Free radical polymerization is one of the most widely employed polymerization techniques. This technique is applied to prepare latexes to be used in paints, high molecular weight poly (methyl methacrylate) for safety glass (Plexiglas), or foamed poly (styrene) to be applied in coffee cups. Some advantages of radical polymerizations, with respect to other techniques, are the relative insensitivi...

This systematic review assessed the literature to evaluate the efficiency of polymerization of bulk-fill composite resins at 4 mm restoration depth. PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched with no restrictions on year, publication status, or article's language. Selection criteria included studies that evaluated bulk-fill composite resin when inserted in a minimum thi...

Polystyrene-reduced graphene oxide (PSTY/RGO) composites were prepared via the in situ bulk polymerization method using two different preparation techniques. The general approach is to use microwave irradiation (MWI) to enhance the exfoliation and the dispersion of RGO nanosheets within the PSTY matrix. In the first approach, a mixture of GO and styrene monomers (STY) were polymerized using a b...

Peptide hydrogels have proven to be a critical building block for range of scientific applications due their high water capacity, tunable mechanical properties, and modular synthetic design. Particular interest stems from the biomedical realm inherent biomimetic structure biocompatibility, which has prompted use as 3D printable matrices. In this review, we will discuss two main strategies prepa...

The phase state of a series of poly(n-octadecyl methacrylate)-b-poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-b-poly(n-octadecyl methacrylate) (pODMA-b-ptBA-b-pODMA) triblock copolymers, synthesized through atom transfer radical polymerization, has been investigated in bulk and on surfaces using small-angle X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy, respectively. The mean-field theory was employed to construct ...

We report the Ni 2p x-ray photoelectron spectra of NiO thin films grown on different oxide substrates, namely, SiO2, Al2O3, and MgO. The main line of the Ni 2p spectra is attributed to the bulk component, and the shoulder at 1.5 eV higher binding energies to the surface component. The spectra of the NiO thin films show strong differences with respect to that of bulk NiO. The energy separation b...

Two new imide-based crystalline, porous, and chemically stable covalent organic frameworks (COFs) (TpBDH and TfpBDH) have been successfully synthesized employing solvothermal crystallization route. Furthermore, thin layered covalent organic nanosheets (CONs) were derived from these bulk COFs by the simple liquid phase exfoliation method. These 2D CONs showcase increased luminescence intensity c...