Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Bryan Kwok, Prashant Chandrasekaran, Chao Wang, Lan He, Robert L. Mauck, Nathaniel A. Dyment, Eiki Koyama, Lin Han
Summary: Understanding early ECM formation in articular cartilage and meniscus can guide regenerative strategies. This study revealed distinct traits of their developing ECMs, providing insights for repairing these tissues and other load-bearing cartilaginous tissues.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Victor G. Gisbert, Ricardo Garcia
Summary: A new bottom-effect correction method has been developed to obtain the true Young's modulus value of a material independently of its thickness, showing high accuracy for a wide range of materials.
Article
Polymer Science
Daniel Q. Tan, Yichen Liu, Xiaotian Lin, Enling Huang, Xi Lin, Xudong Wu, Jintao Lin, Ronghai Luo, Tianxiang Wang
Summary: Polypropylene film, the most important organic dielectric in capacitor technology, loses its advantage of high breakdown strength when it becomes thinner, affecting its application in miniaturized capacitors. This study investigates the breakdown strength of the film and identifies non-uniform fibers and voids as the main factors causing reduced breakdown strength. Taking measures to prevent premature breakdown due to high local electric fields will maintain a high energy density and the important application of polypropylene films in capacitors.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Mohammadhadi Moradian, Hannah Wiebe, Theo G. M. van de Ven
Summary: Ultrathin ultrastrong regenerated cellulose films were prepared using mildly carboxylated nanocellulose and epichlorohydrin as a crosslinker. The films exhibited excellent morphology and physiochemical properties, making them promising candidates for flexible electronic applications. The films were highly transparent and had good thermal resistance.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Margaret M. Kane, Arturas Vailionis, Lauren J. Riddiford, Apurva Mehta, Alpha T. N'Diaye, Christoph Klewe, Padraic Shafer, Elke Arenholz, Yuri Suzuki
Summary: The study reports the emergence of long-range magnetic order in ultrathin (111) LaNiO3 (LNO) films and explains its origins. The research found that NiO6 octahedral distortions stabilize this phase, leading to a thickness-dependent metal-insulator transition at the film/substrate interface.
NPJ QUANTUM MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Anita Kwasniewska, Michal Swietlicki, Adam Proszynski, Grzegorz Gladyszewski
Summary: The study demonstrates that additives have a significant impact on the mechanical and surface properties of starch films, with increasing kaolin content resulting in higher modulus and adhesion force, as well as increased surface roughness parameters.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Giulio Benetti, Francesco Banfi, Emanuele Cavaliere, Luca Gavioli
Summary: Nanoporous ultrathin films, with their specific porosity and morphology, have diverse potential applications, and understanding their mechanical properties is essential for designing films for specific uses.
Article
Polymer Science
Lili Zhang, Norman A. Fleck
Summary: Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the thickness dependence of uniaxial and equi-biaxial tensile responses of ultrathin PMMA films, revealing that tensile failure strain decreases with decreasing film thickness, temperature, and molecular weight, while side-branching plays a secondary role.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jongmyeong Lee, Chae-Young Park, Chang-In Kong, Jae-Hyeok Lee, Su-Young Moon
Summary: In this study, a water-casting method was proposed to produce high-permselectivity thin-film composite (TFC) membranes for hydrogen purification. The film integrity and thickness were controlled by adjusting the spreadability of the casting solution. Under optimized conditions, the water-cast TFC membrane showed high hydrogen permeance and selectivity, making it suitable for meeting the demand for pure hydrogen.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lixuan Che, Xiaoguang Hu, Hechen Xu, Yuanbo Liu, Cunjing Lv, Zhan Kang, Mengxi Wu, Rongfu Wen, Huaping Wu, Jiayi Cui, Kun Li, Guangliang Qi, Yangjun Luo, Xuehu Ma, Feiyi Sun, Ming Li, Junshan Liu
Summary: A facile, damage-free, and contamination-free soap film transfer printing technique is reported, which enables the wrinkle-free transfer of ultrathin electronic films and precise alignment in a transparent manner. This technique has great potential for various applications and the fabrication of electronic devices on different substrates.
