Kamal I. Aly

A rigid mesoporous aromatic polyester (PABn) was synthesized via interfacial polycondensation of 4,4′‑binaphthol with an azo diphenyl diacid chloride and investigated for its molecular structure, thermal properties, porosity, and functional adsorption behavior. FT‑IR, ¹ H‑NMR, and mass spectrometry confirmed the binaphthol‑based structure. FT‑IR, wide‑angle X‑ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry revealed a fully amorphous architecture with a high glass transition temperature of 310–320 °C, consistent with a rigid, disordered network. Thermogravimetric analysis showed excellent thermal stability, with a 5% weight-loss temperature of 326 °C and a char yield of about 65 wt% at 600 °C. Nitrogen sorption and electron microscopy indicated a mesoporous texture with abundant accessible domains. As a functional demonstration, batch adsorption experiments with model dyes revealed pronounced selectivity for the cationic species methylene blue and crystal violet, with maximum capacities of 273 and 307 mg g ^–1 , respectively, and removal efficiencies of 96–98% within 60–90 min, while anionic methyl red and Congo red were scarcely adsorbed. The pseudo-second-order model best described the kinetic data, and the equilibrium data obeyed the Freundlich isotherm, consistent with heterogeneous adsorption on a mesoporous polyester network involving multiple surface and diffusion processes.

Developing sustainable polymer networks that integrate robust barrier performance with additional functional responses is an important goal in contemporary polymer science. In this work, bio‐based segmented polyurethane networks (PUPH1–PUPH3) are prepared from castor‐oil‐derived polyols and an azine‐modified castor‐oil derivative, crosslinked with poly(hexamethylene diisocyanate) (pHMDI), to elucidate how network architecture governs thermal stability, anticorrosion behavior, and nonconventional luminescence. By systematically varying the hard/soft segment ratios, the crosslink density and segmental packing are tuned. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction confirm complete urethane formation and predominantly amorphous segmented networks, while scanning electron microscopy reveals smooth, defect‐poor morphologies for the most crosslinked compositions. Thermogravimetric analysis shows 5 wt% weight‐loss temperatures of 307°C–314°C, evidencing enhanced thermal robustness. Electrochemical measurements in 1.0 M H ₂ SO ₄ demonstrate that the optimized network markedly suppresses the corrosion current density of mild steel, achieving an inhibition efficiency of 99.55% and a significant increase in charge‐transfer resistance, attributed to a dense, highly resistive interfacial barrier. Solid‐state photoluminescence measurements further reveal excitation‐dependent, cluster‐type emission arising from densely packed heteroatom‐rich segments. These findings establish clear correlations between molecular/network design and multifunctional properties in castor‐oil‐based polyurethane networks, highlighting a renewable platform for advanced polymeric coatings.

Conducting polymers are an important class of materials that uniquely combine the electrical conductivity of metals with the processability and flexibility of polymers. In this study, a π‐conjugated condensation polymer [Poly(TBCH‐TPA)] and its copolymer [CoPoly(TBCH‐CH‐TPA)] were synthesized via polycondensation. To enhance their functional properties, titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ) nanoparticles were incorporated into both polymer matrices via an in situ polymerization technique, yielding TiO ₂ @Poly(TBCH‐TPA) and TiO ₂ @CoPoly(TBCH‐CH‐TPA) nanocomposites. The structural and morphological features of the synthesized materials were characterized using FT‐IR, XRD, SEM, and TGA. Electrical conductivity measurements revealed a significant increase in conductivity upon TiO ₂ incorporation, attributed to enhanced interfacial charge transport and morphological ordering. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of the polymers and their nanocomposites was evaluated against clinically relevant Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. The TiO ₂ ‐containing nanocomposites demonstrated markedly improved antimicrobial performance, with TiO ₂ @CoPoly(TBCH‐CH‐TPA) exhibiting the most potent activity. The enhancement is ascribed to the synergistic effect of the conducting polymer matrix and the photocatalytic generation of reactive oxygen species by TiO ₂ . Minimum inhibitory concentration values confirmed a substantial reduction in microbial viability, underscoring the broad‐spectrum antimicrobial efficacy of the nanocomposites. The dual enhancement in conductivity and microbial inhibition opens new avenues for designing polymer‐based materials with integrated electrical and biological functionalities.

