Polyphenols represent a highly abundant group of plant-derived natural compounds, characterized by remarkable structural diversity and potent antioxidant activity. Based on their chemical structures, polyphenols are broadly categorized into flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, tannins and lignans. Among these polyphenolic groups, tannins stand out for their large and complex polyphenolic frameworks and strong metal-chelating abilities. Tannic acid, a well-known hydrolyzable tannin, is one of the most extensively utilized polyphenols because of its dense phenolic composition, strong metal-chelating ability and capacity to form diverse non-covalent interactions. This review highlights recent advancements and applications of tannic acid-based micro- and nano-formulations, with particular emphasis on their roles in emulsion stabilization, enhancement of UV-barrier properties and food safety sensor applications.

We successfully synthesized poly-L-lactide was via an advanced external initiator-free dynamic vacuum bulk polymerization technique, and achieved precise control of macromolecular weight up to 147 kDa with near-quantitative monomer conversion by varying reaction temperature and duration. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed that the stereoregular structure is predominantly preserved during the high-temperature synthesis, while any potential racemization pathways remain beneath the resolution limit of the analytical methods. Thermal analysis verified excellent polymer stability above 300 °C. To evaluate practical applicability, we fabricated solvent-cast films from the synthesized matrices. The tensile test results of the solvent-cast films showed that while the amorphous 147 kDa matrix reached a tensile strength of 28.0 MPa, the structurally optimized 106 kDa film had higher crystallinity (20.6%) and a maximum Young’s modulus of 3047 MPa. Finally, compost biodegradation experiments (58 °C, 55% moisture content) demonstrated that decreasing molecular weight from 147 to 66 kDa accelerates the disintegration rate of films from k = 0.0041 to 0.0083 day^–1 due to autocatalytic carboxyl end-groups and defective interspherulitic boundaries.

Polymer composites are widely used in indoor and outdoor applications owing to their high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and design flexibility. However, exposure to environmental factors such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, humidity, temperature fluctuations, and biological agents significantly affect their long-term durability and performance. In this review, we comprehensively examine the degradation mechanisms of polymer composites under both natural and accelerated weathering, with particular emphasis on degradation mechanisms, characterization techniques, and durability assessment. We critically discuss the fundamental degradation mechanisms, including photo-oxidation, hydrolysis, polymer chain scission, crosslinking and interfacial debonding. We also evaluated accelerated weathering techniques, conducted under standardized testing conditions, for their ability to simulate long-term outdoor exposure within significantly shorter timeframes, by controlling key environmental parameters such as UV radiation, humidity, and temperature. We also examine the influence of reinforcements, including natural fibres, synthetic fibres, and nanofillers, on the weathering resistance of polymer composites. Attention is given to natural fibre–reinforced composites because their inherent hydrophilicity promotes moisture absorption, accelerating degradation and weakening the fibre–matrix interface. Furthermore, we critically evaluate the effects of weathering on the mechanical properties, crystalline structure and barrier performance of polymer composite films, and discuss recent advances in enhancing weather resistance through hybridization, surface modification, and the incorporation of stabilizing additives. Finally, the review highlights the key challenges and future research directions for the development of durable, high-performance, and sustainable polymer composite systems for long-term outdoor applications.

This is an editorial article. It has no abstract.

This study investigates the structure–property relationships of multi-functional urethane acrylate resins designed as photoreactive binders for UV-curable nail coatings. Four systems were examined: a commercial resin urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA), a bio-based acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO), and two newly synthesized bio-based urethane acrylates derived from 1,3-propanediol (PDO–UA) and eugenol (EUG–UA). Photopolymerization kinetics were analyzed by realtime FTIR, while the properties of the cured coatings were also determined. The mechanical and thermal behavior of selfsupporting polymer films was evaluated by tensile testing and DSC analysis. The UDMA network exhibited the highest crosslink density, reflected in its high modulus (≈0.5 GPa), tensile strength (≈15 MPa), and Tg (≈60°C), making it suitable for use as a top coat. AESO showed moderate stiffness and flexibility, whereas PDO–UA and EUG–UA formed soft, low-Tg (–12 and –17°C) and highly deformable networks typical of elastomeric materials. The combined mechanical and thermal results confirmed that crosslink density strongly governs coating performance and applicability. This study demonstrates that blending UDMA with bio-based oligomers enables the design of sustainable, UV-curable nail lacquers with an optimal balance of hardness, flexibility, and adhesion to the natural nail plate.