Article
Optics
Georgios Violakis, Athanasios Bogris, Stergios Pispas, George Fytas, Benoit Loppinet, Stavros Pissadakis
Summary: Light induced self-written waveguides (LISWs) with unique elongation characteristics and low optical loss are formed in a monodispersed polyisoprene solution using a low-power laser photopolymerization process. These waveguides exhibit rubbery properties, allowing significant optical transmission while being extended from 400% to 800%, and sustaining low propagation losses even at stressed lengths longer than 500 µm.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Seonmin Jang, Hyunseok Shim, Cunjiang Yu
Summary: In this study, a fully rubbery Schottky diode is developed using stretchable electronic materials, including a liquid metal cathode, a rubbery semiconductor, and a stretchable anode. The diode exhibits high forward current density and rectification ratio, and retains its electrical performance even under large tensile stretching. This research demonstrates the potential of fully rubbery integrated electronics.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
V. Polewczyk, S. K. Chaluvadi, D. Dagur, F. Mazzola, S. Punathum Chalil, A. Y. Petrov, J. Fujii, G. Panaccione, G. Rossi, P. Orgiani, G. Vinai, P. Torelli
Summary: V2O3 exhibits a complex relationship between the metal-insulator transition and the structural rhombohedral-monoclinic one, as well as its dependency on sample thickness. Investigation of thin and ultra-thin film growth is crucial in understanding the chemical, electronic, and structural phases, as well as the role of the substrate interface. Our study examines the thickness-dependent properties of V2O3 films grown on c-plane Al2O3 substrates, revealing the evolution of surface morphology and its implications on overall properties.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhoulyu Rao, Anish Thukral, Pinyi Yang, Yuntao Lu, Hyunseok Shim, Wenjie Wu, Alamgir Karim, Cunjiang Yu
Summary: The dissimilarity in material composition between existing stretchable electronics and biological organisms poses a challenge for seamless integration. This study presents a novel approach using fully polymeric materials for stretchable electronics and sensors, which have similar material composition to biological species. The fabricated rubbery electronics demonstrate excellent performance and offer various application possibilities.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kensuke Murashima, Yuki Kawashima, Shuhei Ozaki, Atsushi Tatami, Masamitsu Tachibana, Takeo Watanabe, Tetsuo Harada, Mutsuaki Murakami
Summary: The study developed a new method of heat treatment for polyimide to prepare self-standing graphite thin films with high quality and uniform thickness. Reactive ion etching was used to thin the films and enhance their conductivity, showing promising results for industrial applications.
Article
Polymer Science
Sourya Banik, Dejie Kong, Michael J. San Francisco, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: This study investigates the dynamics of completely monodisperse ultrahigh-molecular-weight linear DNA solutions through dynamic oscillatory measurements at various concentrations, revealing extreme strain sensitivity and nonlinearity in the dynamics of DNA. By comparing with existing literature data and reproducing their findings, it is found that the dynamics of lambda DNA exhibit specific characteristics under certain conditions, offering insights into the strain and dynamic behavior of high molecular weight polymers.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Sixue Cheng, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: Crystallization of nifedipine from the supercooled liquid state was studied using rheological and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The induction and completion times obtained from both methods were used to construct a time-temperature-transformation diagram for nifedipine, and the solid-liquid interfacial surface tension was estimated. The results from both DSC and rheological methods were consistent, showing the nucleation process of nifedipine and estimating the heat of fusion of gamma'-NIF.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Xiao Zhao, Sixue Cheng, Yung P. Koh, Brandon D. Kelly, Gregory B. McKenna, Sindee L. Simon
Summary: By using activity coefficient models and fitting parameters related to binary interactions, the synergistic elevations and inflections in Tg versus composition response of coamorphous pharmaceuticals can be successfully described.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qi Li, Xiaoguang Peng, Dongjie Chen, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: The study investigates the dynamics of a series of soft colloids with varying corona moduli, showing specific behaviors in concentration dependence. The use of a hard-soft mapping framework and extended theoretical models helps explain the properties and dynamics of soft colloids.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Dejie Kong, Sourya Banik, Michael J. San Francisco, Megan Lee, Rae M. Robertson Anderson, Charles M. Schroeder, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: Bulk rheology measurements on concentrated monodisperse ring-linear DNA mixtures are reported for the first time. The behavior of these mixtures is compared with that of pure linear DNA, highlighting the dominant role of linear chains in the dynamics and entanglement scaling of the blends.
