Search results for "elastomer"

One-Component DNA Mechanoprobes for Facile Mechanosensing in Photopolymerized Hydrogels and Elastomers.

2021

DNA mechanosensors offer unique properties for mechano-adaptive and self-reporting materials, such as programmable bond strength and geometrical strain response, tunable fluorescent strain sensing, interfacing to biological systems, and the ability to store mechanical information. However, the facile incorporation of advanced DNA motifs into polymer networks and achieving robustness in application settings remain difficult. Herein, we introduce one-component DNA mechanoprobes that can be easily polymerized into polymer hydrogels and even elastomers to allow strain-induced fluorescence sensing. The all-in-one mechanoprobe contains a DNA hairpin for programmable force sensing, an internal flu…

Acrylic thermoplastic elastomers and comb-shaped poly(methyl methacrylate) via the macromonomer technique

1996

Comb-shaped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(butyl acrylate) (PnBuA) grafted with PMMA were prepared by radical copolymerization of ω-methacryloyl-PMMA with MMA and nBuA, respectively. The comb-shaped PMMA is characterized with respect to radius of gyration by using gel permeation chromatography equipped with a multi-angle laser light scattering detector. The radical copolymerization of the macromonomer with nBuA in toluene follows complex kinetics. The dependence of the relative reactivity of the macromonomer on absolute concentration and on the ratio of comonomers may be explained by preferential solvation of comonomers by segments of their own kind (“bootstrap effect”) or even m…

Ferroelectric liquid-crystalline elastomers

1994

Oriented liquid-crystalline (LC) elastomers (polar monodomains, concerning the direction of polarisation) have been prepared from polar monodomains of ferroelectric LC-polysiloxanes by a radical photocrosslinking process. Attempts to perform ferroelectric switching lead in these soft elastomers to an elastic stress which prohibits—for low voltages—a complete reorientation of the polar axis (ferroelectric switching). A ferroelectric switching can, however, be observed for high voltages. The loop of hysteresis of this switching is asymmetric concerning the zero point of the driving voltage. Piezoelectric measurements show that these elastomers combine an elastic memory for one polar state wit…

Characterizations of Thermoplastic Block Elastomers Based on Polybutadiene and ε -Caprolactone

2010

A broad series of tri- and multiblock copolymers based on linear and branched oligomers of polybutadiene as central blocks and polycaprolactone (PCL) as block extremities are characterized by SEC, DSC, DMA, Dynamical Rheology and DRX. DSC analyses reveal phase separation between the two amorphous PB and PCL phases. By thermal analysis, the glass transition temperature of PCL is only detected for materials containing at least 80% w/w of PCL. This is attributed to the small length of the polyester blocks for copolymers containing less than 80% w/w of PCL. The increase of fusion heat with increasing PCL content in the copolymers is correlated to the greater ability of PCL chains to rearrange a…

Infrared spectroscopy on new multiphase thermoplastic elastomers based on hydrogen bond complexes - temperature dependence and orientation behaviour

1991

The structure and deformation behaviour of a new class of thermoplastic elastomers is studied by temperature dependent infrared (IR) spectroscopy and by IR - dichroism spectroscopy. The thermoplastic elastomer is based on polybutadiene with statistically distributed side groups which form an anisotropic supramolecular structure via hydrogen bonds. Changes in the IR spectra at elevated temperatures are related to the melting of the ordered structure. The uniaxial deformation behaviour is studied by linear dichroism Fourier-transform (FT)-IR spectroscopy. A deformation model is developed which accounts for the major experimental results: while the polybutadiene segments behave as flexible cha…

Liquid-Crystalline Elastomer Fibers Prepared in a Microfluidic Device

2014

Recycled Polycarbonate Blend as Matrix for Development of Polymer Nanocomposite

2012

Summary: Secondary polycarbonate (SPC) is modified with various amounts (5, 10, 30 wt%) of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVAc) in order to reduce its brittleness. It is observed that at optimal EVAc weight content maximum tensile strength σM and impact strength AI increse by 14% (ωEVAc = 5 wt%) and 450% (ωEVAc = 10 wt%) in comparison to neat SPC, respectively. Addition of montmorillonite nanoclay (MMT) allowed further increase of elastic modulus E, strength and creep resistance of the investigated SPC blend with 10 wt% of EVAc.

Transition to Reinforced State by Percolating Domains of Intercalated Brush-Modified Cellulose Nanocrystals and Poly(butadiene) in Cross-Linked Compo…

2013

The classic nanocomposite approach aims at percolation of low fraction of exfoliated individual reinforcing nanoscale elements within a polymeric matrix. By contrast, many of the mechanically excellent biological nanocomposites involve self-assembled and space-filled structures of hard reinforcing and soft toughening domains, with high weight fraction of reinforcements. Here we inspect a new concept toward mimicking such structures by studying whether percolation of intercalated domains consisting of alternating rigid and reinforcing, and soft rubbery domains could allow a transition to a reinforced state. Toward that, we present the functionalization of rigid native cellulose nanocrystals …

Influence of a Crosslinker Containing an Azo Group on the Actuation Properties of a Photoactuating LCE System

2016

Photoactuating liquid crystalline elastomers (LCE) are promising candidates for an application as artificial muscles in microdevices. In this work, we demonstrate that by optimizing (1) the illumination conditions and (2) the mixture of azo monomer and azo crosslinker, thick films of an all-azo LCE can be prepared, which show a strong length change without bending during photoactuation. This becomes possible by working with white light (about 440 nm), whose absorption is low, leading to a large penetration depth. By adding an azo crosslinker to a previously prepared system, several improvements of the actuation properties—like a stronger photoactuation at lower operational temperatures—coul…

Nonthrombogenic, Biodegradable Elastomeric Polyurethanes with Variable Sulfobetaine Content

2014

For applications where degradable polymers are likely to have extended blood contact, it is often important for these materials to exhibit high levels of thromboresistance. This can be achieved with surface modification approaches, but such modifications may be transient with degradation. Alternatively, polymer design can be altered such that the bulk polymer is thromboresistant and this is maintained with degradation. Toward this end a series of biodegradable, elastic polyurethanes (PESBUUs) containing different zwitterionic sulfobetaine (SB) content were synthesized from a polycaprolactone-diol (PCL-diol):SB-diol mixture (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100) reacted with diisocyanatobuta…