ECI Digital Archives

Title

Super-soft and super-elastic dry gels

Authors

Michael Rubinstein, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, USAFollow
William F. M. Daniel, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, USA
Mohammad V. Vatankhah, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, USA
Joanna Burdyńska, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Jaroslaw Paturej, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, USA ; Institute of Physics, University of Szczecin, Poland
Sergey Panyukov, P.N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Andrey V. Dobrynin, Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, USA
Li-Heng Cai, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, USA
Thomas E. Kodger, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, USA
Rodrigo E. Guerra, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, USA
Adrian F. Pegoraro, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, USA
David A. Weitz, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, USA
Sergei S. Sheiko, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, USA

Conference Dates

July 10-14, 2016

Abstract

Molecular combs and bottlebrushes are a new class of polymer architecture allowing for anomalously low density of entanglements in polymer melts. The conformations and rheological properties of melts of these branched macromolecule composed of a flexible backbone and side chains densely tethered to it are investigated theoretically, experimentally and by computer simulations.^1,2 We develop the rule for dialing in the desired value of the melt plateau modulus of these molecules as low as 1000 times below the conventional values for linear polymer melts and experimentally verify the validity of our theory. The theory also predicts that elastomers made from these melts should be super-elastic and reversibly stretch up to ten times more than elastomers made from linear polymers. Hybrid networks with both permanent and reversible bonds made with this novel architecture are predicted to be super-tough and self-healing.

References

1. W.F.M. Daniel, J. Burdynska, M. Vatankhah-Varnoosfaderani, K. Matyjaszewski, J. Paturej, M. Rubinstein, A.V. Dobrynin and S.S. Sheiko, Nature Materials, 2016, 15, 183-190.
2. L.H Cai, T.E. Kodger, R.E. Guerra, A.F. Pegoraro, M. Rubinstein, and D.A. Weitz, Advanced Materials 2015, 27, 5132–5140.

Recommended Citation

Michael Rubinstein, William F. M. Daniel, Mohammad V. Vatankhah, Joanna Burdyńska, Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Jaroslaw Paturej, Sergey Panyukov, Andrey V. Dobrynin, Li-Heng Cai, Thomas E. Kodger, Rodrigo E. Guerra, Adrian F. Pegoraro, David A. Weitz, and Sergei S. Sheiko, "Super-soft and super-elastic dry gels" in "Colloidal, Macromolecular & Biological Gels: Formulation, Properties & Applications", ECI Symposium Series, (2016). https://dc.engconfintl.org/cmb_gels/2