A new polyimide, poly(1,3-thiazine imide) (PTzI), together with two co-polyimides (CoPTz-DsI and CoPTz-HaI), were synthesized from the monomer named 4,4’-(1,4-phenylene)bis(6-(benzene-2-yl)-6 H-1,3-thiazine-2-amine) (PTA), which has a di-1,3-thiazine heterocyclic structure. The structure of PTA was confirmed with FT-IR, along with NMR spectra and mass spectroscopy. A thermal imidization process was used to prepare PTzI from the corresponding polyamic acid (PAA), which was obtained by polycondensation of PTA with 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA). Similarly, the copolymers were synthesized via thermal imidization of PAAs derived from the polycondensation of PTA with 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) or 1,6-hexane diamine (HAD), in addition to BTDA. The structure and imidization of each polymer were verified at various curing temperatures using Fourier transform infrared FT-IR spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction verified their amorphous nature, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) morphological investigation indicated different levels of homogeneity and compactness. The rigid aromatic backbones and imide linkages provide exceptional thermal stability and chemical resistance, demonstrating their high performance. Thermogravimetric study (TGA and derivative TGA) showed that the materials had outstanding thermal stability, with high degradation initiation and initial decomposition temperatures (Td _5% ) in the range of 294–418 °C, and char yields of 52–63% at 800 °C. In acidic environments, the synthesized polymers have shown exceptional corrosion prevention performance for mild steel MS, according to electrochemical evaluations. Due to its structural composition rich in 1,3-thiazine structure, PTzI exhibited the highest inhibition efficiency (99.4%). Additionally, CoPTz-HaI and CoPTz-DsI demonstrated excellent efficiencies of 95.2% and 96.4%, respectively. The inhibitory performance was shown to be improved as the PTA concentration increased, suggesting that it may be used to create more sophisticated coatings that resist corrosion.

Clustering-triggered emission (CTE) luminophores are novel luminescence compounds lacking extensive conjugation and receiving considerable interest. Two novel fluorescent polyketones (PKs) with a styrene unit as a pendant group in their backbone have been successfully synthesized. They are distinguished by the groups that separate the attached repeating monomeric units diacetyl cyclohexanone styrene (DAcSt), polyketone ether styrene (PKESt) with two benzene rings separated by an aliphatic ether or polyketone styrene (PKSt) with a single benzene ring. Using different techniques to investigate the structural, thermal stabilities, and morphological analyses of the polymers (PKSt, PKESt), their photophysical luminescence behavior is examined, and it appears that they are novel CTE compounds as a result of numerous n-π*, π-π* transitions and hydrogen-bonding interaction, displaying aggregation-induced emission (AIE) phenomena. PKESt has excitation-independent emission and generates blue light at different excitation wavelengths even at a short wavelength of 256 nm, while PKSt emits white light at 256 nm and blue emission at 325 nm, showing excitation-dependent wavelength. These unique luminous phenomena will bring light to the mechanism of clusteroluminescence (CL) and provide new approaches to the rational design of innovative luminescent materials. This study not only discloses new properties of PKs clustering emission but also gives novel perspectives on how to use PKs clustering emission to build novel types of luminescence systems. This system’s potential is metal ion sensors for transition metals (Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, Co²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe³⁺) with outstanding selective fluorescence response to Fe³⁺ ions. These polymers may be useful photocatalytic materials with ferric ions since Fe³⁺ ions quench these Pks.

Two novel luminescent main‐chain polybenzoxazine polymers, (Poly1)_main and (Poly2)^x_main, were synthesized and characterized to explore their structural, thermal, morphological and photophysical properties. Polymer (Poly1)_main was obtained via a Mannich condensation reaction without a catalyst, followed by thermal polymerization to produce the crosslinked polymer (Poly2)^x_main. Structural analyses using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction confirmed the successful formation of the polymers, with (Poly2)^x_main exhibiting a higher degree of crosslinking and partial ordering in an otherwise amorphous structure. Scanning electron microscopy imaging revealed that thermal polymerization significantly altered the morphology, transforming the porous structure of (Poly1)_main into a denser, layered morphology in (Poly2)^x_main. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry highlighted the improved thermal stability of (Poly2)^x_main due to extensive crosslinking. Photophysical studies showed that (Poly1)_main in solution exhibited yellow‐green luminescence with a broad emission maximum at 522 nm and CIE coordinates (0.39, 0.48). In contrast, the powders of both polymers displayed sharp red luminescence with an emission peak at 658 nm and CIE coordinates (0.72, 0.27), attributed to molecular packing effects and exciton coupling in the solid state. These results underscore the interplay among structural, morphological and photophysical properties, highlighting the potential of these polymers in optoelectronics, sensing and luminescent materials. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.