The invention provides a nanomaterial of polyglycerol grafted cellulose nanocrystal dendrimer and a preparation method thereof. In the present invention, the cotton linter pulp is pulverized into flocculent fibers, fed to sulfuric acid, and reacted. After centrifugation, dialysis and ultrasonic cell disruption, cellulose nanocrystals are obtained. Carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals are further obtained after oxidation with TEMPO, dialysis, and freeze-drying. The carboxylated nanocrystals are further added to DMF, and under a nitrogen atmosphere, glycidol is grafted to the hydroxyl groups on the surface by heating with stirring. After the reaction is completed, the product is centrifuged, dried under vacuum, dialyzed, and freeze dried to obtain a nanomaterial of primary polyglycerol grafted cellulose nanocrystals. Dendrimers with different particle size ranges can be prepared by controlling the number of reactions, which contain a large number of hydroxyl groups on the surface, and are amenable to various modifications.

Disclosed herein are polymers, copolymers and polymer systems based on polypropiolactones which can be biodegradable and can enhance the recyclability of polymer systems, which can be functionalized to introduce desired functionality into the polymers and/or which may optionally be prepared from renewable raw materials. Disclosed are novel functionalized beta propiolactones. Some of the novel functionalized beta propiolactones have functional groups bound to the ring structure of the lactone that provide improved polymer systems. Disclosed are novel homopolymers of the functionalized beta propiolactones. Disclosed are novel copolymers based on the functionalized beta propiolactones with beta propiolactone or other monomers which copolymerize with the functionalized beta propiolactones.

Pressure sensitive adhesives that include hyperbranched silsesquioxane-core polymers are described. Also described are various methods for producing the noted polymers and pressure sensitive adhesives. In addition, a variety of articles including tapes utilizing the pressure sensitive adhesives are described.

Polymers suitable for forming carbon nanotube-functionalized reverse thermal gel compositions, compositions including the polymers, and methods of forming and using the polymers and compositions are disclosed. The compositions have reverse thermal gelling properties and transform from a liquid/solution to a gel—e.g., near or below body temperature. The polymers and compositions can be injected into or proximate an area in need of treatment.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a desiccant that can be used for passivation of an electronic device such as an organic electroluminescence element against moisture permeation, as well as an organic thin film including the desiccant, an organic layered film in which the organic thin film is layered, and an electronic device that is provided therewith. This desiccant is characterized by including a compound that emits a hydrophobic substance by absorbing water. This organic thin film is characterized by including this desiccant.

The invention provides a polymerizable composition and a hydrogel obtained or obtainable from the polymerizable composition. The polymerizable composition comprises cucurbituril and a first monomer having a guest for the cucurbituril, wherein the total monomer concentration, C.sub.mon, within the polymerizable composition is at least 0.5 M. The composition may be an aqueous composition.

The invention provides a polymerizable composition and a hydrogel obtained or obtainable from the polymerizable composition. The polymerizable composition comprises cucurbituril and a first monomer having a guest for the cucurbituril, wherein the total monomer concentration, C.sub.mon, within the polymerizable composition is at least 0.5 M. The composition may be an aqueous composition.

Hyperbranched cationic polymers are described. The polymers employ a 4-branching monomer resulting in an increase in the number of functional terminal groups due to the extra branching units, providing excellent transfection efficiency and cytocompatibility in different cell types, including aADSC, HeLa, Neu7 and RDEB keratinocytes, and delivering different genetic therapy approaches such GFP plasmid DNA and a ribonucleoprotein CRISP-Cas 9 complex for COL7A1 exon 80 skipping. In addition, the extra branching units of the polymer of the invention increases the positive charge on the polymer, which provides for improved endosomal escape within the cell. The 4-branching unit can be a diamine component, or a tetraacrylate component, although other 4-branching monomers may be employed such as for example any component with tetra acrylamide groups (i.e. 4-arm PEG acrylamide, 4-arm PEG maleimide), any component with tetra N- hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) groups (i.e. 4-arm PEG-succinimidyl carbonate NHS ester), any type of tetrathiol component (i.e. Pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate), 4-arm PEG-thiol, Tetra(2- mercaptoethyl)silane), and any tetraepoxy component (i.e. TetraGlycidyl methylenedianiline, Tetraglycidyl 1, 1′-methylenebis(naphthalene-2,7-diol), Pentaerythritol tetraglycidyl ether, 4-arm peg epoxide).

A low volatile organic compound (VOC) coating composition with a low viscosity is described. The coating composition includes a hydrocarbon solvent; a reactive or non-reactive diluent; a drier composition; and a hyper-branched alkylated polymer. A colorant can be added so that the coating composition can be used as a stain, such as a wood stain. The hyper-branched alkylated polymer functions as the main binder to provide an effective coating composition having a relatively low VOC level.

Disclosed herein is a method of making polymerizable bio-based monomers containing one phenolic hydroxyl group which has been derivatized to provide at least one polymerizable functional group which is an ethylenically unsaturated functional group (such as a [meth]acrylate group), where the precursors of the polymerizable bio-based monomers are derived from raw lignin-containing biomass. Also disclosed herein are bio-based copolymers prepared from such bio-based monomers and a co-monomer, and methods of making and using such bio-based copolymers. In particular, the bio-based copolymers can be used as pressure sensitive adhesives, binders, and polymer electrolytes.