B(C ₆ F ₅ ) ₃ -catalyzed GTP synthesis of poly( N -isopropyl, N -methylacrylamide) as a new thermoresponsive material.

With the steadily rising demand for energy storage devices, there is an increasing need for high-performance batteries. Although aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are cost-effective and environmentally friendly, they still encounter challenges including dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution and performance degradation under extreme conditions. Here, a novel hydrated eutectic electrolyte (HEE) including ethylene glycol (EG), SnCl₂ solution and hydrated zinc salt (Zn(ClO₄)₂·6H₂O) successfully prolongs the service life of AZIBs in a range of extreme temperatures. Inspired by the advantageous properties of SnCl₂, this compound was utilized to generate a solid electrolyte interphase layer in situ on the zinc anode. By preventing direct contact between water and the zinc surface, this procedure creates a protective “shielding effect” that reduces the unchecked growth of zinc dendrites over time. Notably, SnCl₂ significantly enhances the cycling stability of the battery. As a result, the Zn||Zn symmetric cells deliver an extra-long cycling performance for 6320 h and a wide temperature tolerance (−30 to 70 °C). Moreover, this work examines the relationship between interfacial chemistry at the electrode–electrolyte interface and the characteristics of liquid eutectic networks. By fine-tuning interfacial chemistry, our findings provide a strategic pathway for optimizing the performance of AZIBs under extreme temperature conditions.

A π-conjugated urea-bearing phenyleneethynylene polymer (Poly-2) was rationally designed by the Sonogashira coupling condensation reaction and had been demonstrated to have a unique fluorescent quenching effect for the optical detection of all determined anions, especially for CN⁻. The fluorescent emission of Poly-2 was significantly quenched upon adding CN⁻, together accompanied with a continuous red shift of the emission peak from 442 to 464 nm with the cyanide concentration increased from 0 to 1.0 mM. On the contrary, its precursor polymer, Poly-1, itself also displayed fluorescent responsibility with all selected anions but had no obvious selectivity and tendency. For instance, the addition of highly basic CN⁻, N₃⁻, AcO⁻, or F⁻ to Poly-1 solution in DMF/H₂O (v/v = 1:1) led to the photoluminescence amplification, while the addition of weakly basic anions like Cl⁻, I⁻, and Br⁻ showed a fluorescence quenching effect. Both polymers were in a seriously self-aggregated state in solution no matter in the absence or presence of an anion. Interestingly, it was found that Poly-2 exhibited an aggregation-induced emission behavior, while Poly-1 had an aggregation-caused quenching effect, based on the relationship between photoluminescence and polymer aggregation state. The structural characterizations were carried out by NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography measurements; the photoluminescence properties of Poly-1 and Poly-2 together with anion sensing properties were followed by fluorescence spectroscopy, and the relationship between photoluminescence and aggregation behavior of both polymers in solution was investigated by dynamic light scattering measurements. Graphical abstract

A series of well-defined di- and triblock acrylic copolymers consisting of hard poly(dicyclopentanyl acrylate) (PdcPA) and soft poly(alkyl acrylate) (PAA) blocks are synthesized by the N-(trimethylsilyl)bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Me₃SiNTf₂) catalyzed group transfer polymerization (GTP) of dicyclopentanyl acrylate (dcPA) and alkyl acrylate (AA) including n-butyl acrylate (nBA), n-octylacrylate (nOA), 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), and n-dodecyl acrylate (nDA). The distribution of the monomeric units of the copolymers is controlled through the addition sequence of the comonomers and by the used initiator. In greater detail, the mixed addition of AA and dcPA using the monofunctional 1-methoxy-1-triisopropylsiloxy-2-methylpropene (MTS^iPr) as the initiator produces the statistical poly[(alkyl acrylate)-stat-(dicyclopentanyl acrylate)] (Poly(AA-stat-dcPA)), the sequential addition of AA and then dcPA using MTS^iPr as an initiator produces the AB-type hard–soft diblock poly(alkyl acrylate)-block-poly(dicyclopentanyl acrylate) (PAA-b-PdcPA), the sequential addition of AA and then dcPA using the bifunctional 1,2-bis[2-methyl-1-(triisopropylsiloxy)prop-1-enyloxy]ethane (MTS^iPr ₂) as the initiator affords the ABA-type hard–soft–hard triblock poly(dicyclopentanyl acrylate)-block-poly(alkyl acrylate)-block-poly(dicyclopentanyl acrylate) (PdcPA-b-PAA-b-PdcPA), and the reverse addition of the two monomers using MTS^iPr ₂ affords the soft–hard–soft BAB-type triblock poly(alkyl acrylate)-block-poly(dicyclopentanyl acrylate)-block-poly(alkyl acrylate) (PAA-b-PdcPA-b-PAA). The formation of the statistical and block copolymers has been confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) measurements. Afterwards, the glass transition behavior of the resulting copolymers is analyzed by both differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rheometry. A detailed discussion of this part is presented in the following sections.

This contribution reports the syntheses, structural analyses and properties of europium (Eu³⁺)- and terbium (Tb³⁺)-based coordination complexes of poly(N-isopropyl,N-methylacrylamide-stat-N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (poly(iPMAm-stat-DMAm)) copolymer, named as poly-Eu(III) and poly-Tb(III), respectively. In greater detail, poly(iPMAm₈₅-stat-DMAm₁₅) is first prepared by random copolymerization of N-isopropyl,N-methylacrylamide (iPMAm) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAm) via group transfer polymerization (GTP). Next, poly(iPMAm₈₅-stat-DMAm₁₅) is used as the polymer matrix for chelating with Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ cations at its side amide groups, to produce poly-Eu(III) and poly-Tb(III). Their structural characterizations by FT-IR spectroscopy and XPS confirm the formation of polymeric complexes. The study on their fluorescence emission characteristics and luminescence lifetime demonstrates that Poly-Eu(III) shows four strong emission peaks at 578, 593, 622, and 651 nm, which are responsible for the electron transitions from the excited ⁵D₀ state to the multiplet ⁷F_J (J = 0, 1, 2, 3) states, respectively, and poly-Tb(III) also displays four emission peaks at 489, 545, 588, and 654 nm, mainly due to the electron transitions of ⁵D₄ → ⁷F_i (i = 6, 5, 4, 3). The luminescence lifetimes of poly-Eu(III) (τ_poly-Eu(III)) and poly-Tb(III) (τ_poly-Tb(III)) are determined to be 4.57 and 7.50 ms, respectively. In addition, in aqueous solutions, poly-Eu(III) and poly-Tb(III) are found to exhibit thermoresponsivity, with their cloud temperatures (T_cs) locating around 36.4 and 36.8 °C, respectively. Finally, the cytotoxicity study on the human colon carcinoma cells LoVo and DLD1 suggests that the luminescent Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ in the chelated state with poly(iPMAm-stat-DMAm) show much better biocompatibility and lower toxicity than their inorganic salts.