Article
Polymer Science
Ignacio Martin-Fabiani, Stavros X. Drakopoulos, Giuseppe Forte, Sylvain Prevost, Ingo Hoffmann, Sara Ronca
Summary: The study using neutron spin echo spectroscopy revealed that graphene oxide hinders chain dynamics in polyethylene melt. The proposed model allows for measurement of adsorbed and free polymer fractions, as well as the thickness of the adsorbed layer. The experiments provided evidence at the nanoscopic level of graphene oxide hindering entanglement formation in the polymer melt.
Article
Polymer Science
Katsumi Hagita, Takahiro Murashima, Naoki Sakata, Koya Shimokawa, Tetsuo Deguchi, Erica Uehara, Susumu Fujiwara
Summary: We investigated the topological barriers in ring polyethylene (PE) melts of trefoil knots and found that these barriers prevent crystallization due to self-entanglement. The topological barriers decrease with increasing polymer chain length (N) and the knotted segments are localized in the noncrystallized region. Our study provides insights into the effects of topology on crystallization in polymer melts.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
I. V. Brekotkin, N. F. Fatkullin, K. Lindt, C. Mattea, S. Stapf
Summary: This article introduces the spatial displacements of spins and their impact on the DQ Hamiltonian in a double-quantum nuclear magnetic resonance pulse sequence. It provides a simple expression for estimating and controlling the contributions to the initial rise of the DQ build-up function by varying experimental parameters. The application of polymers is also discussed.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Martin Zatloukal, Jiri Drabek
Summary: The monomeric friction coefficient for fully aligned chains was determined for three linear isotactic polypropylene melts, showing a significant reduction compared to the equilibrium friction coefficient. This supports the argument that a reduction in the friction coefficient is necessary to understand the dynamics of polymer melts in very fast flows, as suggested by recent rheological data and molecular simulations.
Article
Mechanics
Manfred H. Wagner, Esmaeil Narimissa, Qian Huang
Summary: The study extends the criterion for brittle fracture of entangled polymer liquids by considering the effects of finite chain extensibility and polymer concentration. Experimental data and models support the finding that crack initiation originates from the rupture of C-C bonds, leading to the fracture of polymer chains and crack propagation.
JOURNAL OF RHEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kanjana Sirirak, Visit Vao-soongnern
Summary: The stiffness of polymer chains is closely related to the macroscopic properties of polymeric materials. This study aims to investigate the role of chain stiffness in controlling polymer crystallization. Molecular simulations show that the rate of structural formation and the degree of crystallinity are influenced by the chain stiffness parameter.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jixi Huang, Shuai Wang, Xiaoping Wang, Jing Zhu, Zhenqiang Wang, Ximu Zhang, Kaiyong Cai, Jixi Zhang
Summary: The development of nanoadhesives has successfully addressed the shortcomings of previous adhesive systems in wound healing efficiency. This is achieved by synergistically combining functional components to enhance interparticle cohesion, boost reactive oxygen species scavenging activity, and promote angiogenesis. This system holds great potential for the treatment of skin wounds.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Heyi Liang, Kenji Yoshimoto, Masahiro Kitabata, Umi Yamamoto, Juan J. de Pablo
Summary: In this study, a multiscale simulation method is used to investigate the rheological properties of entangled Nylon 6 melts. The calculated results agree reasonably with experiments, showing the potential of this approach for designing polymeric materials based on purely molecular models.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shank S. Kulkarni, Kyoo Sil Choi, Wenbin Kuang, Nalini Menon, Bernice Mills, Ayoub Soulami, Kevin Simmons
Summary: The use of hydrogen as a fuel is rapidly increasing, with high-pressure hydrogen causing damage to polymer materials; the size, location, and pressure inside cavities in polymers affect the initiation and evolution of damage; the addition of carbon black filler particles and plasticizer significantly impact the damage tolerance of the polymer.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Review
Polymer Science
Yumi Matsumiya, Hiroshi Watanabe
Summary: The rheological behavior of polymeric liquids was traditionally believed to be universally determined by a few time-independent molecular parameters, but recent studies have shown non-universality under extensional flow conditions. A key concept is the reduction of segmental friction of highly oriented/stretched polymer chains, which changes with the chemical structure of the polymer and solvent as well as the polymer concentration.
