Polymer fibers are an important class of materials throughout human history, evolving from natural fibers such as cotton and silk to modern synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyester. With the advancement of materials science, the development of new fibers is also advancing. Polymer fibers based on dynamic covalent chemistry have attracted widespread attention due to their unique reversibility and responsiveness. Dynamic covalent chemistry has shown great potential in improving the spinnability of materials, achieving green preparation of fibers, and introducing self-healing, recyclability, and intelligent response properties into fibers. In this review, we divide these fiber materials based on dynamic covalent chemistry into monocomponent fibers, composite fibers, and fiber membranes. The preparation methods, structural characteristics, functional properties, and application performance of these fibers are summarized. The application potential and challenges of fibers based on dynamic covalent chemistry are discussed, and their future development trends are prospected.

Hair coloring has emerged as an integral part of the cosmetic industry, particularly in response to the increasing global aging phenomenon. The natural melanin analog, polydopamine (PDA), has garnered considerable attention as an eco-friendly hair dye, and several kinds of polymerization ways of dopamine (DA) have been proposed including alkali catalysis, metal ion catalysis, strong oxidants, and enzyme-mediated oxidation reactions and polymerizations. Yet the controllability of polymerization and potential toxicity of involved metal ions are still in question. Inspired by the photoprotective mechanism in human skin, we have developed the melanin-inspired hair dyeing strategy that allowed for the in situ oxidative polymerization of DA under ultraviolet (UV) light. This polymerization was triggered by photobase generators (PBGs), a class of compounds that produced organic bases upon UV and sunlight irradiation. The resulting hair showed an adjustable color from light brown to black by tuning the ratio of DA and PBG (DA@PBG), the concentration of DA, and light exposure time. The dyed hairs showed excellent washing resistance and superior anti-static properties. Furthermore, Hair Color Spray DA@PBG also demonstrated a desirable hair dyeing effect and excellent biosecurity by simply spraying it on the hair under sunlight. This novel sunlight-induced method provided a new direction towards the preparation of natural hair dyes and could promote the development of green and safe hair dyes in colorful and brilliant artistic-grade hair coloring.

Intrinsic stretchability is a promising attribute of polymer organic solar cells (OSCs). However, rigid molecular blocks typically exhibit poor tensile properties, rendering polymers vulnerable to mechanical stress. In this study, we introduce a different approach utilizing all-small-molecule donors and acceptors to fabricate stretchable OSCs. An elastomer, styrene-b-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS), was embedded to modulate film crystallization and stretchability. SEBS effectively confines the growth process of donors and acceptors, leading to enhancement of the crystallization quality, thus contributing to enhanced device efficiencies. Meanwhile, SEBS can absorb and release mechanical stress during stretching, thereby preventing mechanical degradation of donors and acceptors. The mechanical properties of the OSCs were significantly improved by the incorporation of SEBS. Notably, the crack-onset strain increased from 1.03% to 5.99% with SEBS embedding. These findings present a straightforward strategy for achieving stretchable OSCs using all small molecules, offering a different perspective for realizing stretchable devices.

Control crosslink network and chain connectivity are essential to develop shape memory polymers (SMPs) with high shape memory capabilities, adjustable response temperature, and satisfying mechanistical properties. In this study, novel poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-poly(2-vinyl)ethylene glycol (PVEG) copolymers bearing multi-pendant vinyl groups is synthesized by branched-selective allylic etherification polymerization of vinylethylene carbonate (VEC) with linear and tetra-arm PCLs under a synergistic catalysis of palladium complex and boron reagent. Facile thiol-ene photo-click reaction of PCL-PVEG copolymers with multifunctional thiols can rapidly access a serious crosslinked SMPs with high shape memory performance. The thermal properties, mechanical properties and response temperature of the obtained SMPs are tunable by the variation of PCL prepolymers, vinyl contents and functionality of thiols. Moreover, high elastic modulus in the rubbery plateau region can be maintained effectively owing to high-density topological networks of the PCL materials. In addition, the utility of the present SMPs is further demonstrated by the post-functionalization via thiol-ene photo-click chemistry.

