Molecular Plasticity Research Articles

Cell-surface Milieu Remodeling in Human Dendritic Cell Activation.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized sentinel and APCs coordinating innate and adaptive immunity. Through proteins on their cell surface, DCs sense changes in the environment, internalize pathogens, present processed Ags, and communicate with other immune cells. By combining chemical labeling and quantitative mass spectrometry, we systematically profiled and compared the cell-surface proteomes of human primary conventional DCs (cDCs) in their resting and activated states. TLR activation by a lipopeptide globally reshaped the cell-surface proteome of cDCs, with >100 proteins upregulated or downregulated. By simultaneously elevating positive regulators and reducing inhibitory signals across multiple protein families, the remodeling creates a cell-surface milieu promoting immune responses. Still, cDCs maintain the stimulatory-to-inhibitory balance by leveraging a distinct set of inhibitory molecules. This analysis thus uncovers the molecular complexity and plasticity of the cDC cell surface and provides a roadmap for understanding cDC activation and signaling.

A plastic aggrecan barrier modulated by peripheral energy state gates metabolic signal access to arcuate neurons

The hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARH) contains neurons vital for maintaining energy homeostasis that sense and respond to changes in blood-borne metabolic hormones. Despite its juxtaposition to the median eminence (ME), a circumventricular organ lacking a blood-brain barrier and thus exposed to circulating molecules, only a few ventral ARH neurons perceive these extravasating metabolic signals due to a poorly understood ME/ARH diffusion barrier. Here, we show in male mice that aggrecan, a perineural-net proteoglycan deposited by orexigenic ARH neurons, creates a peculiar ventrodorsal diffusion gradient. Fasting enhances aggrecan deposition more dorsally, reinforcing the diffusion barrier, particularly around neurons adjacent to fenestrated capillary loops that enter the ARH. The disruption of aggrecan deposits results in unregulated diffusion of blood-borne molecules into the ARH and impairs food intake. Our findings reveal the molecular nature and plasticity of the ME/ARH diffusion barrier, and indicate its physiological role in hypothalamic metabolic hormone sensing.

Fasting induces metabolic switches and spatial redistributions of lipid processing and neuronal interactions in tanycytes

The ependyma lining the third ventricle (3V) in the mediobasal hypothalamus plays a crucial role in energy balance and glucose homeostasis. It is characterized by a high functional heterogeneity and plasticity, but the underlying molecular mechanisms governing its features are not fully understood. Here, 5481 hypothalamic ependymocytes were cataloged using FACS-assisted scRNAseq from fed, 12h-fasted, and 24h-fasted adult male mice. With standard clustering analysis, typical ependymal cells and β2-tanycytes appear sharply defined, but other subpopulations, β1- and α-tanycytes, display fuzzy boundaries with few or no specific markers. Pseudospatial approaches, based on the 3V neuroanatomical distribution, enable the identification of specific versus shared tanycyte markers and subgroup-specific versus general tanycyte functions. We show that fasting dynamically shifts gene expression patterns along the 3V, leading to a spatial redistribution of cell type-specific responses. Altogether, we show that changes in energy status induce metabolic and functional switches in tanycyte subpopulations, providing insights into molecular and functional diversity and plasticity within the tanycyte population.

Red/green cyanobacteriochromes acquire isomerization from phycocyanobilin to phycoviolobilin.

Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are unique cyanobacteria-specific photoreceptors that share a distant relation with phytochromes. Most CBCRs contain conserved cysteine residues known as canonical Cys, while some CBCRs have additional cysteine residues called second Cys within the DXCF motif, leading to their classification as DXCF CBCRs. They typically undergo a process where they incorporate phycocyanobilin (PCB) and subsequently isomerize it to phycoviolobilin (PVB). Conversely, CBCRs with conserved Trp residues and without the second Cys are called extended red/green (XRG) CBCRs. Typical XRG CBCRs bind PCB without undergoing PCB-to-PVB isomerization, displaying red/green reversible photoconversion, and there are also atypical CBCRs that exhibit diverse photoconversions. We discovered novel XRG CBCRs with Cys residue instead of the conserved Trp residue. These novel XRG CBCRs exhibited the ability to isomerize PCB to PVB, displaying green/teal reversible photoconversion. Through sequence- and structure-based comparisons coupled with mutagenesis experiments, we identified three amino acid residues, including the Cys residue, crucial for facilitating PCB-to-PVB isomerization. This research expands our understanding of the diversity of XRG CBCRs, highlighting the remarkable molecular plasticity of CBCRs.

