Soft Materials Research at IMRE.

Abstract

This special issue of Macromolecular Rapid Communications is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE). IMRE is Singapore's top materials institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. Established in September 1997, IMRE has been building strong capabilities in materials analysis, characterization, and synthesis of materials. IMRE is an institute with talented researchers and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to conduct world-class materials science research to improve lives and capture economic value for Singapore. Our rich pool of research activities is organized under eight departments: Soft Materials, Polymer Composites, Structural Materials, Electronic Materials, Nanomaterials, Nanofabrication, Advanced Characterization & Instrumentation, and Advanced Concepts & Nanotechnology. Here at IMRE, we believe that materials and material systems are cornerstones of breakthrough solutions to the world's most pressing challenges in health, sustainability, and economic growth. Soft materials research at IMRE encompasses a wide range of highly interdisciplinary fields in polymer science and technology aiming at the design and creation of next-generation polymers having novel functions. During the past few years, IMRE has established innovative and exciting polymer research, including novel polymer synthetic pathways, supramolecular science of polymers, assembled structures and functions, as well as functionalization of polymers, focusing on developing soft matter solutions targeted towards the global challenges of energy, healthcare, and food and water security for a sustainable world. A significant impact has been achieved, particularly in thermogels, personal care formulations, intelligent food packaging, high-performance polymer composites, and therapeutic applications in precision medicine and diagnosis. For this special issue we invited some of IMRE's young scientists to contribute their recent research achievements in polymer science and engineering, including a collection of two reviews and 11 research papers. These talented scientists are passionate about extending the frontier of polymeric materials and technology development through multidisciplinary research. Loh et al. report a new method for the precise synthesis of Janus star-like copolymers. Ye et al. study the encapsulation of turmeric extract using polymeric nanocarriers for integrated bioimaging and antimicrobial applications. Wu and Li report the targeted and sustained co-release of chemotherapeutics and genes by injectable supramolecular hydrogel in a drug-resistant cancer model. Wu et al. demonstrate a new cyclodextrin star-like copolymer as a pharmaceutical carrier in macrophages. Xu et al. investigate cationic-polymer-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 Plasmid delivery for genome editing. Li et al. summarize the recent advances of macromolecule-stabilized gold nanomaterials and polymeric Janus nanoparticles. Wang et al. introduce an in situ polymerization approach to graphene-oxide-reinforced silicone composites as superior anti-corrosive coating. We also showcase the development of polyelectrolyte–graphene oxide multilayer composites for an array of microchambers, which are mechanically robust and responsive to NIR light. Yang et al. study the ultrasensitive fluorescence lifetime tuning in patterned polymer composite nanofibers with plasmonic nanostructures for multiplexing. He et al. report on how to overcome the conflict between strength and toughness in poly(lactide) nanocomposites through tailoring the matrix-filler interface. Tan et al. demonstrate the remotely controlled oil-in-water nanoemulsion separation using pH-responsive poly(dimethylsiloxane)-copolymer-decorated magnetic nanoparticles. The influence of heat treatment on loading of polymeric multilayer microcapsules with Rhodamine B is also reported. Although this special issue covers only some of the latest developments in soft materials research at IMRE, it represents the interdisciplinary research of polymer science and technology that enables us to advance both fundamental new discoveries and industrial applications of polymeric materials. We hope this special issue can inspire new ideas in polymeric materials research and facilitate potential collaborations with IMRE and Singapore. Finally, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for the tremendous support of Dr. Bo Weng, editor, as well as the entire editorial team of Macromolecular Rapid Communications. With this special issue, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of IMRE and wish for continued progress and greater prosperity in its future development. Xian Jun Loh is a polymer chemist working in the interdisciplinary field of biomaterials. He is a senior scientist and currently the Department Head of Soft Materials at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE). He is the current Vice President of the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry and a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is a developer of biodegradable urethane-based thermogels, and his main research interest is the design of supramolecular and stimuli-responsive polymers and hydrogels for biomedical and personal care applications. Li Zibiao obtained his PhD from the National University of Singapore (NUS). Currently, he is working as a research scientist at IMRE, A*STAR, Singapore, where he is the Deputy Department Head of the Soft Materials Department. His research interests are focused on biodegradable and functional polymeric materials design, structural properties investigations, and their formulations for healthcare and consumer care applications.