Article
Mechanics
Satish Chandra Hari Mangalara, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: Characterizing the nonlinear behavior of viscoelastic materials is important for understanding their properties. LAOS tests and various analysis methods can provide insights into the nonlinear response of materials. By studying the LAOS experiments of PMMA, we uncover its nonlinear characteristics and observe differences in the behavior of its elastic and viscous components.
MECHANICS OF TIME-DEPENDENT MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Kristof Molnar, Hojin Kim, Dongjie Chen, Carin A. Helfer, Gabor Kaszas, Gregory B. McKenna, Julia A. Kornfield, Chunhua Yuan, Judit E. Puskas
Summary: The effect of reaction conditions on the structure of poly(3,6-dioxa-1,8-octanedithiol) (polyDODT) made by Reversible Radical Recombination Polymerization (R3P) was investigated. It was found that high purity cyclic polyDODT had lower viscosity and more compact structure compared to linear samples. However, unusual behavior was observed at higher molecular weights. Further experimentation is needed to elucidate the reasons for these findings.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Shuang Jin, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: Cangialosi et al.'s data challenges the general view of smooth dynamics of glass structure recovery, as observed by Kovacs. The reported irregular responses and two mechanism recovery at temperatures below Tg have sparked controversy. This study suggests that poor temperature control in a vacuum oven could explain the anomalous results, and reproduces the experimental results through simulation.
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Dejie Kong, Yan Meng, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: While much is known about the chemistry of amber, there lacks quantitative estimates of molecular weight and amount of cross-linking. This study investigates the network structure of ancient ambers through measurements of rubbery modulus and provides semi-quantitative insights using rubber elasticity theory. The research offers mechanical evidence of chemically cross-linked structures in multiple types of ambers, with molecular weight between cross-links ranging from 1800 to 3000 g/mol and an estimated number of monomers between cross-link junctions between 6 and 10.
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Gregory B. McKenna, Dongjie Chen, Satish Chandra Hari Mangalara, Dejie Kong, Sourya Banik
Summary: The present article outlines three subjects in the field of polymer and soft matter physics. The first subject focuses on the concept of an ideal glass transition and presents research on ultra-stable glass. The second subject explores the relationship between polymer nonlinear viscoelasticity and dynamic heterogeneity. The last subject addresses the rheology of circular macromolecules, discussing both historical perspective and recent research findings.
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Engineering, Chemical
Shuang Jin, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: This article responds to the comment made by Cangialosi, Alegria, and Colmenero on our experimental data and provides additional analysis that suggests a smooth structural recovery behavior of glassy materials within a certain range. It also points out the potential temperature control errors in isothermal aging procedures using a vacuum oven.
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yung P. Koh, Zachary T. Fondren, Aric A. Denton, Sindee L. Simon, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: This study investigates the glass transition and crystallization behaviors of HNAB over a wide range of cooling rates. It quantifies the influence of thermal amorphization on the properties of HNAB and compares the behavior of HNAB prepared by different cooling methods. The study also reports the non-isothermal crystallization response as a function of cooling rate. Furthermore, it compares the thermal stability and decomposition energy of amorphous HNAB with the crystalline counterpart.
PROPELLANTS EXPLOSIVES PYROTECHNICS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Dongjie Chen, Kristof Molnar, Hojin Kim, Carin A. Helfer, Gabor Kaszas, Judit E. Puskas, Julia A. Kornfield, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: The linear viscoelastic properties of poly(3,6-dioxa-1,8-octanedithiol) (polyDODT) in both melt and solution states were studied. The samples in solution can be used to validate the sample purity.
