Special Issue: Functional Polymeric Particles (2018)

Functional polymeric particles support today many industries that are based on cutting-edge technologies. Micro and nanosized polymeric particles have multiple applications in various fields, such as coatings, drug delivery systems, catalysts, photonic crystals, general chemistry, biotechnology and materials science. In all those fields, functional polymeric particles have played an important role in improving function and performance of materials, including increased strength, improved optical and magnetic properties, solubility, impact resistance, etc. Moreover, surface modification of polymeric particles can result in tailored properties, such as enhanced stability in biological systems, compatibility with bulk materials, specific binding to biological molecules and improved optical properties. Variety of simple chemical methods can be employed for the preparation and control of size, shape and surface structure of polymeric particles, thus offering many advantages over inorganic or metal particles in a wide variety of applications. Consequently, polymeric particles are key materials for almost any new product and technology. This special issue of the Israel Journal of Chemistry aims at accelerating the development of new products and promote technologies of functional polymeric particles. Accordingly, the invited contributions cover a broad scope of advanced methods of preparing and unique application of functional polymeric particles. One of the main uses of these particles is in biotechnology applications e. g. drugs delivery systems and diagnostic in nanomedicine, therefore in the special issue, few review articles are focused on this aspect of functional polymeric particles. Michal Kolitz-Domb and Shlomo Margel address the synthesis of proteinoids, which are polymeric micro- or nanoparticles, prepared from natural amino acids by thermal step-growth polymerization. They present the most up-to-date studies on the preparation of proteinoids from various amino acids and their biomedical applications, including applications in cancer diagnostics and therapy, cosmetic and anti-fog coatings. Abraham J. Domb et. al present the preparation of polysaccharide-based nanoparticles, which enjoy many advantages, including safety, stability, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and hydrophilicity. Domb et. al describe the state of the art synthesis of these nanoparticles, particularly of chitosan, alginate, cyclodextrins, hyaluronic acid, pullulan, dextran and their application as drug delivery tools for effective therapy and site-specific targeting of anticancer agents. Katharina Landfester et.al present the synthesis of carbohydrate-based nanocarriers with different surface functionalization based on sugar derivatives. Cellular uptake studies of those original carbohydrate-based nanocarriers have demonstrated excellent and specific interactions between those nanocarriers and phagocytic cells. Other contributions to this issue highlight some surprising uses of functional polymeric particles. For example, the review by Zhi-Xiang Wei et. al summarizes recent research developments in the fabrication and application of conducting polymeric nanostructures and their derivatives as electrodes for flexible supercapacitors. Jose Ramon Leiza et. al describe the electrospinning synthesis of hybrid nanofibers containing CdSe/ZnS quantum dots as novel luminescent sensing material, especially as sensors for volatile organic compounds. Harshit Gupta and John Texter describe a new approach for stimuli-responsive polyurethane dispersions. Rafael Muñoz-Espí et. al present a fresh and innovative strategy for improving the efficiency of encapsulation of optically active molecules by adding inorganic protection to polymeric nanocapsules. Two review articles on chiral polymeric micro and nano-size particles, which have attracted increasing interest over the recent decades as unique functional polymeric particles. Jianping Deng et. al cover the preparation and applications of functional chiral polymeric particles, reviewing the main methods for the preparing such particles, namely, direct polymerization of chiral and non-chiral monomers and chiral post-treatment of preformed polymers. Dana D. Madin and Yitzhak Mastai describe the synthesis of chiral polymers and chiral polymeric particles, including their application for chiral chemistry, such as asymmetric catalysis, enantioselective release, enantioselective crystallization, and enantioseparation. Overall, this special issue highlights a wide range of techniques currently applied in the synthesis and characterization of functional polymeric particles, illustrating the multidisciplinary nature of the these unique materials, combining principles and methodologies from chemistry, materials science, physics, engineering, and nanotechnology. The ensemble of articles contributed by leaders of the field, demonstrate its multidisciplinary nature and rapid development. It is our hope that this special issue will assist the current and next generations of researchers in understanding the key challenges on the way from current knowledge to the future applications of functional polymeric particles. Finally, we wish to express our honest gratitude to all authors and referees for their enthusiastic participation in this celebration of macromolecular science. We also thank Dr. Brian Johnson, the Publisher, for his efforts and Professor Ehud Keinan and Prof. Charles E. Diesendruck for their hope and help with this special project and their outstanding leadership as editors of the Israel Journal of Chemistry.