Fasting in combination with the cocktail Sorafenib:Metformin blunts cellular plasticity and promotes liver cancer cell death via poly-metabolic exhaustion.

Dual-Interventions targeting glucose and oxidative metabolism are receiving increasing attention in cancer therapy. Sorafenib (S) and Metformin (M), two gold-standards in liver cancer, are known for their mitochondrial inhibitory capacity. Fasting, a glucose-limiting strategy, is also emerging as chemotherapy adjuvant. Herein, we explore the anti-carcinogenic response of nutrient restriction in combination with sorafenib:metformin (NR-S:M). Our data demonstrates that, independently of liver cancer aggressiveness, fasting synergistically boosts the anti-proliferative effects of S:M co-treatment. Metabolic and Cellular plasticity was determined by the examination of mitochondrial and glycolytic activity, cell cycle modulation, activation of cellular apoptosis, and regulation of key signaling and metabolic enzymes. Under NR-S:M conditions, early apoptotic events and the pro-apoptotic Bcl-xS/Bcl-xL ratio were found increased. NR-S:M induced the highest retention in cellular SubG1 phase, consistent with the presence of DNA fragments from cellular apoptosis. Mitochondrial functionality, Mitochondrial ATP-linked respiration, Maximal respiration and Spare respiratory capacity, were all found blunted under NR-S:M conditions. Basal Glycolysis, Glycolytic reserve, and glycolytic capacity, together with the expression of glycogenic (PKM), gluconeogenic (PCK1 and G6PC3), and glycogenolytic enzymes (PYGL, PGM1, and G6PC3), were also negatively impacted by NR-S:M. Lastly, a TMT-proteomic approach corroborated the synchronization of liver cancer metabolic reprogramming with the activation of molecular pathways to drive a quiescent-like status of energetic-collapse and cellular death. Altogether, we show that the energy-based polytherapy NR-S:M blunts cellular, metabolic and molecular plasticity of liver cancer. Notwithstanding the in vitro design of this study, it holds a promising therapeutic tool worthy of exploration for this tumor pathology.

Wings of Change: aPKC/FoxP-dependent plasticity in steering motor neurons underlies operant self-learning in Drosophila

Background Motor learning is central to human existence, such as learning to speak or walk, sports moves, or rehabilitation after injury. Evidence suggests that all forms of motor learning share an evolutionarily conserved molecular plasticity pathway. Here, we present novel insights into the neural processes underlying operant self-learning, a form of motor learning in the fruit fly Drosophila. Methods We operantly trained wild type and transgenic Drosophila fruit flies, tethered at the torque meter, in a motor learning task that required them to initiate and maintain turning maneuvers around their vertical body axis (yaw torque). We combined this behavioral experiment with transgenic peptide expression, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated, spatio-temporally controlled gene knock-out and confocal microscopy. Results We find that expression of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) in direct wing steering motoneurons co-expressing the transcription factor FoxP is necessary for this type of motor learning and that aPKC likely acts via non-canonical pathways. We also found that it takes more than a week for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of FoxP in adult animals to impair motor learning, suggesting that adult FoxP expression is required for operant self-learning. Conclusions Our experiments suggest that, for operant self-learning, a type of motor learning in Drosophila, co-expression of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) and the transcription factor FoxP is necessary in direct wing steering motoneurons. Some of these neurons control the wing beat amplitude when generating optomotor responses, and we have discovered modulation of optomotor behavior after operant self-learning. We also discovered that aPKC likely acts via non-canonical pathways and that FoxP expression is also required in adult flies.

Role of inflammatory cytokine burst in neuro-invasion of Japanese Encephalitis virus infection: an immunotherapeutic approaches.

Japanese Encephalitis remains a significant global health concern, contributing to millions of deaths annually worldwide. Microglial cells, as key innate immune cells within the central nervous system (CNS), exhibit intricate cellular structures and possess molecular phenotypic plasticity, playing pivotal roles in immune responses during CNS viral infections. Particularly under viral inflammatory conditions, microglial cells orchestrate innate and adaptive immune responses to mitigate viral invasion and dampen inflammatory reactions. This review article comprehensively summarizes the pathophysiology of viral invasion into the CNS and the cellular interactions involved, elucidating the roles of various immune mediators, including pro-inflammatory cytokines, in neuroinflammation. Leveraging this knowledge, strategies for modulating inflammatory responses and attenuating hyperactivation of glial cells to mitigate viral replication within the brain are discussed. Furthermore, current chemotherapeutic and antiviral drugs are examined, elucidating their mechanisms of action against viral replication. This review aims to provide insights into therapeutic interventions for Japanese Encephalitis and related viral infections, ultimately contributing to improved outcomes for affected individuals.