Article
Polymer Science
Kristof Molnar, Aswathy Sasidharan Pillai, Dongjie Chen, Gabor Kaszas, Gregory B. McKenna, Julia A. Kornfield, Judit E. Puskas
Summary: In this paper, the synthesis and analysis of cyclic polydisulfides, their redox depolymerization, and their interaction with carbon black were reported. Cyclic poly(3,6-dioxa-1,8-octanedithiol)s (pDODT) were synthesized using Reversible Radical Recombination Polymerization (R3P) with varying peroxide concentrations. The molecular weights of pDODTs increased exponentially with increasing peroxide concentrations. NMR analysis confirmed the presence of cyclic structures in pDODTs made with >10 wt % H2O2 and Mn <100,000 g/mol. Dithiothreitol reduced the polymers to monomers and oligomers, and carbon black showed chemical interaction with the polymers. Further analysis of these elastomers is underway.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Dejie Kong, Yan Meng, Gregory B. McKenna
Summary: Here we report the dynamic properties of a 50-million-year-old Fushun amber, which had a fictive temperature Tf approximately 193 K below its glass transition temperature Tg in the thermally rejuvenated state. The density of this ultra-stable amber was 14% higher than the post-rejuvenation value. The relaxation times in the deep glassy state were found to be extremely long, covering thousands of yotta seconds, challenging current theories on glasses and the glass transition.
JOURNAL OF NON-CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuanzhang Jiang, Xuyi Wang, Yanting Han, Dakai Gong, Yingchun Gu, Lin Tan
Summary: In this study, FeCl3 and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were doped into waterborne polyurethanes (WPUs) to create multifunctional materials with self-healing and antimicrobial properties. WPU/Fe/PAA-5.5, containing 5.5 wt % PAA, exhibited excellent mechanical properties, strong self-healing capabilities, and an impressive antimicrobial rate of over 90%. These supramolecular films were also highly recyclable through hot-pressing.
Article
Polymer Science
Longyu Tian, Min Wang, Guangming Liao, Baoliang Liu, Sujuan Zhang, Yucheng Sun, Zhen Meng, Jintao Zhang, Zaijun Lu
Summary: Two kinds of benzoxazine monomers were synthesized and used to prepare polybenzoxazine anion exchange membranes (AEMs) with quaternary ammonium functionalization. The LQPBZ AEM exhibited better ion conductivity and alkaline stability.
Article
Polymer Science
Claire A. Lemarchand
Summary: This study investigates the shock behavior of three different polymers through molecular dynamics simulations. The results reveal specificities in the shock behavior of polymers, including deviations from the linear relation between shock velocity and particle velocity, as well as differences in shear stress relaxation behind the shock front. It is found that the deviation of the Hugoniot locus is related to the change in the relative contribution of bonding and non-bonding potential energies, while polymers with higher glass transition temperatures exhibit slower shear stress relaxation.
Article
Polymer Science
Zengquan Liu, Xiaochun Yin, He Zhang, Shuo Gao, Qinglin Kuang, Yanhong Feng
Summary: A powder solid-state extension (PSSE) technology was proposed to address the high melt viscosity issue of UHMWPE. By uniaxial extension and sintering in the solid state, a highly self-reinforced material was prepared. X-ray diffraction and scattering techniques were used to study the structural evolution during the PSSE process, and a solid-phase induced transformation model was established.
Article
Polymer Science
Zhike Li, Anyu Luo, Rui Zhou, Xin Li, Haiyan Li
Summary: A novel high temperature resistance IL@SiO2 nanocapsules were successfully prepared and their friction and wear properties in PA6 composites were studied. The addition of IL@SiO2 nanocapsules reduced the friction coefficient and wear rate without affecting the mechanical properties of PA6. The synergy between the IL core and SiO2 wall in the nanocapsules improved the self-lubricating performance of the PA6 composites.
Article
Polymer Science
Xin Liu, Xuhong Guo, Qi Liao
Summary: In this study, an algorithm for accurately estimating viscosity is developed using molecular dynamics simulations and the Green-Kubo formula. This algorithm can be applied to complex systems with long correlations, such as macromolecular and biological simulation systems.
