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Membranes, as the primary tool in membrane separation techniques, tend to suffer external deposition of pollutants and microorganisms depending on the nature of the treating solutions. Such issues are well recognized as biofouling and is identified as the major drawback of pressure-driven membrane processes due to the influence of the separation performance of such membrane-based technologies. Herein, the aim of this review paper is to elucidate and discuss new insights on the ongoing development works at facing the biofouling phenomenon in membranes. This paper also provides an overview of the main strategies proposed by “membranologists” to improve the fouling resistance in membranes. Special attention has been paid to the fundamentals on membrane fouling as well as the relevant results in the framework of mitigating the issue. By analyzing the literature data and state-of-the-art, the concluding remarks and future trends in the field are given as well.

In the present work, a novel method is exhibited for tuning the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks of silver nanoparticles based on chitosan-Poly(vinyl alcohol) blend polymer nanocomposites. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by in situ method through the chitosan host polymer. The absence of crystalline peaks of PVA in the blend system indicated the occurrence of miscibility between CS and PVA polymers. The UV–vis spectra of CS:AgNt samples shows SPR bands with weak intensity. Obvious tuning in SPR peaks of silver nanoparticles occurred when different amounts of PVA polymer incorporated to the CS:AgNt system. The appearance of distinguishable crystalline peaks of Ag° nanoparticles at 2θ = 38.6° and 2θ = 44.2° in the blend system reveals the role of polymer blending in the enhancement of SPR peaks of silver nanoparticles. Silver nanoparticles synthesized in this work with enhanced SPR peaks are important in various applications and areas such as optoelectronic devices. The TEM images show dispersed silver nanoparticles. The dielectric constant of PVA is higher than that of chitosan. The result of dielectric constant study validates the Mie model which reveals the fact that the dielectric constant of the surrounding material has a great effect on the SPR peak intensity of nanoparticles.

Synthetic polymers have established the market due to their low cost and simplicity of production, despite the fact that society now requires a more environment friendly alternative to non-biodegradable polymers. To overcome this problem, natural polymers produced from renewable resources, including starch, cellulose, chitin, pectin, and chitosan, are presently being as an alternative to plastics due to their biodegradability, benign properties, widespread availability, and biocompatibility. According to the current environmental conditions, the creation of bio-based products is crucial. The potential of blending natural biopolymers is effective in addressing the problem of shortening the lifespan of degradation of these polymers, as well as demonstrating the efficiency of biodegradation of polymer blends between synthetic polymers and biopolymers. This article discusses the compatibilizer-based blending of natural and synthetic thermoplastic polymers. The graft copolymerization of natural polymers with monomers utilizing various initiation systems is also highlighted in this article.

Nowadays, addressing the drawbacks of liquid electrolyte-based batteries is a hot and challenging issue, which is supposed to be fulfilled through solid electrolyte systems such as polymer electrolytes. Polymer blend electrolytes (PBEs) are widely investigated as viable options to solve the undesired characteristics of their liquid counterparts and also the poor ionic conductivity of homopolymer-based electrolytes. Even though PBEs outperform homopolymer-based electrolytes in terms of performance, the conductivity of pristine PBEs is quite low for practical applications (i.e. below 10–3 S/cm at room temperature). A very promising approach to solve this limitation is to incorporate additives into the electrolyte systems, to select suitable polymeric materials and to employ the desired synthesizing techniques as the performance of PBEs is strongly dependent on the selection of polymeric materials (i.e. on the inherent properties of polymers), the nature and amount of salts and other additives, and also the techniques employed to synthesize the polymer blend hosts and/or polymer blend electrolytes, determining the functionality, amorphousness, dielectric constant, dimensional stability, and, ultimately, the electrochemical performances of the system. This paper reviews the different factors affecting the miscibility of polymer blends, PBEs synthesizing techniques, the thermal, chemical, mechanical and electrochemical characteristics of PBEs, and also the challenges and opportunities of PBEs. Moreover, the paper presents the current progress of polymer blend electrolytes as well as future prospects for advancing polymer blend electrolytes in the energy storage sectors.