Relationship of adaptive subtyping and tumour heterogeneity of treatment response to neoadjuvant therapy in hormone receptor–positive HER2-negative early breast cancer: PENELOPE-B.

566 Background: The concept of intrinsic subtyping has been an important step for understanding of breast cancer (BC) as a heterogenous disease. However, these subtypes are not adapted to therapy-induced molecular plasticity. We have evaluated a high-risk luminal BC clinical trial cohort to identify new additional adaptive BC subtypes based on molecular alterations induced during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Methods: A total of 1250 ER+/HER2- BC patients (pts) with residual disease after NACT and increased risk (CPS-EG score of ≥3 or 2 with ypN+) were randomized into the PENELOPE-B (NCT01864746) trial to receive palbociclib or placebo. Biomarker analysis was performed in 1411 pre- or postNACT tumor samples including 540 paired samples using the HTG EdgeSeq Oncology Biomarker Panel targeting 2549 genes (HTG Molecular Diagnostics Inc.), with assessment of the absolute assignment of breast cancer intrinsic molecular subtype (AIMS). For a subcohort of 29 pts, we evaluated triplicate samples before and after NACT as well as at the time of metastatic disease. Results: In paired biopsies, a total of 335 genes were significantly different between the pre- and the postNACT cohort. With hierarchical unsupervised clustering of these 335 genes, we characterized five different tumor subtypes with highly significant iDFS survival differences (p<0.0001, n=539). We identified two large groups of tumors with excellent prognosis (adaptive cluster AC1 and AC2, together n=284, 6 events), as well as two groups with a poor prognosis; AC-3 (n=163, 82 events) and AC-4 (n=78, 29 events). The worst prognosis was observed in a small group of tumors with a pre-NACT Basal/HER2E AIMS subtype (n=14, 11 events). AC1 and AC3 are enriched for tumors with an AIMS subtype change from LumB to LumA during NACT, with improved iDFS for AC1. AC2 and AC4 are enriched for tumors with a constant LumA AIMS subtype before and after NACT, with improved iDFS for AC2. The low-risk adaptive subtypes AC1 and AC2 cover a total of 52.7% of pts with a combined event rate of 2.1%. In contrast, the best pretherapeutic conventional AIMS-subtype, preNACT LumA, covers 51.7% of pts, but still has an event rate of 15.4%. This suggests that adaptive subtypes are superior to classical AIMS subtypes for prediction of survival after NACT in luminal BC. Conclusions: Classical approach of intrinsic subtyping relies on constant gene expression, limiting its scope. Adaptive subtyping can complement the classical approach, focusing on those genes that are changed during therapy. Comparison of paired samples before and after therapy is superior to classical subtyping of baseline samples. This approach identified large subgroups of pts with excellent prognosis after NACT despite clinical high risk. This can be an important step to focus on high-risk pts for new neoadjuvant and post-neoadjuvant therapy concepts.

Molecular plasticity to ocean warming and habitat loss in a coral reef fish.

Sea surface temperatures are rising at unprecedented rates, leading to a progressive degradation of complex habitats formed by coral reefs. In parallel, acute thermal stress can lead to physiological challenges for ectotherms that inhabit coral reefs, including fishes. Warming and habitat simplification could push marine fishes beyond their physiological limits in the near future. Specifically, questions remain on how warming and habitat structure influence the brain of marine fishes. Here we evaluated how thermal stress and habitat loss are acting independently and synergistically as stressors in a damselfish of the Western Atlantic, Abudefduf saxatilis. For this experiment, 40 individuals were exposed to different combinations of temperature (27°C or 31°C) and habitat complexity (complex vs simple) for 10 days, and changes in brain gene expression and oxidative stress of liver and muscle were evaluated. The results indicate that warming resulted in increased oxidative damage in the liver (p=0.007) and changes in gene expression of the brain including genes associated with neurotransmission, immune function, and tissue repair. Individuals from simplified habitats showed higher numbers of differentially expressed genes, and changes for genes associated with synaptic plasticity and spatial memory. In addition, a reference transcriptome of A. saxatilis is presented here for the first time, serving as a resource for future molecular studies. This project enhances our understanding of how fishes are responding to the combination of coral reef degradation and thermal stress, while elucidating the plastic mechanisms that will enable generalists to persist in a changing world.

