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Polymers news
Discovery turns household plastic recycling into anti-cancer medication
A discovery led by the University of St Andrews has found a way to turn ordinary household plastic waste into the building block for anti-cancer drugs.
Polymers
Dec 19, 2025
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The perfect polymer? Plant-based plastic is fully saltwater degradable and leaves behind zero microplastics
Researchers led by Takuzo Aida at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) in Japan have one-upped themselves in their quest to solve our microplastic problem.
Polymers
Dec 17, 2025
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Cool satellites and flexible electronics: Thin interlayers strengthen flexible composite materials
The picture that pops up before our inner eye when we hear the word "satellite" is probably this: Two extended solar "wings" and a compact body wrapped in foil with a golden or silvery shimmer. Researchers at Empa's Mechanics ...
Polymers
Dec 16, 2025
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Light-driven process forms flexible electrodes on skin, textiles and glass
Visible light can be used to create electrodes from conductive plastics completely without hazardous chemicals. This is shown in a new study carried out by researchers at Linköping and Lund universities, Sweden. The electrodes ...
Polymers
Dec 15, 2025
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Eco-friendly, photo-switchable smart adhesives use biomass-derived materials
Conventional petroleum-based adhesives rely heavily on the petrochemical industry and pose environmental risks due to harmful emissions and limited reusability. In a new study, researchers developed a novel photo-switchable ...
Polymers
Dec 10, 2025
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Turning everyday filter paper into a miniature microfluidic platform with DLP 3D printing
Scientists used a 3D-printing approach to pattern hydrophobic barriers inside hydrophilic filter paper. These barriers, designed in different geometries, guide liquids along precise paths and shape their flow behavior, demonstrating ...
Polymers
Dec 10, 2025
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Used cooking oil yields super strong glue and recyclable plastics
Plastics are made from crude oil and petroleum by-products, so a team of scientists decided to explore if they could turn waste cooking oil into a useful plastic material, and they succeeded.
Cooperative intermolecular interactions regulate supramolecular polymer assembly
Supramolecular chemistry involves the study of self-assembly of discrete molecules that are used to build large functional structures. Often, these molecules are allowed to self-assemble into one-dimensional polymeric structures ...
Polymers
Dec 9, 2025
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Hydrogel switches from liquid to gel at body temperature, enabling easy removal
What if a doctor could inject an electricity-conducting liquid into the body, let it temporarily solidify to record nerve signals or jump-start healing, and then return it to liquid form for easy removal?
Polymers
Dec 8, 2025
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Alternative to BPA passes toxicity and sustainability standards set by EU innovation guidelines
Polyester and a host of other plastic products could potentially be manufactured with non-toxic and sustainable BPA alternatives identified in a multidisciplinary study published in Nature Sustainability by researchers in ...
Polymers
Dec 4, 2025
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Cleaner rayon fiber production cuts solvent use by up to 70%
A UBC research team has developed a cleaner way to produce rayon, a popular fabric used in clothing for more than a century. The process could significantly reduce chemical use and improve sustainability in textile manufacturing.
Polymers
Dec 4, 2025
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Seeing inside smart gels: Scientists capture dynamic behavior under stress
Advances in materials science have led to the development of "smart materials," whose properties do not remain static but change in response to external stimuli. One such material is poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), or PNIPAM, ...
Polymers
Dec 4, 2025
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Kinetic decoupling-recoupling strategy enables 79% yield of ethylene and propylene from polyethylene
In a study published in Nature Chemical Engineering, a team has developed a kinetic decoupling-recoupling (KDRC) strategy that enables the conversion of polyethylene (PE) to ethylene and propylene with a yield of 79%.
Polymers
Dec 3, 2025
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Tailored single atom platforms hold promise for next-generation catalysis
Catalysts play a vital role in modern society, supporting processes from metallurgy to pharmaceutical production. To reduce environmental impact and maximize efficiency, science has pushed the boundaries between homogeneous ...
Polymers
Dec 3, 2025
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From pine chips to pharmaceuticals: Lignin upcycled into amides using reusable catalyst
An international research team from the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) has developed a novel, environmentally friendly process for producing high-quality amides from the plant substance lignin—important building ...
Biochemistry
Dec 1, 2025
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Durable plastics made from essential oil compounds offer easy recycling
Cheap, strong, and versatile, plastic seemed like the perfect invention—until its staying power turned into a global headache. Now, Yokohama National University researchers have developed a plant-based alternative that ...
Polymers
Dec 1, 2025
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New plastics designed to degrade on demand may help address global waste
Yuwei Gu was hiking through Bear Mountain State Park in New York when inspiration struck. Plastic bottles littered the trail and more floated on a nearby lake. The jarring sight in such a pristine environment made the Rutgers ...
Polymers
Nov 28, 2025
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Non-toxic solvent enables near-perfect recycling of mixed-fiber textiles
We are producing more textiles than ever before: worldwide, well over one hundred million tons of textiles are manufactured every year—more than twice as much as in the year 2000. This makes it increasingly important not ...
Polymers
Nov 26, 2025
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Covalent organic frameworks grown through coupling reactions unlock new class of semiconducting magnets
Chemists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a methodology to enable coupling reactions for the growth of crystalline porous covalent organic frameworks, unlocking a new class of semiconducting magnets. ...
Polymers
Nov 25, 2025
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Surprising twist: Chirality in polymers enhances conductivity after doping
A new study marks a significant step forward in positioning synthetic polymers as an alternative to expensive, unsustainable minerals used in the manufacture of devices such as conductors, transistors and diodes.
Polymers
Nov 25, 2025
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