Search Results (111)

The growing demand for durable and environmentally sustainable bioactive textiles has created a need for functionalization strategies that minimize the release of active agents during use and laundering. In this study, a novel chloroxylenol-functionalized vinyl sulfone reactive dye was synthesized through the coupling of chloroxylenol with diazotized para-ester and characterized using FTIR, UV–Vis, ¹H-NMR, and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The synthesized dye was applied to cotton fabric through an exhaust dyeing process, enabling simultaneous coloration and biofunctionalization in a single step. The dye exhibited high substantivity toward cotton, achieving dye exhaustion and fixation values of 95% and 91%, respectively. The dyed fabric demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (99.99%) and Escherichia coli (94%), antiviral activity of 87%, and antifungal activity of 86% before laundering. After 20 laundering cycles, antibacterial activity remained at 96% against S. aureus and 91% against E. coli, while antiviral and antifungal activities remained at 83% and 82%, respectively, confirming the durability of the bioactive functionality. Optical density measurements further verified substantial bacterial growth inhibition, whereas MTT assays using L929 fibroblasts demonstrated acceptable biocompatibility with cell viability exceeding 80% at the highest tested concentration. The dyed fabrics also exhibited excellent ultraviolet protection (UPF 119) with UVA and UVB blocking efficiencies of 99.35% and 98.98%, respectively, together with good colorfastness properties. Furthermore, UV–Vis analysis of the washing liquor indicated negligible dye release under the investigated laundering conditions. These findings demonstrate an effective and sustainable one-step strategy for producing durable multifunctional bioactive textiles while reducing processing steps and minimizing the potential release of active agents during use. Full article

This study reports the intermediate-temperature proton exchange membrane (IT-PEM) based on an oligomeric vinyl sulfonic acid (OVS)-infiltrated crosslinked porous polybenzimidazole (cp-PBI) framework. The cp-PBI membrane, fabricated via ZIF-8-templated porosity and covalent crosslinking, provides a mechanically robust and chemically stable host matrix that enables high uptake and uniform distribution of OVS throughout the membrane bulk. In situ oligomerization of vinyl sulfonic acid yields a wax-like OVS ionomer with high proton density and reduced mobility, effectively suppressing ionomer leaching while maintaining efficient proton transport under anhydrous conditions. The resulting membrane exhibits high proton conductivity of 8.4 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at room temperature and 2.6 × 10⁻² S cm⁻¹ at 110 °C without any external humidification. Compared to dense PBI and conventional phosphoric acid (PA)-doped systems, the composite membrane demonstrates significantly enhanced ionomer retention, with only 2.3 wt% loss under compressive conditions and improved stability under humid environments. These results highlight the synergistic effect of a porous crosslinked host and viscous oligomeric ionomer, providing a promising strategy for designing stable, high-performance IT-PEMs. Full article

Fluorine-18 is often considered an ideal positron emitter owing to its excellent chemical, physiological, and nuclear properties. Consequently, the development of rapid, simple, and reliable ¹⁸F-labeling strategies remains critically important for synthesizing new radiopharmaceuticals for PET molecular imaging. A common approach involves the synthesis of ¹⁸F-labeled prosthetic groups that subsequently undergo bioconjugation with peptides or other biomolecules to generate ¹⁸F-labeled imaging probes. However, conventional synthetic methods for these prosthetic groups are often lengthy, require large quantities of precursor and solvent, and typically rely on elevated reaction temperatures. Herein, we report a droplet-based microscale synthetic methodology for the preparation of the [¹⁸F]FVSB prosthetic group that minimizes precursor and solvent usage, proceeds rapidly, and operates at relatively low temperatures. Conditions were optimized using a platform for performing droplet reactions in parallel, enabling high-throughput study of multiple reaction parameters within a short period of time. Additionally, we introduce a simple micro-cartridge purification technique that affords purified [¹⁸F]FVSB in small volumes. Furthermore, we describe an efficient bioconjugation that requires substantially lower reagent amounts than the previously reported macroscale method. The microscale process we report could facilitate wider use of this ¹⁸F-labeling strategy and can be extended to label other thiol-bearing peptides or biomolecules. Full article