Due to the rapid development and potential applications of iron(III)-alginate (Fe-Alg) microgels in biomedical as well as environmental engineering, this study explores the preparation and characterization of spherical Fe-Alg microgels using droplet microfluidics combined with an external ionic crosslinking method. This study focused on the role of Fe³⁺ and examined its effects on the physical/chemical properties of microgels under different ionic conditions and reduced or oxidized states. The pH-dependent release behavior of Fe³⁺ from these microgels demonstrates their potential biomedical and environmental applications. Furthermore, the microgels can exhibit magnetism simply by utilizing in situ oxidation, which can be further used for targeted drug delivery and magnetic separation technologies.

The fatigue resistance of casting polyurethane (CPU) is crucial in various sectors, such as construction, healthcare, and the automotive industry. Despite its importance, no studies have reported on the fatigue threshold of CPU. This study employed an advanced Intrinsic Strength Analyzer (ISA) to evaluate the fatigue threshold of CPUs, systematically exploring the effects of three types of isocyanates (PPDI, NDI, TDI) that contribute to hard segment structures based on the cutting method. Employing multiple advanced characterization techniques (XRD, TEM, DSC, AFM), the results indicate that PPDI-based polyurethane exhibits the highest fatigue threshold (182.89 J/m²) due to a highest phase separation and a densely packed spherulitic structure, although the hydrogen bonding degree is the lowest (48.3%). Conversely, NDI-based polyurethane, despite having the high hydrogen bonding degree (53.6%), exhibits moderate fatigue performance (122.52 J/m²), likely due to a more scattered microstructure. TDI-based polyurethane, with the highest hydrogen bonding degree (59.1%) but absence of spherulitic structure, shows the lowest fatigue threshold (46.43 J/m²). Compared to common rubbers (NR, NBR, EPDM, BR), the superior fatigue performance of CPU is attributed to its well-organized microstructure, polyurethane possesses a higher fatigue threshold due to its high phase separation degree and orderly and dense spherulitic structure which enhances energy dissipation and reduces crack propagation.

It is urgent to develop high-performance polyimide (PI) films that simultaneously exhibit high transparency, exceptional thermal stability, mechanical robustness, and low dielectric to fulfil the requirements of flexible display technologies. Herein, a series of fluorinated polyimide films (FPIs) were fabricated by the condensation of 5,5′-(perfluoropropane-2,2-diyl) bis(isobenzofuran-1,3-dione) (6FDA) and the fluorinated triphenylmethane diamine monomer (EDA, MEDA and DMEDA) with heat-crosslinkable tetrafluorostyrene side groups, which was incorporated by different numbers of methyl groups pendant in the ortho position of amino groups. Subsequently, the FPI films underwent heating to produce crosslinking FPIs (C-FPIs) through the self-crosslinking of double bonds in the tetrafluorostyrene. The transparency, solvent resistance, thermal stability, mechanical robustness and dielectric properties of FPI and C-FPI films can be tuned by the number of methyl groups and crosslinking, which were deeply investigated by virtue of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and density functional theory (DFT). As a result, all the films exhibited exceptional optically colorless and transparent, with transmittance in the visible region of 450−700 nm exceeding 79.9%, and the cut-off wavelengths (λ_off) were nearly 350 nm. The thermal decomposition temperatures at 5% weight loss (T_d5%) for all samples exceeded 504 °C. These films exhibited a wide range of tunable tensile strength (46.5–75.1 MPa). Significantly, they showed exceptional dielectric properties with the dielectric constant of 2.3–2.5 at full frequency (10⁷–20 Hz). This study not only highlights the relationship between the polymer molecular structure and properties, but offer insights for balancing optical transparency, heat resistance and low dielectric constant in PI films.

