In this study, the interaction between the silica filler and polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) was investigated from the aspects of the bound rubber and morphological characterization. With special attention to the dynamic properties, the dynamic test was conducted by dynamic shear rheometer. The results show that the modified fillers disperse uniformly within PDMS matrix without aggregation and con...

The concept of a ‘‘bound rubber’’ phase extending over nanometre-scale distances from the interface of rubber-particle nanocomposites is generally accepted. However, the thickness and elastic properties of this interphase have not been confirmed by direct experimental observation. Here, we demonstrate the existence of bound rubber in hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR)–carbon black com...

MYB transcription factors hold vital roles in the regulation of plant secondary metabolic pathways. Laticifers in rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) are of primary importance in natural rubber production because natural rubber is formed and stored within these structures. To understand the role of MYB transcription factors in the specialized cells, we identified 44 MYB genes (named HblMYB1 to Hb...

Natural rubber from Hevea brasiliensis is a high molecular mass polymer of isoprene units with cis-configuration. The enzyme responsible for the cis-1,4-polymerization of isoprene units has been idengified as a particle-bound rubber transferase, but no gene encoding this enzyme has been cloned from rubber-producing plants. By using sequence information from the conserved regions of cis-prenyl c...