The escalating environmental crisis posed by single-use plastics underscores the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. This study provides an approach to introduce biodegradable polymer blends by blending synthetic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with natural polymers—corn starch (CS) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)—to address this challenge. Through a comprehensive analysis, including of the structure, mechanical strength, water solubility, biodegradability, and thermal properties, we investigated the enhanced performance of PVA-CS and PVA-HPMC blends over conventional polymers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) findings of pure PVA and its blends were studied, and we found a complete homogeneity between the PVA and both types of natural polymers in the case of a high concentration of PVA, whereas at lower concentration of PVA, some granules of CS and HMPC appear in the SEM. Blending corn starch (CS) with PVA significantly boosts its biodegradability in soil environments, since adding starch of 50 w/w duplicates the rate of PVA biodegradation. Incorporating hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) with PVA not only improves water solubility but also enhances biodegradation rates, as the addition of HPMC increases the biodegradation of pure PVA from 10 to 100% and raises the water solubility from 80 to 100%, highlighting the significant acceleration of the biodegradation process and water solubility caused by HPMC addition, making these blends suitable for a wide range of applications, from packaging and agricultural films to biomedical engineering. The thermal properties of pure PVA and its blends with natural were studied using diffraction scanning calorimetry (DSC). It is found that the glass transition temperature (Tg) increases after adding natural polymers to PVA, referring to an improvement in the molecular weight and intermolecular interactions between blend molecules. Moreover, the amorphous structure of natural polymers makes the melting temperature ™ lessen after adding natural polymer, so the blends require lower temperature to remelt and be recycled again. For the mechanical properties, both types of natural polymer decrease the tensile strength and elongation at break, which overall weakens the mechanical properties of PVA. Our findings offer a promising pathway for the development of environmentally friendly polymers that do not compromise on performance, marking a significant step forward in polymer science’s contribution to sustainability. This work presents detailed experimental and theoretical insights into novel polymerization methods and the utilization of biological strategies for advanced material design.

This review discusses the progress of research on sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) and its composite membranes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). SPEEK is a promising material for replacing traditional perfluorosulfonic acid membranes due to its excellent thermal stability, mechanical property, and tunable proton conductivity. By adjusting the degree of sulfonation (DS) of SPEEK, the hydrophilicity and proton conductivity of the membrane can be controlled, while also balancing its mechanical, thermal, and chemical stability. Researchers have developed various composite membranes by combining SPEEK with a range of organic and inorganic materials, such as polybenzimidazole (PBI), fluoropolymers, and silica, to enhance the mechanical, chemical, and thermal stability of the membranes, while reducing fuel permeability and improving the overall performance of the fuel cell. Despite the significant potential of SPEEK and its composite membranes in PEMFCs, there are still challenges and room for improvement, including proton conductivity, chemical stability, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact assessments.

The visualization of phase separation in immiscible polymer blends holds significant industrial and academic relevance, as the resultant phase architecture governs the macroscopic properties and ultimate performance of blended materials. To address this challenge, a dual‐fluorophore labeling strategy is introduced, enabling high‐contrast differentiation of polymeric phases. By covalently tethering two spectrally orthogonal fluorophores to their respective polymer components, unambiguous spatial resolution of blend morphologies is achieved through laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). When compatibilizers are incorporated, LSCM imaging reveals fundamentally reconfigured phase architectures compared to uncompatibilized systems. This fluorescence‐based approach permits direct assessment of blend compatibility through quantitative evaluation of interfacial domain coherence and phase dispersion homogeneity. The methodology demonstrates exceptional versatility, successfully resolving phase boundaries in both chemically dissimilar systems (e.g., polylactic acid [PLA]/poly (butylene adipate‐ co ‐terephthalate) [PBAT] blends with pronounced polarity disparities) and structurally congruent polymers (e.g., polyethylene [PE]/polypropylene [PP] variants). The universal applicability stems from the substantial spectral distinction between fluorophore‐labeled polymers, independent of variations in polymer polarity or structural configurations.

