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Nanofoaming behavior in chain–extended poly(lactic acid) induced by interfacial heterogeneous nucleation and insight into its foaming mechanism.

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Title: Nanofoaming behavior in chain–extended poly(lactic acid) induced by interfacial heterogeneous nucleation and insight into its foaming mechanism.
Authors: Fan, Yuyuan1 (AUTHOR), Zhao, Xubo1 (AUTHOR), Ma, Hui1 (AUTHOR), Meng, Ruijing1 (AUTHOR), Zhou, Hongfu1 (AUTHOR) zhouhongfu@th.btbu.edu.cn, Wang, Xiangdong1 (AUTHOR), Wang, Linyan1,2 (AUTHOR) lgwly@hebau.edu.cn
Source: Reactive & Functional Polymers. May2026, Vol. 222, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: Polylactic acid, Foam, Polymers, Thermal insulation, Plastic foams, Addition polymerization, Density functional theory
Abstract: Using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2) to prepare semicrystal polymer foams with nanoscale cell structures has emerged as a key research area in recent times. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) foams, as representatives of biodegradable semicrystal polymer foams, have attracted considerable attention in the field of porous materials. However, the limited crystallization behavior and rheological properties of PLA restrict its foaming ability and widespread application. Herein, an epoxy–based chain extender, ethylene–acrylate–glycidyl methacrylate terpolymer (EGM), was used to modify PLA. Nanobimodal PLA foams were prepared using the scCO 2 foaming method, and their foaming mechanism was quantitatively analyzed using density functional theory. Theoretical predictions indicated that the vinyl and acrylate chain segments of EGM increased the CO 2 adsorption ability of PLA and reduced the critical cell size. Combined with differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy, the incorporation of EGM effectively reduced the crystallinity and crystal size of PLA, while increasing its crystal density. The final prepared chain–extended PLA (CEPLA) foams exhibited a nanobimodal cellular structure. Among them, the CEPLA–9.0 foams exhibited the highest volume expansion ratio (1.64 times), with a small cell density (6 × 1012 cells/cm3) and a large cell density (1.9 × 1012 cells/cm3), strikingly enabling controllable preparation of the nanobimodal cellular structure. Additionally, it possessed a low thermal conductivity, indicating excellent thermal insulation performance. Overall, using both theoretical predictions and experimental data, this study successfully prepared bio–based and biodegradable CEPLA foam materials with nanobimodal cellular structures and clarified their foaming mechanism, providing new insights for related research. [Display omitted] • Bimodal cells in nanoscale were prepared in CEPLA foam using supercritical CO 2. • Vinyl chain segments as dispersion phase in nanoscale were dispersed well in CEPLA. • Several heterogeneous structures affected the nanofoaming behaviors of CEPLA. • The small cell density of CEPLA nanobimodal foams reached 3.8 × 1013 cells/cm3. • The foaming mechanism of CEPLA nanobimodal foams was analyzed using DFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Reactive & Functional Polymers is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Label: Title
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  Data: Nanofoaming behavior in chain–extended poly(lactic acid) induced by interfacial heterogeneous nucleation and insight into its foaming mechanism.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fan%2C+Yuyuan%22">Fan, Yuyuan</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhao%2C+Xubo%22">Zhao, Xubo</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ma%2C+Hui%22">Ma, Hui</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Meng%2C+Ruijing%22">Meng, Ruijing</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhou%2C+Hongfu%22">Zhou, Hongfu</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> zhouhongfu@th.btbu.edu.cn</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wang%2C+Xiangdong%22">Wang, Xiangdong</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wang%2C+Linyan%22">Wang, Linyan</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> lgwly@hebau.edu.cn</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Reactive+%26+Functional+Polymers%22">Reactive & Functional Polymers</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 222, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Polylactic+acid%22">Polylactic acid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foam%22">Foam</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Polymers%22">Polymers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thermal+insulation%22">Thermal insulation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Plastic+foams%22">Plastic foams</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Addition+polymerization%22">Addition polymerization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Density+functional+theory%22">Density functional theory</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2) to prepare semicrystal polymer foams with nanoscale cell structures has emerged as a key research area in recent times. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) foams, as representatives of biodegradable semicrystal polymer foams, have attracted considerable attention in the field of porous materials. However, the limited crystallization behavior and rheological properties of PLA restrict its foaming ability and widespread application. Herein, an epoxy–based chain extender, ethylene–acrylate–glycidyl methacrylate terpolymer (EGM), was used to modify PLA. Nanobimodal PLA foams were prepared using the scCO 2 foaming method, and their foaming mechanism was quantitatively analyzed using density functional theory. Theoretical predictions indicated that the vinyl and acrylate chain segments of EGM increased the CO 2 adsorption ability of PLA and reduced the critical cell size. Combined with differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy, the incorporation of EGM effectively reduced the crystallinity and crystal size of PLA, while increasing its crystal density. The final prepared chain–extended PLA (CEPLA) foams exhibited a nanobimodal cellular structure. Among them, the CEPLA–9.0 foams exhibited the highest volume expansion ratio (1.64 times), with a small cell density (6 × 1012 cells/cm3) and a large cell density (1.9 × 1012 cells/cm3), strikingly enabling controllable preparation of the nanobimodal cellular structure. Additionally, it possessed a low thermal conductivity, indicating excellent thermal insulation performance. Overall, using both theoretical predictions and experimental data, this study successfully prepared bio–based and biodegradable CEPLA foam materials with nanobimodal cellular structures and clarified their foaming mechanism, providing new insights for related research. [Display omitted] • Bimodal cells in nanoscale were prepared in CEPLA foam using supercritical CO 2. • Vinyl chain segments as dispersion phase in nanoscale were dispersed well in CEPLA. • Several heterogeneous structures affected the nanofoaming behaviors of CEPLA. • The small cell density of CEPLA nanobimodal foams reached 3.8 × 1013 cells/cm3. • The foaming mechanism of CEPLA nanobimodal foams was analyzed using DFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Reactive & Functional Polymers is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2026.106702
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 1
        StartPage: N.PAG
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Polylactic acid
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foam
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Polymers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thermal insulation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Plastic foams
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Addition polymerization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Density functional theory
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Nanofoaming behavior in chain–extended poly(lactic acid) induced by interfacial heterogeneous nucleation and insight into its foaming mechanism.
        Type: main
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          Name:
            NameFull: Fan, Yuyuan
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          Name:
            NameFull: Zhao, Xubo
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            NameFull: Ma, Hui
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            NameFull: Meng, Ruijing
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            NameFull: Zhou, Hongfu
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            NameFull: Wang, Xiangdong
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            NameFull: Wang, Linyan
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: May2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 13815148
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              Value: 222
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            – TitleFull: Reactive & Functional Polymers
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