Effect of temperature on the mechanical properties of Ni-based superalloys via molecular dynamics and crystal plasticity

Study on the influence of temperature on the mechanical properties across multiple scales has been a focus on the research of Hastelloy-X (HX) alloys for the application in high-temperature structure components. In this work, Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Crystal Plasticity (CP) are put together to solve it from atomic scale to mesoscopic scale. MD research indicates that the deformation of HX alloy occurs in two stages at temperature below 300 K: initially, as stacking fault deforms, stacking fault can transform into twinning with increasing strain. When the temperature exceeds 300 K, deformation primarily forms a stacking fault. The twinning deformation path transforms from intrinsic stacking fault to extrinsic stacking fault and then to twinning. A mesoscopic-scale CP model was developed using atomic-scale deformation mechanisms to bridge the gap between deformation mechanisms and experimental results. The CP results indicate a functional relationship between the strength of HX alloy and temperature. This relationship appears insensitive to crystal texture and grain shape. Incorporating grain morphology and texture into the model significantly impacts the strength response of calculating HX alloy. After the tensile deformation of HX alloy at 300 and 1173 K, the atomic scale deformation results characterized by transmission electron microscopy are aligned with the MD simulation results. The relationship between strength and temperature predicted by CP results has also been validated. A thorough investigation into the deformation behavior of HX alloys across different scales, employing MD and CP models, introduces a novel approach for predicting the mechanical properties of superalloys.

Repurpose of used frying sunflower oil as an ecofriendly plasticizer for polylactic acid

The development of competitive and sustainable additives for use in semicrystalline polymers is currently an area of growing interest in scientific and engineering areas. However, the feasibility of using waste oils as raw materials to produce effective plasticizers for these polymers has not yet been thoroughly investigated. In this work, the plasticization of polylactic acid (PLA), which is essential to improve its ductility, was studied using different contents of low molecular weight plasticizers: one synthesized from sunflower (Helianthus annuus) oil used in frying (USOP) and the bio-based commercial tributyrin (TB), selected as a control plasticizer. The experimental results revealed changes in the properties of pure PLA matrix that were explained considering the shape and chemical structure of the different plasticizers. Both compounds drastically decreased the glass transition temperature of PLA as well as the elastic modulus and tensile strength, although increase the elongation at break. The greatest plasticizing effect was obtained by adding 15 percent by weight of TB to the biodegradable matrix. However, the synthesized bio-based plasticizer exhibits a desirable low volatility, thus its thermal degradation occurs at higher temperatures in comparison with that of TB. Furthermore, the water vapor permeability of the PLA is not affected when USOP is used as plasticizer, which is a very interesting result for applications in which the material is in contact with food or humid environments.

ELAVL2 loss promotes aggressive mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most lethal primary brain cancer, exhibits intratumoral heterogeneity and molecular plasticity, posing challenges for effective treatment. Despite this, the regulatory mechanisms underlying such plasticity, particularly mesenchymal (MES) transition, remain poorly understood. In this study, we elucidate the role of the RNA-binding protein ELAVL2 in regulating aggressive MES transformation in GBM. We found that ELAVL2 is most frequently deleted in GBM compared to other cancers and associated with distinct clinical and molecular features. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that ELAVL2-mediated alterations correspond to specific GBM subtype signatures. Notably, ELAVL2 expression negatively correlated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes, and its loss promoted MES process and chemo-resistance in GBM cells, whereas ELAVL2 overexpression exerted the opposite effect. Further investigation via tissue microarray analysis demonstrated that high ELAVL2 protein expression confers a favorable survival outcome in GBM patients. Mechanistically, ELAVL2 was shown to directly bind to the transcripts of EMT-inhibitory molecules, SH3GL3 and DNM3, modulating their mRNA stability, potentially through an m6A-dependent mechanism. In summary, our findings identify ELAVL2 as a critical tumor suppressor and mRNA stabilizer that regulates MES transition in GBM, underscoring its role in transcriptomic plasticity and glioma progression.

