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Advances in Synthesis and Multiscale Characterization of Functional Polymeric Materials

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymeric Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 3121

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Dr. Alexandra-Ileana Portoaca

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Mechanical Engineering Department, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, 100680 Ploiesti, Romania
Interests: additive (manufacturing) technologies; materials engineering and testing; corrosion and degradation of materials; composite materials and composite repair systems; numerical and experimental structural analysis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, entitled “Advances in Synthesis and Multiscale Characterization of Functional Polymeric Materials.” Functional polymers are increasingly important in energy, electronics, environmental technologies, and biomedicine due to their versatility and tunable properties. Advances in synthesis and multiscale characterization now enable the precise design and correlation of molecular structures with macroscopic performance, fostering both fundamental insights and practical innovations.

This Special Issue aims to present recent developments in the synthesis, design, and multiscale analysis of functional polymeric materials. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship between structure, properties, and performance, highlighting contributions that demonstrate both methodological advances and application-oriented outcomes. The topic aligns with the journal’s scope by integrating interdisciplinary research across chemistry, materials science, and engineering. A collection of at least 10 articles is envisioned, with potential publication in book form.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome, with focus on areas including (but not limited to) the following:

Novel synthesis and functionalization of polymers;
Smart, responsive, or conductive polymer systems;
Biocompatible and biodegradable polymers;
Multiscale modeling, imaging, and spectroscopy;
Polymer composites, hybrids, and sustainable processing.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Alexandra-Ileana Portoaca
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

functional polymers
polymer synthesis
multiscale characterization
stimuli-responsive materials
conductive and semiconductive polymers
biocompatible and biodegradable polymers
polymer composites and hybrids
sustainable polymer processing
structure–property relationships
advanced imaging and spectroscopy

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 2228 KB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study of Wear Behavior Under Friction for Fused Filament Fabrication Components

by Marius Bădicioiu, Răzvan George Rîpeanu, Cristina Maria Dușescu-Vasile, Mihaela Mădălina Călțaru and Alexandra-Ileana Portoacă

Materials 2026, 19(8), 1575; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19081575 - 14 Apr 2026

Viewed by 558

Abstract

The wear behavior of 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) components produced by fused filament fabrication and used as friction elements in aqueous environments was investigated. Despite the growing use of additively manufactured polymers in wet systems, their wear mechanisms under such conditions remain insufficiently understood. Tests were performed under a 29 N load and 30 rpm to simulate low-speed, moderately loaded applications. PolyTerra™ PLA parallelepiped and ring specimens were analyzed through gravimetric wear testing using a Baroid lubricity tester for 135 min. During the first 105 min, both geometries showed similar mass losses, with differences below 10%. In the final stage, the parallelepiped specimen exhibited accelerated wear, while the ring specimen gained mass due to material transfer. The electrical conductivity of the medium increased significantly, from 4.6 to 1846 µS/cm, and pH rose from 7.01 to 8.04. The recovered residue matched total mass loss, and FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of PLA structures, indicating mechanical wear as the dominant process. This study provides experimental insight into the tribological behavior of 3D-printed PLA in water-lubricated conditions. By combining mass loss evaluation and medium property analysis, it improves understanding of wear mechanisms and supports the reliable design of PLA components for aqueous applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Synthesis and Multiscale Characterization of Functional Polymeric Materials)

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31 pages, 3164 KB

Open AccessArticle

Multi-Objective Optimization of Mechanical and Geometric Properties of 3D-Printed PLA Porous Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications

by Alejandro González González, Patricia C. Zambrano-Robledo, Deivis Avila, Marcelino Rivas and Ramón Quiza

Materials 2026, 19(5), 1008; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19051008 - 5 Mar 2026

Viewed by 568

Abstract

Porous scaffolds fabricated via fused deposition modeling (FDM) are promising for bone tissue engineering, but their mechanical performance and geometric fidelity are governed by complex interactions between process parameters and architectural design. This study presents a multi-objective optimization framework for poly (lactic acid) (PLA) scaffolds based on three triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) topologies—Gyroid, Primitive, and Diamond. A Box–Behnken design combined with response surface methodology was used to model compressive strength, elastic modulus, yield strength, energy absorption density, and discrepancies in volume and porosity as functions of layer thickness (0.05–0.15 mm), extrusion temperature (210–220 °C), and target porosity (50–70%). The resulting quadratic models exhibited strong predictive capability (R² > 77%, with most >90%) and were validated experimentally at extreme parameter combinations, yielding relative errors below 10% for 83% of measurements. Multi-objective optimization using NSGA-II, coupled with principal component analysis and correlation-based objective reduction, revealed that the six original objectives collapse to topology-specific essential pairs: absorbed energy density and porosity discrepancy for Gyroid; Young’s modulus and volume discrepancy for Primitive; and Young’s modulus and porosity discrepancy for Diamond. The generated Pareto fronts quantify the inherent trade-off between mechanical performance and geometric fidelity for each topology, providing designers with explicit decision maps. This framework enables rational, application-driven selection of printing parameters and scaffold architecture, advancing the clinical translation of patient-specific FDM-printed bone scaffolds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Synthesis and Multiscale Characterization of Functional Polymeric Materials)