The catalytic dehydration of fructose to 5-ethoxymethylfurfural (EMF) in ethanol provides a promising approach for low-carbon chemical production. However, current catalytic systems generally suffer from a trade-off between reaction efficiency and product selectivity. Herein, we show that incorporating solvent moieties to sulfonated polymer enables the highly efficient conversion of fructose to furan compounds in ethanol via restraining product degradation. The co-polymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone, with divinylbenzene (DVB) and sodium p-styrene sulfonate (SPSS) gave 1.5VP/0.64SPSS/0.37DVB that has slightly lower acid contents and inferior pore structure than the co-polymer of DVB and SPSS. The 1.5VP/0.64SPSS/0.37DVB catalyst exhibited maximal EMF yield of 81.9% with a total furan yield of 92.7%, Which is remarkably higher than previous reports. Moreover, the 1.5VP/0.64SPSS/0.37DVB catalyst gave a high HMF yield in pure tetrahydrofuran. The superior performance was attributed to the improved stability of the product. Our findings will instruct the design of active and selective catalysts to facilitate the production of biomass-derived products. Full article

A novel membrane was synthesized in this work by grafting 1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([C₂VIm][BF₄]) onto a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) backbone, followed by the introduction of a sulfonated graphene oxide (SGO) dispersion into the polymer solution. This composite was transformed into a composite proton-conducting membrane via a solution casting process and subsequently underwent protonation. Successful grafting was confirmed using analytical techniques including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis verified the homogeneous distribution of the SGO filler. Analysis reveals that incorporating SGO as a filler substantially augments the performance of anion exchange membranes. Key enhancements include a tensile strength increase to 37.97 MPa, water uptake of 10.34%, an ion exchange capacity of 1.68 mmol/g, and the through-plane proton conductivity of 15.47 mS/cm. While vanadium permeability rose marginally to 2.02 × 10⁻⁷ cm²/min, it remains drastically lower than that of Nafion 115. The composite proton-conducting membrane also displayed robust chemical stability. The membrane was finally integrated into a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) for performance evaluation. At a current density of 100 mA/cm², it exhibits a satisfactory coulombic efficiency (CE) of 97.84%, excellent capacity retention, and superior cycling stability. These results demonstrate that the PVDF-g-IL/SGO-based composite proton-conducting membrane is an ideal candidate material for vanadium flow battery applications. Full article

Conventional lithium-ion batteries face issues like electrolyte leakage and interface instability. Solid-state lithium batteries with solid electrolytes address these, while solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) offer safety and flexibility. This study primarily aimed to develop and synthesize a graft copolymer, PVA-g-SBMA, which was successfully synthesized by grafting [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SBMA) onto poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). PVA provided excellent film-forming ability and mechanical strength, enhancing flexibility and stability in solid-state devices. Meanwhile, SBMA’s zwitterionic structure promoted efficient ion transport, improving ionic conductivity and solid electrolyte performance in energy storage applications. From the results, the proton assignment of the PVA-g-PSBMA zwitterionic graft copolymers was investigated via ¹H NMR spectra. The molecular weight of the graft copolymer was determined through aqueous GPC; the number average molecular weight (Mn) was 15,755, and the PDI was 1.17. The grafting efficiency of SBMA was calculated as 25%. However, the material lacked sufficient mechanical properties, leading to brittle membranes. To address this issue, we crosslinked the film to improve its mechanical properties. The grafted copolymer was crosslinked with the PEDOT:PSS as a crosslinkable sulfonated component using (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GOPS) as the crosslinker and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as solvent to complete the crosslinking reaction. The crosslinking mechanism involved the reaction between hydroxyl groups on PVA and PSS, while the GOPS bonded with PSS, forming a robust crosslinked network. The crosslinking process was completed by heating the mixture to 120 °C. We also compared different crosslinking ratios to discuss the film performance. Lithium salts were incorporated to investigate the effect of varying lithium salt concentrations. According to EIS measurements, the best-performing system was crosslinked PVA-g-SBMA with PEDOT:PSS 0.1 wt% and LiTFSI 0.015 wt%, which reached conductivities of 4.9 × 10⁻⁴ S/cm at room temperature. We also explored the film’s thermal properties, morphologies, and chain interactions in this research. Full article

Polyelectrolyte microspheres based on a polymer containing sulfonate groups are considered promising drug delivery systems for encapsulating drugs and ensuring their prolonged release. In this study, gel microparticles based on various sulfonate-containing polymers were formed, and their potential as drug delivery systems was evaluated, particularly for the controlled administration of the cytotoxic anthracycline antibiotic doxorubicin and the antifungal drug fuchsine. An undeniable advantage of such gel microspheres is the presence in their structure of sulfonate groups localized both in the surface layer and in the volume. The main monomers used were styrene-4-sulfonic acid sodium salt and 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt; spherical, porous microparticles were obtained via free-radical reverse suspension polymerization. Microsphere properties (size, porosity, pore structure, electrical surface properties, and swelling) were tailored by changing the nature of the sulfonate, using a comonomer (vinyl acetate or ethyl acrylate), adding a co-solvent, or modulating the crosslinker composition, which influenced drug loading efficiency (doxorubicin, fuchsine). The gel-like structure of the microspheres was confirmed, and the sulfonate groups were found to be distributed throughout both the surface layer and the internal volume of the microspheres. A comparison was also made with non-porous polymer particles containing sulfonate groups. The sorption capacity of the gel microspheres for doxorubicin was 2.2 mmol/g, significantly higher than the 0.4 mmol/g observed for the non-porous reference particles. The obtained values of doxorubicin sorption on gel microspheres are over 60 times higher than the values reported in the literature. Full article

Dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are flaviviruses transmitted by Aedes spp. mosquitoes, causing a spectrum of symptoms ranging from mild fevers and joint pain to severe damage to vital organs, including the kidneys, brain, and liver. Unfortunately, there are currently no specific treatments for these viruses. The NS2B/NS3 serine protease has been recognized as a crucial therapeutic target due to its pivotal role in viral replication. Herein, several molecular modeling techniques were employed to search for novel allosteric inhibitors against DENV and ZIKV NS2B/NS3 proteases from a set of 545 in-house compounds. Virtual screening based on molecular docking and MM/GBSA-based free energy calculations indicated that, among 545 derivatives, four compounds demonstrated high binding affinity against both targets, including two sulfonamide-vinyl sulfone hybrids (cpd48_e and cpd50_e), one sulfonamide-chalcone analog (cpd48), and one berberine-cinnamic acid derivative (DN071_f). Their molecular complexation was driven mainly by van der Waals forces rather than electrostatic attraction. Several residues at the enzyme allosteric site, particularly K74, L149, and N152 (DENV) and L76, I123, N152, and V155 (ZIKV), were identified as binding hotspots for the screened compounds. Drug-likeness predictions based on Lipinski’s rule of five further supported their potential as drug candidates. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights for the future design and development of novel antiviral drugs targeting the DENV and ZIKV NS2B/NS3 proteases. Full article

Sulfonyl derivatives are very important compounds as they can be found in sulfones and sulfonamides, two classes of compounds with prominent biological and pharmacological activities. This study explores a copper-catalyzed cascade heterocyclization/sulfonylation reaction for the controlled preparation of sulfonyl oxazinones. Surprisingly, in this work we have isolated a great variety of vinyl sulfones with high selectivity instead of the expected cyclization. These sulfones are obtained by the reaction between N-Boc-allenes and aromatic sodium sulfinates. These results emphasize the reactivity of allenes toward the formation of bis(γ-amino-functionalized vinyl sulfones) in the presence of copper salts under radical conditions. Full article

Fracture-induced loss poses severe challenges to drilling operations, particularly under high-temperature and high-salinity conditions encountered in deep wells. Conventional plugging materials, characterized by relatively large particle sizes and poor structural integrity, often exhibit insufficient thermal stability and salt tolerance under extreme drilling conditions, making them prone to structural degradation and loss of adhesion, which ultimately leads to drilling fluid deterioration and downhole complications. To address this issue, a core–shell-structured microgel, ANDT-70 (named after the acronyms of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone, N, N-dimethylacrylamide, dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride, and titanium dioxide nanoparticles), was synthesized and systematically evaluated for its thermal stability, salt resistance, and interfacial adhesion capabilities. The structural evolution, dispersion behavior, and colloidal stability of the microgel were thoroughly characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, and Zeta potential analysis. Experimental results indicate that ANDT-70 exhibits excellent thermal stability and resistance to salt-induced degradation at 260 °C, maintaining its fundamental structure and performance under harsh high-temperature and high-salinity conditions, with a viscosity retention of 81.10% compared with ambient conditions. Compared to representative materials reported in the literature, ANDT-70 exhibited superior tolerance to ionic erosion in saline conditions. AFM analysis confirmed that ANDT-70 significantly improves bentonite slurry dispersion and reduces salt sensitivity risks. ANDT-70 stably adsorbs onto bentonite lamellae via the synergistic action of electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding, thereby forming a dense cementation network that markedly enhances the structural stability and adhesion of the system. This network significantly enhances the cohesion and structural integrity of drilling fluid systems under extreme conditions. In conclusion, ANDT-70 demonstrates strong potential as a high-performance functional microgel for enhancing the stability and effectiveness of advanced drilling fluids under complex geological environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are highly sensitive clinical imaging modalities, frequently employed in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) for diagnosing a wide range of disorders. Efficient and robust radiolabeling methods are needed to accommodate the increasing demand for PET and SPECT tracer development. Copper-mediated radiohalogenation (CMRH) reactions enable rapid late-stage preparation of radiolabeled arenes, yet synthetic challenges and radiolabeling precursors’ instability can limit the applications of CMRH approaches. Methods: A series of aryl-boronic acids were converted into their corresponding aryl-boronic acid 1,1,2,2-tetraethylethylene glycol esters [ArB(Epin)s] and aryl-boronic acid 1,1,2,2-tetrapropylethylene glycol esters [ArB(Ppin)s] as stable and versatile precursor building blocks for radiolabeling via CMRH. General protocols for the preparation of ¹⁸F-labeled and ¹²³I-labeled arenes utilizing CMRH of these substrates were developed and applied. The radiochemical conversions (RCC) were determined by radio-(U)HPLC. Results: Both ArB(Epin)s and ArB(Ppin)s-based radiolabeling precursors were prepared in a one-step synthesis with chemical yields of 49–99%. Radiolabeling of the aryl-boronic esters with fluorine-18 or iodine-123 via CMRH furnished the corresponding radiolabeled arenes with RCC of 7–99% and 10–99%, respectively. Notably, a radiohalogenated prosthetic group containing a vinyl sulfone motif was obtained with an activity yield (AY) of 18 ± 3%, and applied towards the preparation of two clinically relevant PET tracers. Conclusions: This approach enables the synthesis of stable radiolabeling precursors and thus provides increased versatility in the application of CMRH, thereby supporting the development of novel PET and SPECT radiotracers. Full article

