Disease epidemics may spread quickly and easily throughout nations and continents in our current global environment, having a devastating effect on public health and the world economy. There are over 513 million people worldwide who have been infected, and more than 6.2 million have died due to SARS-CoV-2. There are treatments but no cures for most viruses. Nevertheless, the spread of viruses can be limited by introducing antiviral coatings on public area surfaces and personal protective equipment (e.g., face masks). This work aims to fabricate a polymer-based coating with acrylic resin as a binder that possesses great antiviral activity against the Feline coronavirus (FCov). The chosen polymer, polyethylene glycol (PEG), is used as an antiviral agent because it contains “green” chemistry benefits such as non-toxicity, being inexpensive, readily recyclable, safe, natural, non-flammable, biocompatible, and biodegradable. The PEG/acrylic coating systems of different weight percentages were coated on the glass substrates by the spray-coating method and cured at room temperature for 24 hours. The developed PEG/acrylic coating system that contains 20 wt% of PEG exhibits the highest anti-viral activities (99.9% against FCov) compared to the other weight percentages. From this study, it has been observed that the hydrophilicity of the coating plays an important role in its antiviral activity. The developed coating has a hydrophilic property, in which the contact angle was measured at 83.28 ± 0.5°. The FTIR reveals that there are no existing toxic components or new components contained in the coating samples.

Herein, we report a facile preparation of super-hydrophilic sand by coating the sand particles with cross-linked polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels for enhanced water absorption and controlled water release aimed at desert agriculture. To prepare the sample, 4 wt% of aqueous PAM solution is mixed with organic cross-linkers of hydroquinone (HQ) and hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) in a 1:1 weight ratio and aqueous potassium chloride (KCl) solution. A specific amount of the above solution is added to the sand, well mixed, and subsequently cured at 150 °C for 8 h. The prepared super-hydrophilic sands were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) for chemical composition and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for successful polymer coating onto the sand. The water storage for the samples was studied by absorption kinetics at various temperature conditions, and extended water release was studied by water desorption kinetics. The water swelling ratio for the super-hydrophilic sand has reached a maximum of 900% (9 times its weight) at 80 °C within 1 h. The desorption kinetics of the samples showed that the water can be stored for up to a maximum of 3 days. Therefore, super-hydrophilic sand particles were successfully prepared by coating them with PAM hydrogels, which have great potential to be used in sustainable desert agriculture.

Europium (Eu) doped Calcium borophosphate (CBP) phosphors were synthesized via the solid-state diffusion method. The prepared Europium (Eu) doped Calcium borophosphate (CBP) powder was heated up to 600 ℃ for 6 h for a complete diffusion of ions in the powder system. XRD results showed that the prepared phosphors exhibit a well-crystallized hexagonal phase. The complete diffusion inside the CBP/Eu powder system has been confirmed by the presence of elements such as P, O, Bi, Ca, C, Eu, and B. Apart from that, the synthesized powder system has shown a down-conversion property where the Eu³⁺-activated ion was excited at 251 nm. Under the excitation of 251 nm, CBP/Eu phosphor showed intense emissions peaking at 591,617, and 693 nm due to the ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₁, ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂, and ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₄ transition of Eu³⁺ ions. The obtained results suggest that the CBP/Eu phosphors have the potential for spectral response coating materials to improve photovoltaic (PV) panel efficiency.

