Xingdan Wang^1,#, Yuheng Du^1,#, Xinyue Zhang¹, Yifei Li¹, Renmeng Liu¹, Lei Yang¹, Edward Ramsey², Zhongliang Jiang^1,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.43, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2026.080578 - 30 June 2026

Abstract Polymeric hydrogels are three-dimensional hydrophilic macromolecular networks capable of retaining varying amounts of water, similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM). To effectively translate these materials into therapeutic actions, it is of importance to control their molecular design, structural architecture, and physical dimensions, ensuring that these factors are strictly optimized to meet the demands of therapeutic applications. Existing reviews mainly focus on specific hydrogel aspects, but there is a gap in translating hydrogel miniaturization into therapeutic potential. This review highlights developments in hydrogel miniaturization, focusing on microfluidic strategies for precise microgel control. Miniaturized hydrogels improve cell-material More >

Christy Sam Sabu¹, Pratap Kalita², Swarup Roy^1,3,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.43, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2026.080520 - 30 June 2026

Abstract Active packaging systems, which react either with the environment or with the food itself, are a new addition to traditional food packaging to improve food preservation. Consumer demand for natural foods with minimal processing has resulted in the integration of natural compounds, including catechins, which are polyphenolic compounds abundant in numerous sources like green tea, cocoa, berries, etc. These compounds are considered bioactive agents due to their high antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory potential. This review comprehensively analyzes catechin-based active packaging, covering catechin sources, physicochemical and biological properties, and fabrication techniques. It also evaluates the functional… More >

Feng Dai¹, Jiajun Xie¹, Yingmin Liu¹, De Heng¹, Yinfu Han^2,3, Shanshan Hou^2,3,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.43, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2026.080437 - 30 June 2026

Abstract With the increasing emphasis on green, low-carbon, and sustainable development in shale gas drilling fluids, the utilization of waste biomass resources to develop high-performance drilling fluid additives has emerged as an important research direction that balances engineering requirements with environmental responsibility. In this study, waste cotton–derived polyanionic cellulose (bio-PAC) was employed as the base material, and sulfonate and carboxylate functional groups were introduced via free-radical graft copolymerization to synthesize a modified cellulose polymer, PAC-g-(sodium vinyl sulfonate, SVS/sodium methallyl sulfonate, SMAS/methacrylic acid, MAA). Structural characterization confirmed the successful grafting of the target functional groups onto the… More >

Muhammad Mudassar¹, Lei Cai¹, Qi Zhang², Deng’an Cai^1,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.43, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2026.080344 - 30 June 2026

Abstract In this work, a comprehensive numerical study of the low-velocity impact (LVI) behavior of QUAD laminates vs. Double-Double (DD) stacking sequences has been performed. Finite element models were drawn, and analyses carried out in Abaqus/Explicit employing continuum shell elements (SC8R) for the plies, cohesive elements (COH3D8) for the delamination interfaces, and the built-in Hashin damage criterion for intralaminar failure. Two different impact energies (50 and 100 J) were applied using a hemispherical impactor mass of 6.25 kg, and the impact histories were investigated in force-time, displacement-time, and energy-absorption responses. The QUAD layup provided the stiffest… More >

Mingwei Ren^1,2, Xiangchi Hou³, Xinyang Peng³, Yujing Zhou¹, Kewei Gao², Yunbo Chen^1,*, Hong Qiu³, Hua Bai³, Xiaolan Hu^3,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.43, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2026.080324 - 30 June 2026

Abstract During the preparation of carbon fiber reinforced carbon matrix (C/C) composites from resin based precursors, the glassy carbon derived from resin pyrolysis is difficult to graphitize into an ordered structure during carbonization and graphitization, which adversely affects the performance of C/C composites. To enhance the transformation of resin-derived carbon into an ordered structure, we employed a structurally ordered graphene-based material to modify a phenolic resin/carbon fiber precursor and designed two composite modification structures that are straightforward to implement in processing. The internal microstructure of the composites was characterized by XRD and SEM. The results indicate More >