Currently, for the treatment of corneal diseases (keratitis–corneal opacities), synthetic corneal analogs based on polymer films or hydrogels are being developed. The requirements for the material include biocompatibility, the presence of a developed system of macropores, transparency, rapid swelling, and mechanical strength. Here, with the aim of preparing such materials, a series of gels based on a copolymer of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMP) and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (or vinyl acetate, or ethyl acrylate) were obtained using cryotropic gelation. It was shown that transparent cryogels can be obtained based on the sulfonate-containing comonomer 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid at a crosslinking agent concentration of 2.2 mol.%, while the nature of the acrylate comonomer did not show any effect on transparency. It was found that when using AMP and ethyl acrylate, cryogels with a developed system of macropores with a diameter of 50 to 250 μm were formed, and the mechanical strength of such cryogels was sufficient for their subsequent use as corneal implants. Moreover, the PAMP hydrogel containing 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or ethyl acrylate units did not affect the viability of cells even after 1 month. Full article

In this paper, polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) were created using poly(vinyl chloride)-based alkyl sulfonic acid derivatives as ion carriers and dioctyl terephthalate as a plasticizer for the selective separation of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II) ions from aqueous nitrate solutions. The ion carriers were dinonylnaphthalenesulfonic acid (DNNSA) and nonylbenzenesulfonic acid (NBSA). The influence of the carrier and the plasticizer concentration in the membrane on the transport efficiency was investigated. For the PIM system, 15% wt. of carrier (DNNSA, NBSA), 20% wt. of plasticizer, and 65% wt. of polymer poly(vinyl chloride) PVC were the optimal proportions, with which the process was the most effective. Research on the transport kinetics has shown that the transport of Pb(II) ions through PIMs containing acidic carriers adheres to a first-order kinetics equation, which is characteristic of a facilitated transport mechanism. The activation parameter for these processes suggests that the high performance of these ion carriers is associated with the immobilization of the carrier within the membrane. It was found that PIMs based on DNNSA facilitate the selective separation of Pb(II)/Cu(II) and Pb(II)/Cd(II) mixtures, achieving high separation factors. Full article

Recently, the radical ring-opening polymerization of cyclic monomers has become one of the most important topics because it can impart degradability to vinyl polymers by introducing functional groups and heteroatoms into the main chain through copolymerization with vinyl monomers. In this study, we investigated the possibility of the ring-opening polymerization of the cyclic sulfone compounds, including sulfolane and sulfolene derivatives. First, the reactions of 2,5-dimethyl-3-sulfolene (DMS) were predicted using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and the reaction product was actually examined after heating in the presence of a radical initiator. Next, we synthesized and polymerized 2-vinylsulfolane (2VS), which has been reported to undergo radical ring-opening polymerization in the literature and tried to modify the resulting polymers containing the unsaturated groups in the main chain via post-polymerization reaction by ene–thiol additions. We also examined the decomposition behavior of the polymer of 2VS before and after hydrogenation. Furthermore, we discussed the reactivity of 3-exomethylenesulfolane (3EMS), which is expected to exhibit radical ring-opening polymerization similar to 2VS, as well as the structure and reactivity of the corresponding polymer. Full article