Article
Polymer Science
Hao Pu, Yun-Lei Hou, Jing -Zhou Chen, Dong -Lin Zhao
Summary: The use of modified graphene improves the interfacial adherence of carbon fibers to epoxy resin, resulting in enhanced interfacial and bending properties of CF and matrix in CF/EP composites, as well as increased interlaminar shear strength and flexural strength.
Article
Polymer Science
Wei-Chung Ke, Jin-Wei Lin, Manohar Reddy Busireddy, Yueh-Hsing Lee, Jiun-Tai Chen, Chain-Shu Hsu
Summary: This study introduces a crosslinkable monomer, TAIC, to synthesize three crosslinked polyimide films, which exhibit improved thermal, mechanical, and dielectric properties. The introduction of TAIC enhances the tensile strength, reduces the dielectric constant and dielectric loss, and decreases the coefficient of thermal expansion of the polyimide films.
Article
Polymer Science
Alex Kwasi Kumi, Ruiling Fan, Ye Chen, Yumei Zhang
Summary: The difference in leaching of amylopectin from cellulose/amylopectin/1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim][Cl]) blends during regeneration in water and aqueous ethanol has been studied. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the dissolution and regeneration mechanisms of amylopectin in [Bmim][Cl] are similar to cellulose in ionic liquids. Water regeneration leads to weak electrostatic interactions, resulting in high leaching of amylopectin. In contrast, ethanol-water interactions enhance electrostatic interactions among amylopectin chains, limiting amylopectin leaching in aqueous ethanol.
Article
Polymer Science
Xi Zeng, Junwei Zhou, Junbiao Peng, Chunsheng Zhang, Danling Wang, Yihu Song, Qiang Zheng
Summary: This study utilizes an oligomer deep eutectic solvent (DES) based on polyethylene glycol to regulate the vulcanization kinetics of rubber. The results show that the DES can accelerate vulcanization at low temperatures without affecting the crosslinking density and Mullins effect.
Article
Polymer Science
Qianqian Yue, Yongfei Peng, Xingjian Liu, Aihua He, Huarong Nie
Summary: The addition of metal deactivators can effectively suppress the aging of TBIR, prolong its lifespan, and have no negative effects on its physical and processing properties. These research findings are of great importance for improving the stability and aging resistance of polymers.
Article
Polymer Science
J. Gomez-Caturla, J. Ivorra-Martinez, R. Tejada-Oliveros, V Moreno, D. Garcia-Garcia, R. Balart
Summary: This work focuses on the development of environmentally friendly PLA formulations by using different esters derived from geraniol as plasticizers. The results show that these esters have good compatibility with PLA, and they can effectively enhance the elongation and plasticity of PLA, reduce its glass transition temperature, and slightly improve its water absorption capabilities.
Article
Polymer Science
Dandan Li, Zhaohui Lu, Zhao Ke, Ke Xu, Fengna Dai, Youhai Yu, Guangtao Qian, Chunhai Chen
Summary: In this study, cross-linked PI aerogel membranes with low dielectric constant and high moisture resistance were prepared by co-polymerization and scraping coating technology. The incorporation of fluorinated blocks and benzimidazole ring structures resulted in novel PI aerogel membranes with fascinating dielectric properties and outstanding moisture resistance.
Article
Polymer Science
Zhaoyang Chu, Qing Zhang, Haihua Luo, Han Zhou, Fapei Zhang, Wei Chen, Wenhua Zhang
Summary: Multi-physical fields solution processing strategy is a universal and facile method for preparing various conjugated polymer films and high-performance devices. In this study, we employed a combined microfluidic flow and ultrasonication strategy (FU) for processing CP solutions, and found a pronounced synergetic effect in promoting the pre-ordering of chains in solution. The conformation order and anisotropy of the solution were revealed through various characterizations. A non-classical nucleation model for polymer crystallization in non-equilibrium solution processing was confirmed. The roles of microfluidic flow and ultrasonication in chain aggregation and crystallization were addressed through multi-physical simulations. Compared to pristine solutions, the FU strategy showed improved solution anisotropy and crystallization kinetics, resulting in higher crystallinity in films and increased mobilities in OFET devices. The FU processing strategy provides a universal approach for regulating chain conformation and aggregation in conjugated polymer solutions.