Currently, the rapid increase of potential thermoplastic waste, which does not circulate back into ecosystem through biodegradation, has led to valuable resource waste and environmental pollution. To utilize the economic value and reduce environmental impact, ecofriendly biomass-based wood polymer composites (WPCs) were produced from potential thermoplastic waste blends. Both recycled polystyrene (rPS) from electronic waste and recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) from post-consumer waste were used as polymeric matrices. Ethiopian indigenous lowland bamboo particles ( Oxytenanthera abyssinica ), which had never been used in WPC, was utilized as the dispersed phase reinforcement. The formulation involves in situ reactive melt blending and chemical crosslinking using maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as an organic catalyst initiator, without preliminary solvent-based bamboo particles treatment. The properties of WPCs formulated from varying sizes of LLB particles and compositions of rHDPE, rPS, and their equal melt blends were thoroughly investigated using established standards. Similarly, the chemical composition, structure, crystallinity, thermal degradation, and contaminants of the recycled plastics, as well as the composition of indigenous LLB, were carefully evaluated and characterized before use. In situ melt blending and reaction induced crosslinking interfaced with MAPP compatibilizer and DCP crosslinking synergistically enhanced the composite properties, which were not achieved with separate polymer matrices. The result shows a very significant increase in fundamental static and dynamic mechanical properties, including thermal stability of the composites compared with uncoupled composites. Formulated WPCs can provide low-cost and sustainable building materials which can replace energy intensive and non-sustainable conventional building materials. Graphic Abstract Wood polymer composites (WPCs) were produced using blends of recycled polystyrene (rPS) and recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) from post-consumer waste with Ethiopian indigenous lowland bamboo particles (Oxytenanthera abyssinica ). The formulation involves in situ reactive melt blending and chemical crosslinking using maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as an organic catalyst initiator, without preliminary solvent-based bamboo particles treatment.

In this report, the preparation of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) is performed from polyvinyl alcohol, methyl cellulose (PVA-MC), and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) using solution casting methodology for its use in electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs). The characterizations of the prepared electrolyte are conducted using a variety of techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). The interaction between the polymers and NH4Cl salt are assured via FTIR. EIS confirms the possibility of obtaining a reasonably high conductance of the electrolyte of 1.99 × 10−3 S/cm at room temperature. The dielectric response technique is applied to determine the extent of the ion dissociation of the NH4Cl in the PVA-MC-NH4Cl systems. The appearance of a peak in the imaginary part of the modulus study recognizes the contribution of chain dynamics and ion mobility. Transference number measurement (TNM) is specified and is found to be (tion) = 0.933 for the uppermost conducting sample. This verifies that ions are the predominant charge carriers. From the LSV study, 1.4 V are recorded for the relatively high-conducting sample. The CV curve response is far from the rectangular shape. The maximum specific capacitance of 20.6 F/g is recorded at 10 mV/s.

Recent membrane research has focused on constructing physicochemically stable membranes with high transfer properties above the Robson curve. Polymers blending, cross-linking polymers, and mixed matrix membranes (MMM) have been used to increase membranes performance at different temperatures and pressures. This study aims to compute the morphological and transfer properties of hybrid membranes (Pebax/MIL-53 and Pebax/NH 2 -MIL-53), blend membranes (Pebax/Cellulose Acetate), and mixed matrix membranes (Pebax/Cellulose Acetate/MIL-53 and Pebax/Cellulose Acetate/NH 2 -MIL-53), using molecular dynamics (MD) and Monte Carlo (MC) methods via Material Studio software (MS) 2017. The calculated solubility parameter for Pebax, cellulose acetate, and Pebax/cellulose acetate blend were, 19.917 (J/cm 3 ) 0.5 , 18.174 (J/cm 3 ) 0.5 , and 18.207 (J/cm 3 ) 0.5 , respectively. Achieving the same glass transition temperature (T g ) in the Pebax/cellulose acetate blend indicates the proper miscibility of the two polymers. Improving the morphological performance properties of the MMMs by adding MIL-53 and NH 2 -MIL-53 particles to the Pebax-CA structure was evident in the simulation results.  Moreover, the transfer properties performance of the MMMs were improved due to the high compatibility of MOF particles with polymer blends. Furthermore, MIL-53 with the NH 2 amine functional group improved the transfer properties of CO 2 gas in MMMs due to amino groups’ presence and more excellent compatibility due to hydrogen formation bonds to Pebax polymer chain.