In the present work, a series of butyl methacrylate/1-hexene copolymers were synthesized, and their efficiency as viscosity index improvers, pour point depressants, and shear stabilizers of lube oil was investigated. The effect of 1-hexene molar ratio, type, and concentration of Lewis acids on the incorporation of 1-hexene into the copolymer backbone was investigated. The successful synthesis of the copolymers was confirmed through FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Results obtained from quantitative 1H NMR and GPC revealed that an increase in the molar ratio of 1-hexene to butyl methacrylate, along with concentration of Lewis acids led to an increase in 1-hexene incorporation and a reduction in Mn and Ð. Similar trends were observed when the Lewis acid changed from AlCl₃ to organometallic acids. The maximum 1-hexene incorporation (26.4%) was achieved for sample BHY3, with a [1-hexene/BMA] ratio of 4 mol% and a [Yb(OTf)₃/BMA] ratio of 2.5 mol%. Evaluation of the synthesized copolymers as lube oil additives demonstrated that the viscosity index was more significantly influenced by samples with higher molecular weight. Sample BHA13 represents maximum VI of 137. The copolymer containing Yb(OTf)₃ as a catalyst exhibited superior efficiency as a pour point depressant. Furthermore, sample BHY3 showed the lowest shear stability index (6.4).

The history of organic polymers is a remarkable journey from the discovery of natural materials like rubber and silk to the development of sophisticated synthetic polymers that have transformed industries and modern life. This comprehensive review article presents a detailed account of the evolution of organic polymers. It begins with the early uses of natural polymers and explores key breakthroughs, including the invention of Bakelite, nylon, and neoprene. The theoretical foundations of polymer science, laid by Hermann Staudinger, are discussed, and the post-war surge in polymer development is examined, including the introduction of polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC. Notable advances in polymer chemistry, such as isotactic polypropylene and silicone polymers, are highlighted. The article also delves into the development of high-performance polymers like Kevlar and carbon-based materials, offering insights into their applications. Moreover, it discusses the current trends in polymer science, emphasizing sustainability and biodegradability. As the world continues to rely on polymers for numerous applications, this review provides a historical perspective and a glimpse into the future of organic polymers, where innovations are expected to shape various aspects of technology, healthcare, and environmental protection.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a promising technological approach for various applications in the biomedical field. Natural polymers, which comprise the majority of 3D printable “bioinks”, have played a crucial role in various 3D bioprinting technologies during the layered 3D manufacturing processes in the last decade. However, the polymers must be customized for printing and effector function needs in cancer, dental care, oral medicine and biosensors, cardiovascular disease, and muscle restoration. This review provides an overview of 3D bio-printed natural polymers—commonly employed in various medical fields—and their recent development.

The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exhibit unique and tunable plasmonic properties. The size and shape of these particles can manipulate their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) property and their response to the local environment. The LSPR property of nanoparticles is exploited by their optical, chemical, and biological sensing. This is an interdisciplinary area that involves chemistry, biology, and materials science. In this paper, a polymer system is used with the optimization technique of blending two polymers. The two polymer composites polystyrene/poly (4-vinylpyridine) (PS/P4VP) (50:50) and (75:25) were used as found suitable by their previous morphological studies. The results of 50, 95, and 50, 150 nm thicknesses of silver nanoparticles deposited on PS/P4VP (50:50) and (75:25) were explored to observe their optical sensitivity. The nature of the polymer composite embedded with silver nanoparticles affects the size of the nanoparticle and its distribution in the matrix. The polymer composites used are found to have a uniform distribution of nanoparticles of various sizes. The optical properties of Ag nanoparticles embedded in suitable polymer composites for the development of the latest plasmonic applications, owing to their unique properties, were explored. The sensing capability of a particular polymer composite is found to depend on the size of the nanoparticle embedded in it. The optimum result has been found for silver nanoparticles of 150 nm thickness deposited on PS/P4VP (75:25).

Prepolymers containing isocyanates must be prevented from curing when exposed to moisture, which can be achieved by blocking the isocyanate groups with a suitable agent. The study carefully examines several blocking agents, including methyl ethyl ketoxime (MEKO), caprolactam, and phenol, and concludes that methyl ethyl ketoxime is the best choice. Spectroscopic and thermal analyses, as well as oven curing studies, are conducted with various blocking agents and isocyanate prepolymer to castor oil ratios, revealing MEKO to be the most effective blocking agent which gets unblocked at higher temperatures.