach to converting "waste" olefins in light naphtha into high-value-added SSPCMs with good shape stability, high enthalpy efficiency, and outstanding thermal management performance.

To meet the ever-growing demands for flame retardant materials in the electrical and electronic fields, a furfurylbased 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phospha-phenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) containing N/P flame retardant (PDM) was specially designed and synthesized through radical copolymerization of a DOPO-containing monomer and maleic anhydride, which could be further modified and incorporated into epoxy-amine networks. Owing to the presence of anhydride and DOPO groups, PDM demonstrated excellent flame retardancy and promoting charforming capability. Meanwhile, the resultant epoxy resin (EP) not only exhibited superior flame retardancy but also displayed high transparency, exceptional mechanical performance, and low dielectric properties. With the incorporation of only 0.51 wt% P element (8 wt% PDM), the as-prepared EP composites achieved a UL-94 V0 rating and a limiting oxygen index of 32.2%, and the cone calorimetry test indicated a 20% reduction in total heat release. Additionally, the EP/PDM-8% showed significant improvements in impact strength (33.3%), tensile strength (12.1%) and storage modulus (10.6%). Furthermore, the dielectric constant of EP/PDM-8% decreased dramatically to 2.92 at 107 Hz, which showed a 23.8% reduction compared to pristine EP (3.83 at 107 Hz). Considering the outstanding flame retardancy, highly enhanced toughness, and low dielectric properties, the EP demonstrates great potential for high-speed and high-frequency encapsulation applications.