Front Cover: 5G and 6G telecommunications devices operate at high frequencies, necessitating the use of photoactive polymer compositions with ultra-low dielectric constants and dissipation factors. In article 2400200, Jeremy E. Wulff, Larry F. Rhodes, and co-workers use electronically optimized diazirine reagents to crosslink and photopattern low-dielectric poly(norbornenes).

This study examines the major aspects of improving the sustainability of thermoplastic-based 3D printing by replacing synthetic raw materials with natural-based systems, or materials derived from renewable sources or recycled, and providing alternatives to reduce energy consumption and polluting emissions. The negative implications of each option on the printability, performance, and aesthetic quality of 3D parts have been discussed further.

This review focuses on two different aspects. First, the underlying guidelines and principles for building multifaceted biomimetic strategies to tailor scaffolds that lead to hydrogelation, and second, successful in bringing to the forefront, the recent achievements with designer assembly mainly in the biomedical arena like drug delivery carrier design, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory as well as wound healing materials.

Polythioesters have introduced numerous innovative perspectives to polymer chemistry since their ground-breaking synthesis in 1951. As the sulfur-containing analogues of polyesters, polythioesters hold considerable promise as sustainable materials.  However, the potential of polythioesters has yet to be fully harnessed, and challenges persist in achieving industrial-scale production. This review examines recent advancements, aiming to encourage further exploration into sustainable polythioester materials.

Three generations of diazirine crosslinkers are evaluated for their ability to generate thermosets using a low-dielectric poly(norbornene) lacking functionality beyond carbon–carbon and carbon–hydrogen bonds. An electronically optimized diazirine affords superior photopatterning. Both photochemical and thermal crosslinking using this diazirine gave poly(norbornene) thermosets with low dielectric constant and loss at 10 GHz, and good reliability after high-temperature/high-humidity treatment.

The dihydropyridine polymers are loaded with bioactive nitric oxide via nitrosation, and upon irradiation with ultraviolet light, the stored nitric oxide is released in a controlled manner.

This study explores the mechanism and performance of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) utilizing de-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) active layers and Nafion ion-selective membranes. The research investigates ion transport and electrical characteristics in both oxidized and reduced states. Findings demonstrate how material engineering enhances OECT functionality in bioelectronics and organic electronics.

Under the action of ultrasound, tetragonal BaTiO₃ nanoparticles were polarized and catalyze the decomposition of water molecules to produce hydroxyl radicals, thereby initiating reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization in aqueous media.

Covalent adaptable biofoams (CABs) synthesized from biobased resources, such as carbohydrates & diester precursors and under catalysts free conditions exhibit adequate mechanical properties. The CABs are promising for various polymeric foam-based applications. With further structure–property optimization, these CABs may be a sustainable and environmentally compatible substitute for conventional PU-based foams.

A novel sprayable dressing with water-soluble fullerene and curdlan derivative is constructed, which exhibits excellent biocompatibility, antioxidant properties, and reactive oxygen species scavenging abilities. Furthermore, the spray displays excellent capacities of reducing inflammatory factors, promoting local angiogenesis, and accelerating the healing of chronic wound caused by chemical injury efficiently. It represents a hopeful sprayable dressing for clinical therapy on chronic wound.

A novel platinum@UiO-66-NH₂ [University of Oslo (UiO)] photocatalyst is prepared and successfully applied to photocatalytic hydrosilylation with enhanced activity and polymerization kinetics.

Four highly rigid spirobifluorene polyimides are designed, and their optical properties are successfully regulated by small side groups and periodic distortions. These units enable well-balanced thermal and optical properties in CPIs, with 27SPFTFA-BPAF showing optimal performance (T_avg = 86%, YI = 3.53, T_g = 422 °C, CTE = 35 ppm K⁻¹, δ_max = 140 MPa).

A novel bromothiophene-functionalized BF₂-curcuminoid (BTC-BF₂) is synthesized by Knoevenagel condensation reaction, whose structure is determined by ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), ¹³C-nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C NMR), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and X-ray diffraction. As expected, BTC-BF₂ exhibits solvent-dependent photophysical properties, red solid-state fluorescence, and generation of singlet oxygen. Therefore, BTC-BF₂ can be utilized as versatile building block to construct novel far-red or NIR BF₂-curcuminoid complexes for widely biological applications.

Introducing cheap and safe zinc into the porphyrin ring and compositing polyethylene glycol (PEG) are two reasonable ways to improve the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of 2D por-COFs. As expected, ZnPor-COF@PEG has the highest photocatalytic hydrogen evolution efficiency, which is 1.31 and 3.7 times that of ZnPor-COF and H₂Por-COF, respectively.

Core–shell tecto dendrimers with dual responsivenesses have been designed through phenylborate ester bonds between phenylboronic acid-decorated generation 5 poly(amidoamine) dendrimers as cores and monose-conjugated generation 3 dendrimers as shells. The materials are thoroughly characterized by NMR and other technologies, and applied for tumor penetration and gene delivery of small interfering RNA and plasmid DNA with desired performances.

This represent the cross-linking points and overall architecture of the 3D network providing a clearer understanding of the structural characteristics and interactions within the hydrogels.

Molecular motor bola-amphiphiles (MBAs) assemble by a supramolecular fashion across molecular level to microscopic dynamic structures, and up to macroscopic soft scaffolds. The photoresponsiveness of MBAs propagate across multiple length-scale through supramolecular assembly in triggering photoactuation. MBAs soft scaffolds serve as cell-material interfaces, illustrating for smart biomaterials.

A fluorescent material, TPA-Peryl-CMP, is created by synthesizing triphenylamine and perylene-linked conjugated microporous polymer using the Suzuki reaction. This material demonstrates impressive thermal stability, boasting a T_d10 of 694 °C and a char yield of 87 wt%. TPA-Peryl-CMP also serves as a chemosensor for detecting Fe³⁺ ions, exhibiting a low detection limit of 20 nM.

High-capacitance ionic polyurethane (PU) dielectrics for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with poly(9,9-dioctylfuorene-co-bithiophene) (F8T2) polymer semiconductor are developed. The optimized OFETs show high hole mobilities of over 5 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ with bias-stable operational characteristics, attributed to the enhanced interfacial charge transport with low interface traps.

Succinimide-substituted thiophene is utilized for the first time to synthesize semiconducting wide bandgap polymer donors to pair with nonfullerene narrow bandgap acceptors, demonstrating its potential as a useful electron-withdrawing building block for the development of high-performance organic solar cells.

The incorporation of dynamic boron–urethane bonds effectively enhances the strength and toughness of polyurethanes, while imparting self-healing, recyclable, and shape reconfigurable properties to shape-memory polyurethane materials. Self-healing and recycled samples maintain almost all of their original mechanical properties, which provide a new strategy to ensure that SMPUs balance high strength and durability.