Gen Li^1,2, Shuhan Liu², Junhao Cheng², Ting He², Zhihong Chen^1,*, Baoyang Lu^1,2,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.43, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2026.079972 - 30 June 2026

Abstract Hydrogel strain sensors are widely used in wearable electronics, human-machine interfaces, flexible electronics, owing to their ability to convert mechanical deformation into electrical signals. This function requires sensor materials to possess both high compliance and electrical conductivity. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) has emerged as an ideal candidate for hydrogel strain sensors due to its soft and flexible mechanical properties, tunable mechanical performance, mixed ionic-electronic conductivity, and excellent processability. Although extensive research has been conducted on PEDOT:PSS-based hydrogel strain sensors, there is currently no systematic review that elucidates the translation pathway from high-performance materials design and advanced fabrication More >

Lei Zeng¹, Wei Wei^1,2, Liu Yang¹, Zhihong Wang^1,*, Qiaoguang Li^2,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.43, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2026.079607 - 30 June 2026

Abstract Natural polymers (NPs) are widely distributed in plants, animals, and microorganisms. They can be classified into three habitat-based groups, namely terrestrial polymers, marine polymers, and extreme natural polymers. This review summarizes their structural features, environmental adaptation mechanisms, and functional attributes. It also outlines the evolution of extraction technologies from traditional acid–alkali and mechanical methods to modern green solvent systems. The roles of physical modification and chemical derivatization in performance regulation and functional enhancement are examined. Artificial intelligence methods are introduced to support structure–property prediction, formulation design, and process optimization. Molecular dynamics and other computational approaches More >

Norlela Manja Ahmad¹, Farisha Irdina Muhammad Ridzuan¹, Nur Farisha Sulthan Hussain¹, Siti Zafirah Zainal Abidin^1,2,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.43, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2026.078419 - 30 June 2026

Abstract Materials sustainability is becoming increasingly important across advanced technologies, driving the development of environmentally friendly electrolyte systems. In this work, biopolymer electrolytes were prepared using Phytagel as the host polymer and varying concentrations of sodium perchlorate (NaClO₄) as the dopant salt via the solution-casting method for sodium-ion battery applications. The prepared biopolymer electrolytes were characterised using various techniques to assess changes in their morphology and electrical performance. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirms the crystalline/amorphous nature of the prepared biopolymer electrolytes, and the membrane with 40 wt.% NaClO4 exhibits a high degree of amorphousness. Peak-deconvoluted XRD analysis confirms… More >

Bungo Ochiai^*, Yuji Kamachi, Yoshimasa Matsumura^#

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.43, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2026.078288 - 30 June 2026

Abstract Epoxy-acrylate hybrid systems are extensively employed in adhesives, coatings, and composites; however, conventional formulations often rely on toxic monomers such as glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). This study introduces a sequentially curable epoxy-acrylate hybrid system based on novel hybrid monomers containing both glycidate and acrylate groups, synthesized via the partial oxidation of a diacrylate. Radical polymerization of monomers with a glycidate content exceeding 80% yielded viscous prepolymers consisting of epoxy-functionalized polymers and residual low-molecular-weight glycidates. These prepolymers were subsequently cured with amines at ambient temperature to form crosslinked networks. The gel fraction exceeded 90% when cured with More > Graphic Abstract

Debosmita Karar^1,*, Ashit Kumar Pramanick², Mallar Ray³

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.43, No.2, 2026, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2026.078127 - 30 June 2026

Abstract Experimental preparation of graphene like 2D silicon is a great challenge due to the dominant sp³ hybridization in silicon. We have synthesized quasi 2D crystalline silicon nanosheets by topochemical exfoliation of layered Zintl phases, which bear signatures of properties predicted theoretically. Quasi-two-dimensional silicon nanosheets were uniformly dispersed within a conducting polyaniline matrix to fabricate solid-state nanocomposites with varying silicon loadings. The resulting polyaniline–quasi-2D silicon composites were systematically examined for their structural characteristics and optical emission behavior. Notably, the nanocomposites exhibit intense photoluminescence at room temperature, with an emission efficiency significantly higher than that of pristine quasi-2D More >