As a highly promising conductive polymer material, the synthesis method, structure regulation, and performance improvement of polyaniline (PANI) are hot research topics. In this work, the radiation-induced polymerization of aniline in HNO₃ solution was successfully achieved at room temperature without the use of chemical oxidants. Through the analysis of the radiation chemical reactions of inorganic acids and nitrate salt solutions, the characterization of the intermediate free radicals in the irradiated systems, and the influence of the pH of the solutions on the polymerization activity and product morphologies, the radiation-induced polymerization mechanism of aniline is discussed in detail and proposed. Only at a condition of [HNO₃]>[aniline], i.e., pH<2.5, PANI can be successfully obtained under γ-ray radiation. The polymerization begins with the oxidation of aniline cations to aniline cation radicals by ·NO₃ generated by radiolysis reactions, and undergoes repeated three steps of monomer free radical recombination, deprotonation, and oxidation reaction of ·NO₃, thus forming a PANI macromolecule. In addition to the polymerization reaction, the aniline units are protonated and oxidized because of the strongly acidity and oxidation of the reaction system under γ-ray irradiation, which means that the molecular chain structure of the radiation-synthesized PANI can be regulated by pH, nitrate concentration, and irradiation conditions. Radiation-synthesized PANI has a moderate protonation and oxidation state, which can be used for the preparation of PANI supercapacitors with better electrochemical properties than those prepared by chemical oxidation under the same conditions. This work presents a new radiation-synthesis method and polymerization mechanism of PANI, which not only expands the application of radiation technique in the field of polymer synthesis, but also provides a new idea for the structural regulation and electrochemical property optimization of PANI.

Functional hyperbranched polymers, as an important class of materials, are widely applied in diverse areas. Therefore, the development of simple and efficient reactions to prepare hyperbranched polymers is of great significance. In this work, trialdehydes, diamines, and trimethylsilyl cyanide could easily undergo multicomponent polymerization under mild conditions, producing hyperbranched poly(α-aminonitrile)s with high molecular weights (M_w up to 4.87×10⁴) in good yields (up to 85%). The hyperbranched poly(α-aminonitrile)s have good solubility in commonly used organic solvents, high thermal stability as well as morphological stability. Furthermore, due to the numerous aldehyde groups in their branched chains, these hb-poly(α-aminonitrile)s can undergo one-pot, two-step, four-component post-polymerization with high efficiency. This work not only confirms the efficiency of our established catalyst-free multicomponent polymerization of aldehydes, amines and trimethylsilyl cyanide, but also provides a versatile and powerful platform for the preparation of functional hyperbranched polymeric materials.

Insulin is an essential and versatile protein taking part in the control of blood glucose levels and protein anabolism. However, under prolonged storage or high temperature stress, insulin tends to unfold and aggregate into toxic amyloid fibrils, leading to loss of physiological function. Inspired by natural chaperones, a series of temperature-sensitive polycaprolactone-based micelles were designed to prevent insulin from deactivation. The micelles were fabricated through the self-assembly of amphiphilic copolymers of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(4-diethylformamide caprolactone-co-caprolactone) (mPEG₁₇-P(DECL-co-CL)), which had a regular spherical morphology with particle sizes of about 100 nm. In addition, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the micelles could be tuned to 9 and 29 °C by changing the ratio of DECL to CL. Benefiting from the temperature-sensitivity of DECL segment, the binding ability of micelles to insulin could be modulated by changing the temperature. Above LCST, micelles effectively inhibited insulin aggregation and protected it from thermal inactivation due to the strong binding ability between the hydrophobic segment DECL and insulin. Below LCST, DECL segment returned to hydrophilic and bound weakly with insulin, leading to the release of insulin and assisting in its recovery of secondary structure. Thus, these temperature-sensitive micelles provided an effective strategy for insulin protection.

