Aptamer-functionalized P(NIPAM-AA) hydrogel fabricated one-dimensional photonic crystals (1DPCs) for colorimetric sensing

A robust means for the visual detection of highly toxic mercury ions (Hg²⁺) is developed with aptamer-functionalized one-dimensional photonic crystals (1DPCs) produced by spin-coating technology.

Twin Polymerization--a New Principle for Hybrid Material Synthesis

Twin polymerization is a novel modular approach for the synthesis of hybrid materials. Using this strategy two distinct polymers of either inorganic or organic nature are produced from a single source monomer in a mechanistically coupled process. Twin polymerization is an elegant way for producing nanostructured organic-inorganic hybrid materials of composition and morphology on demand. The main objective of this Review is the explanation of the principle of various twin polymerization processes and their appropriate terminologies. Different types of twin polymerization are classified with respect to the underlying processes as described in individual examples, demonstrating its potential in material synthesis. Prospects of the synthetic methodology of twin polymerization are demonstrated for different molecular structures of twin monomers and the resulting hybrid materials. A comparison with other scenarios for the synthesis of two different polymers within one procedure is included.