The molecular carbon nanoring, cycloparaphenylene (CPP), is fascinating as a new class of carbonaceous porous solids with the uniform structure of an all-benzene surface.

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The chemical modification of the polymer chain end group of polylactide is important for the development of nanostructural materials. Herein, the first example of dual dynamic functionality in polylactides bearing vanillin at the chain end is first demonstrated. The first function, stereocomplex formation of both enantiomeric polymers, results in an enhancement in thermal resistance, while the second creates reversibility through amine–imine transformation. This transformation self‐assembles into interesting morphologies, including raindrop‐like nanoparticles observed on imine formation, and spider‐web‐like fibrous ones observed on aldehyde formation from hydrophobic–hydrophilic stimuli by acid. These properties indicate that the present polymer shows dual dynamic building block moiety properties, composed of the natural products.

A novel thermotropic liquid-crystalline (LC) biocopolymer, poly{trans-3-methoxyl-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (MHCA: ferulic acid)-co-trans-3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid (DHCA: caffeic acid)}, was synthesized by a thermal acidolysis-polycondensation of MHCA and DHCA, efficiently catalyzed by Na2HPO4. When the MHCA composition of poly(MHCA-co-DHCA) was 60, 75, and 90 mol %, the copolymers showed a nematic LC phase although individual homopolymers such as polyMHCA and polyDHCA did not exhibit LC phase. Poly(MHCA-co-DHCA)s showed high molecular weight (Mw) ranged between Mn 2.6 × 104 to 3.7 × 104 and Mw 8.2 × 104 to 13.1 × 104, respectively, high glass-transition temperature (Tg) with the range of 115 to 140 °C and high degradation temperature T10, from 315 to 356 °C. In the adhesive test of copolymers against the surface of carbon substrate, the copolymers showed high shear strength at fracture.