Integrated transcriptome and proteome analyses reveal potential mechanisms in Stipa breviflora underlying adaptation to grazing

AbstractBackgroundLong‐term overgrazing has led to severe degradation of grasslands, posing a significant threat to the sustainable use of grassland resources.MethodsBased on the investigation of changes in functional traits and photosynthetic physiology of Stipa breviflora under no grazing, moderate grazing, and heavy grazing treatments, the changes in expression patterns of genes and proteins associated with different grazing intensities were assessed through integrative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses.ResultsDifferentially expressed genes and proteins were identified under different grazing intensities. They were mainly related to RNA processing, carbon metabolism, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. These findings suggest that long‐term grazing leads to molecular phenotypic plasticity, affecting various biological processes and metabolic pathways in S. breviflora. Correlation analysis revealed low correlation between the transcriptome and the proteome, indicating a large‐scale regulation of gene expression at the posttranscriptional and translational levels during the response of S. breviflora to grazing. The expression profiles of key genes and proteins involved in photosynthesis and phenylpropanoid metabolism pathways suggested their synergistic response to grazing in S. breviflora.ConclusionsOur study provides insight into the adaptation mechanisms of S. breviflora to grazing and provides a scientific basis for the development of more efficient grassland protection and utilization practices.

Robust polyvinyl alcohol with broad thermoplastic window enabled by controlled citrate-plasticizing adding ways

Given that the decomposition temperature is close to the melting point, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fails thermoplastic processing. Developing a suitable plasticizer-enhancing system to reduce melting point or increase the decomposition temperature, resulting in generating a temperature window of thermoplastic processing is an urgent research topic in practical processing applications. In this work, triethyl citrate (TEC) (or tributyl citrate (TBC)), as a green plasticizer, was successfully introduced in the PVA matrix by rational and scientific means. To systematically explore the effects of plasticizers on melting point and mechanical properties of the PVA, distinguishing from traditional plasticizer-adding means, the optimized plasticizer was added to the PVA precursor (i.e., polyvinyl acetate (PVAc)), generating a highly effective blend at upon molecular level, which can achieve a uniform phase mixture of plasticizer molecules in PVA after alcoholysis. In this case, small molecular plasticizers participate in the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds between PVA molecules, thus forming abundant effective energy dissipation sites. As a result, thus-obtained A-PVA/TEC10 exhibited an elongation at break of 385.3% and toughness of 154.4 MPa, which are 2.87 times and 1.75 times than those of unplasticized PVA, respectively. Also, the elongation at break and toughness of A-PVA/TEC10 are far superior to those of PVA that are prepared by directly blending way. Most importantly, along with the augmentation of the TEC plasticizer in the PVA system, the melting temperature of plasticized PVA achieved after the alcoholysis reaction of PVAc/TEC10 decreased significantly, and slightly increased in decomposition temperature. This work offers a valuable and justified plasticizing strategy for the processability of PVA materials.

Wings of Change: aPKC/FoxP-dependent plasticity in steering motor neurons underlies operant self-learning in Drosophila.

Motor learning is central to human existence, such as learning to speak or walk, sports moves, or rehabilitation after injury. Evidence suggests that all forms of motor learning share an evolutionarily conserved molecular plasticity pathway. Here, we present novel insights into the neural processes underlying operant self-learning, a form of motor learning in the fruit fly Drosophila. We operantly trained wild type and transgenic Drosophila fruit flies, tethered at the torque meter, in a motor learning task that required them to initiate and maintain turning maneuvers around their vertical body axis (yaw torque). We combined this behavioral experiment with transgenic peptide expression, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated, spatio-temporally controlled gene knock-out and confocal microscopy. We find that expression of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) in direct wing steering motoneurons co-expressing the transcription factor FoxP is necessary for this type of motor learning and that aPKC likely acts via non-canonical pathways. We also found that it takes more than a week for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of FoxP in adult animals to impair motor learning, suggesting that adult FoxP expression is required for operant self-learning. Our experiments suggest that, for operant self-learning, a type of motor learning in Drosophila, co-expression of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) and the transcription factor FoxP is necessary in direct wing steering motoneurons. Some of these neurons control the wing beat amplitude when generating optomotor responses, and we have discovered modulation of optomotor behavior after operant self-learning. We also discovered that aPKC likely acts via non-canonical pathways and that FoxP expression is also required in adult flies.