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Graphical abstract

29 pages, 4507 KB

Open AccessArticle

Data-Driven Modeling and Simulation for Optimizing Color in Polycarbonate: The Dominant Role of Processing Speed on Pigment Dispersion and Rheology

by Jamal Al Sadi

Materials 2026, 19(2), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19020366 - 16 Jan 2026

Viewed by 634

Abstract

Maintaining color constancy in polymer extrusion processes is a key difficulty in manufacturing applications, as fluctuations in processing parameters greatly influence pigment dispersion and the quality of the finished product. Preliminary historical data mining analysis was conducted in 2009. This work concentrates on Opaque PC Grade 5, which constituted 2.43% of the pigment; it contained 10 PPH of resin2 with a Melt Flow Index (MFI) of 6.5 g/10 min and 90 PPH of resin1. It also employs a fixed resin composition with an MFI of 25 g/10 min. This research identified the significant processing parameters (PPs) contributing to the lowest color deviation. Interactions between processing parameters, for the same color formulation, were analyzed using statistical methods under various processing conditions. A principle-driven General Trends (GT) diagnostic procedure was applied, wherein each parameter was individually varied across five levels while holding others constant. Particle size distribution (PSD) and colorimetric data (CIE Lab*) were systematically measured and analyzed. To complete this, correlations for the impact of temperature (Temp) on viscosity, particle characteristics, and color quality were studied by characterizing viscosity, Digital Optical Microscopy (DOM), and particle size distribution at various speeds. The samples were characterized for viscosity at three temperatures (230, 255, 280 °C) and particle size distribution at three speeds: 700, 750, 800 rpm. This study investigates particle processing features, such as screw speed and pigment size distribution. The average pigment diameter and the fraction of small particles were influenced by the speed of 700–775 rpm. At 700 rpm, the mean particle size was 2.4 µm, with 61.3% constituting particle numbers. The mean particle size diminished to 2 µm at 775 rpm; however, the particle count proportion escalated to 66% at 800 rpm. This research ultimately quantifies the relative influence of particle size on the reaction, resulting in a color value of 1.36. The mean particle size and particle counts are positively correlated; thus, reduced pigment size at increased speed influences color response and quality. The weighted contributions of the particles, 51.4% at 700 rpm and 48.6% at 800 rpm, substantiate the hypothesis. Further studies will broaden the GT analysis to encompass multi-parameter interactions through design experiments and will test the diagnostic assessment procedure across various polymer grades and colorants to create robust models of prediction for industrial growth. The global quality of mixing polycarbonate compounding constituents ensured consistent and smooth pigment dispersion, minimizing color streaks and resulting in a significant improvement in color matching for opaque grades. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Synthesis and Multiscale Characterization of Functional Polymeric Materials)

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Graphical abstract

37 pages, 3889 KB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Layer Thickness and Extrusion Temperature on the Mechanical Behavior of PLA–Flax TPMS Sandwich Structures Fabricated via Fused Filament Fabrication

by Gabriele Marabello, Mohamed Chairi, Mariasofia Parisi and Guido Di Bella

Materials 2025, 18(23), 5356; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18235356 - 27 Nov 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1023

Abstract

Triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) sandwich structures made from PLA, reinforced with flax fibers, offer a bio-based approach to lightweight design, but their performance is sensitive to material-extrusion parameters. This study investigates the combined effects of layer height (0.16, 0.24, and 0.28 mm) and extrusion temperature (200, 220 °C) on the flexural behavior of gyroid-core PLA–flax sandwiches. Six parameter combinations were fabricated by fused filament fabrication and tested in three-point bending to obtain flexural strength and strain at failure. Post-fracture optical microscopy related mesostructure and failure mechanisms to macroscopic response. The highest strength (≈23 MPa) was found at 0.28 mm/200 °C, while the greatest strain at failure (≈0.06 mm/mm) occurred at 0.16 mm/200 °C. Two-factor ANOVA showed the significant main and interaction effects of temperature and layer height on both metrics. Fractography revealed a transition from interfacial delamination at lower temperatures and thinner layers to a more localized, cohesive rupture as interlayer bonding improved with higher temperature and thicker layers. Complementary compression tests revealed a core-dominated cellular collapse, with first-collapse stresses ranging from 6.3 to 8.2 MPa and a significant dependence on layer height and temperature (ANOVA). A gate-to-gate sustainability assessment indicated that layer height dominates printing time, energy demand, and CO₂ emissions, with 0.28 mm minimizing energy per unit property. Measured part masses were 4–6% below slicer predictions, consistent with typical FFF porosity. The results provide TPMS-specific process windows that balance mechanical performance and energy efficiency for PLA–flax sandwiches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Synthesis and Multiscale Characterization of Functional Polymeric Materials)

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