In this work, the crystallization, miscibility, thermostability, rheological and mechanical properties of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB)/poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) blends were investigated in detail. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis confirmed that PBS could form crystalline phase in the solution casted CAB/PBS blends with WCAB ≤ 60 wt.%. When the blends were crystallized from melt, the crystallization of PBS was found to be severely suppressed by the amorphous diluent of CAB. CAB and PBS were confirmed to be thermodynamic miscible in molten state by the negative value of Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (χ12 = −0.89) between CAB and PBS. The rheological characterization results and thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the melt viscosity and thermostability of CAB were reduced and improved by blending CAB with PBS, respectively. Moreover, the rigid CAB became more flexible after incorporating with ductile PBS. The application of CAB is expected to be extended via blending the two species of eco-friendly polymers.

A series of linear polymeric ionic liquids were synthesized from synthetic polyester (PEP) and the following anion exchange reactions. The structure and properties of the obtained polymeric ionic liquids were characterized by 1H NMR, FTIR, TGA and solubility tests. It was found that the obtained polymeric ionic liquid [PEP-MIM]DBS containing a cationic imidazole group and anionic DBS on the side chain was soluble in chloroform and was demonstrated to be a very effective transporter for the anionic dye methyl orange (MO) and cationic dye methylene blue (MB) from the water phase to the chloroform phase individually as well as simultaneously. The transfer efficiency reached 92% for MO and 80% for MB in the phase-transfer of the single dye. In addition, the phase-transfer experiments of the MO/MB mixed solution showed that the absence of MO improved the transfer efficiency of MB by 20% compared with the single solution.

This work reports the synthesis of acid–base indicators based on linear polymeric ionic liquids and their indicating behaviors in non-polar solvents. An acidic indicator PIL-MO, a basic indicator PIL-MB and an acid–base indicator PIL-MO–MB were prepared by attaching methyl orange (MO) and methyl blue (MB) to a linear polymeric ionic liquid, respectively or both. The obtained indicators showed significant acid–base indicating functions in dichloromethane. And these novel indicators exhibited some special properties when compared with the original anionic dyes.

In order to impart full pH-range responsiveness within biocompatible hyperbranched polyethers, new amphiphilic polyethers, i.e. HPMHO–Amines and HPMHO–Carboxys, which have a molecular structure similar to hyperbranched PEG, were prepared through ring-opening polymerization and modified by amination or carboxylation. Because of the existence of hydrophobic core and ionization of weak acidic and basic groups on the surface, these hyperbranched polyethers showed reversible pH-response in aqueous solution. The responsive pH values covered the complete pH range and could be readily adjusted by only changing the degree of modification. Cellular experiments showed that these pH-responsive hyperbranched polyethers had low cytotoxicity, indicating this novel full pH-range responsive hyperbranched polyether would be a promising functional material for physiological and pH-relevant bio-applications.