The early stages of crystallization and occurrence of surface wrinkling were investigated using poly(butadiene)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) with an ordered lamellar structure. Direct evidence has demonstrated that surface wrinkling precedes nucleation and crystal growth. This study examined the relationship between surface wrinkling, nucleation, and the formation of crystalline supramolecular structures using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray scattering measurements. Surface wrinkling is attributed to curving induced by accumulated stresses, including residual stress from the sample preparation and thermal stress during cooling. These stresses cause large-scale material flow and corresponding changes in the molecular conformations, potentially reducing the nucleation barrier. This hypothesis is supported by the rapid crystal growth observed following the spread of surface wrinkles. Additionally, the surface curving of the polymer thin film creates local minima of the free energy, facilitating nucleation. The nuclei subsequently grow into crystalline supramolecular structures by incorporating polymer molecules from the melt. This mechanism highlights the role of localized structural inhomogeneity in the early stages of crystallization and provides new insights into structure formation processes.

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable and eco-friendly polymer that is increasingly being incorporated into various applications in contemporary society. However, the limited stability of PLA-based products remains a significant challenge for their broader use in various applications. In this study, poly(L-lactic acid)(PLLA)/poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA) melt-blown nonwovens were prepared by melt spinning. The structure, thermal properties, thermal stability, biodegradability and crystalline morphology of the melt-blown nonwovens were investigated. DSC and WAXD confirmed the formation of stereocomplex (SC) crystallites in the PLLA matrix. The storage modulus (G'), loss modulus (G''), and complex viscosity (|η*|) of the PLLA/PDLA blend increased with an increase in SC crystallite content. The thermal degradation temperatures of PLLA/PDLA melt-blown nonwovens increased with the incorporation of SC crystallites, and the maximum rate of decomposition increased to 385.5 °C, thus enhancing the thermal stability. Compared with neat PLLA melt-blown nonwovens, the hydrophobicity of PLLA/PDLA melt-blown nonwovens was improved, and WCA increased to 139.7°. The SC crystallites were more resistant to degradation by proteinase K compared to neat PLLA. However, the degradation rate of PLLA/PDLA melt-blown nonwovens remained at a high level. This work provides an effective strategy to obtain high-performance PLLA melt-blown nonwovens.

Poly(1-butyl-3-vinylimidazolium bromide) is a polymerized ionic liquid (PILs), a relatively new class of materials that combines the attractive properties of ionic liquids (ILs) and polyelectrolytes and finds wide applications. The backbone of this PIL is composed of quaternary imidazolium salts, which are among the most promising and popular ILs. However, little is known about the physicochemical characteristics of the aqueous solutions of this PIL. In this study, we synthesized and characterized samples of this PIL and obtained experimental data on the viscosity, static and dynamic light scattering, and nuclear magnetic resonance diffusometry for aqueous and aqueous KBr solutions with varying polymer contents at T=298.15 K. We discuss the effects of the polymer concentration and salinity on the behavior of the solution.

The equilibrium melting point (T_m⁰) is a crucial thermodynamic parameter for characterizing the crystallization and melting behavior of semi-crystalline polymers. However, the direct measurement of T_m⁰ poses a significant challenge because of the difficulty in physically fabricating fully-extended chain crystals of high-molecular-weight polymers. Therefore, various extrapolation equations for T_m⁰ have been proposed that utilize the thermal properties of ordinary folded-chain lamellae. Among these, the Gibbs-Thomson equation is one of the most commonly employed for modeling. Despite its widespread use, there are notable variations in the T_m⁰ values obtained by different research groups, even when based on similar samples. This raises questions about the validity and accuracy of using the Gibbs-Thomson equation to linearly extrapolate T_m⁰. In this study, we prepared a series of oligomer extended-chain crystals (ECCs) of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and used their properties for Gibbs-Thomson fitting. The results reveal a perfect linear relationship, with an extrapolated T_m⁰ value of 136.08 °C. The basal surface free energy of the oligomer ECCs was calculated as 0.084 J/m², which is approximately twice that of folded-chain lamellae. This difference is attributed to the aggregation of highly mobile free tails on the crystal surface. The two structural features of oligomer ECCs—large thickness and fixed surface—better fulfill the conditions for applying the Gibbs-Thomson equation, ensuring its validity and accuracy. Therefore, we believe that the Gibbs-Thomson fit can produce reliable results when sufficient high-quality data are used.