Origin of prestrain-induced cyclic-strain hardening: Multi-scale experimental characterizations and simulations of 7075 aluminum alloy

The influence of prefabricated dislocation features induced by rate dependent prestrain on the post-cyclic process in 7075 aluminum alloy exhibits significant variations, which are of great importance in terms of concerns, designs, and discoveries. Considering strain rate dependent prestrain provides diversified hardening stimuli for the subsequent cyclic process. The maximum cyclic stress in the post-cyclic stage was maintained at the same level as the prestress with strain rates ranging from 10-4s−1 to 10-1s−1. Subsequently, by adjusting post-cycling stress amplitude, research was conducted on quasi-plastic amplitude cycle (QPC) and low plasticity amplitude cycle (LPC) loading conditions. Through experimental mechanism analysis, as well as verification through molecular dynamics and crystal plasticity simulations, prestrain induced by rapid strain rates enhanced the hardening during QPC, stemming from the effects of matrix reconstruction strengthening and wavy structured grain boundaries. However, prestrain induced by slow strain rates promoted the hardening during LPC, primarily arising from the non-uniform crystal structures within individual grains, which was achieved through the complex sub-crystal clusters at grain boundaries, along with intracrystal orderly slipping lattice. These findings offer new insights for the optimization of microstructural design through dislocation engineering.

Influence of drying conditions and plasticizer‐to‐binder ratio on the water‐based tape casting of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ

AbstractTape casting is a flexible technique for manufacturing scalable ceramic sheets. This study fabricated La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ (LSCF6428) tapes using water‐based tape casting. A high molecular weight plasticizer, polyethylene glycol 4000, was chosen to balance flexibility and mechanical strength. Adjusting the plasticizer‐to‐binder ratio (R‐value) and increasing relative humidity during drying led to crack‐free and flawless green tapes of 330 µm. The uniform polymer matrix improved homogeneity and consistency as well. An applicable suspension formulation was developed for the water‐based fabrication of LSCF tapes for continuous production.

Roles of AMPA receptors in social behaviors.

As a crucial player in excitatory synaptic transmission, AMPA receptors (AMPARs) contribute to the formation, regulation, and expression of social behaviors. AMPAR modifications have been associated with naturalistic social behaviors, such as aggression, sociability, and social memory, but are also noted in brain diseases featuring impaired social behavior. Understanding the role of AMPARs in social behaviors is timely to reveal therapeutic targets for treating social impairment in disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. In this review, we will discuss the contribution of the molecular composition, function, and plasticity of AMPARs to social behaviors. The impact of targeting AMPARs in treating brain disorders will also be discussed.

STUDYING THE MODIFICATION OF NANOSTRUCTURED POLYURETHANE ELASTOMER/POLYVINYL CHLORIDE BLEND BY LOW-MOLECULAR PLASTICIZERS

The effect of chemical structure of low molecular weight plasticizers (LMWP) on intermolecular interactions and mechanical properties of nanostructured polyurethane elastomer (PU)/polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was investigated. Polymer composite films were prepared by solution casting technique using dimethylformamide (DMF) or by rolling the melt. FTIR data showed a maximum level of intermolecular hydrogen bond degradation for PU or the polymer blend modified with trichloroethyl phosphate (TCEP) due to the formation of H-bonds between NH of rigid urethane/urea fragments of PU elastomer and chlorine of TCEP. The low compatibility of di-(2-ethylhexyl)-о-phthalate (DOP), compared with di-n-butyl-о-phthalate (DBP), and PU elastomer provided a minor effect of plasticizer on intramolecular and interfaсial interactions in PU or polymer blend. The resulting composites are characterized by increased tensile strength in the whole composition range. The results of DSC analysis of melt-rolled blends of PU/PVC modified by DOP had one wide glass relaxation transition range and their thermal and mechanical properties could be controlled by changing the ratio of initial components. The aforementioned results provide new possibilities of manufacturing the novel nanostructured thermoplastic elastomers with improved mechanical properties.

Polymeric Electrolytes for Solid-state Lithium Ion Batteries: Structure Design, Electrochemical Properties and Cell Performances.

The solid-state electrolytes are keys to achieve high energy, safety and stability for lithium ion batteries. In this review, core indicators of solid polymer electrolytes are discussed in detail including ionic conductivity, interface compatibility, mechanical integrity and cycling stability. Besides, we have also summarized how above properties can be improved by the design strategy of functional monomers, groups and assembly of batteries. Structures and properties of polymers are investigated here to provide a basis for all-solid-state electrolyte design strategies of multi-component polymers. Meanwhile, adjustment strategies of quasi-solid-state polymer electrolytes such as adding functional additives and carrying out structural design have also been investigated, aiming at solving problems caused by simply adding liquids or small molecular plasticizer. We hope that fresh and established researchers can achieve a general perspective of solid polymer electrolytes via this review, and spur more extensive interests for exploration of high-performance lithium ion batteries.