PROGRESS IN POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Daisuke Miki, Akira Matsumura, Kazuhiro Yamamoto
Summary: The research focuses on the gravity-induced entanglement dynamics of N massive particles, showing that with an increase in particle number, specific particle pairs decohere more easily. The timescale of gravity-induced decoherence and the monogamy of entangled particles were also discussed.
Article
Polymer Science
Seung Heum Jeong, Soowon Cho, Chunggi Baig
Summary: This study presents a detailed analysis of the scaling behavior of chain rotation dynamics in shear flow for melt and dilute linear polymer systems. The results show that dilute systems with hydrodynamic interaction (HI) and excluded volume (EV) effects exhibit two distinct scaling behaviors of chain rotation time between the intermediate and strong flow regimes. In contrast, free-draining dilute polymer systems display a simpler single-scaling behavior throughout the intermediate-to-strong flow regimes. The combined HI and EV effects weaken the structural change of polymer chains and enhance chain rotation dynamics by disturbing chain stretch and alignment to the flow direction. The presence of intermolecular interactions between chains in melt systems leads to two distinct scaling behaviors of chain rotation time as well. The overall scaling behavior of chain rotation is determined by the kinematically stable angular regions near the flow direction, while the kinematically unstable angular regions exhibit affine chain rotation dynamics. This study provides important insights into the understanding of chain rotation dynamics in shear flow.
Article
Polymer Science
Jon Maiz, Ester Verde-Sesto, Isabel Asenjo-Sanz, Paula Malo de Molina, Bernhard Frick, Jose A. Pomposo, Arantxa Arbe, Juan Colmenero
Summary: In this study, the impact of internal cross-links on the properties of polymer melts was investigated using various techniques. It was found that internal cross-links do not significantly alter local properties and fast dynamics, but do slow down the alpha-relaxation process. Additionally, broader response functions and stronger deviations from Gaussian behavior were observed in the SCNPs melt, hinting at additional heterogeneities. Furthermore, rheological properties were clearly affected by internal cross-links.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sophia Y. Chan, Mayank Jhalaria, Yucheng Huang, Ruipeng Li, Brian C. Benicewicz, Christopher J. Durning, Thi Vo, Sanat K. Kumar
Summary: Polymer-grafted nanoparticle membranes show unexpected gas transport enhancements, but the structural origins of this behavior are unclear. This study measured and interpreted data on grafted nanoparticles and found that as the graft molecular weight increases, the gas transport enhancement decreases.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
V. A. S. V. Bittencourt, C. A. Potts, Y. Huang, J. P. Davis, S. Viola Kusminskiy
Summary: The radiation pressurelike coupling between magnons and phonons in magnets can modify the phonon frequency and decay rate. In a recent experiment, the coupling of the uniform magnon mode to a microwave cavity was demonstrated, but deviations from the predicted decay rate were observed. In this work, corrections due to magnetic Kerr nonlinearities and the coupling of phonons to additional magnon modes were considered, and excellent agreement with experimental data was obtained.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jia-Fu Yin, Zhao Zheng, Junsheng Yang, Yuchu Liu, Linkun Cai, Qing-Yun Guo, Mu Li, Xinpei Li, Tao Lin Sun, Geng Xin Liu, Caili Huang, Stephen Z. D. Cheng, Thomas P. Russell, Panchao Yin
Summary: The study investigates the unexpected high elasticity behavior of supra-nanoparticle clusters (SNPCs) with precise structures. It is observed that the SNPC assemblies maintain a high modulus at temperatures far beyond the glass transition temperature, owing to the interpenetration of POSS-ended arms. The physical molecular interpenetration and inter-locking phenomenon in SNPCs favors convenient solution or pressing processing of novel cluster-based elastomers.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Han Zuo, Zenghe Liu, Luzhi Zhang, Gengxin Liu, Xikai Ouyang, Qingbao Guan, Qilin Wu, Zhengwei You
Summary: A new Print-Healing strategy has been proposed to address challenges in FDM 3D printing, utilizing a polymer ink with synergetic triple dynamic bonds for excellent printability and self-healing ability. Objects with various shapes can be easily assembled into large structures via self-healing, with strong binding between layers due to the triple dynamic bonds. Damaged printed objects can spontaneously heal, extending their service life significantly.
SCIENCE CHINA-MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Yihui Zhu, Jintian Luo, Qingzhi Zou, Xikai Ouyang, Yifu Ruan, Yuchu Liu, GengXin Liu
Summary: 3-dimensional architectured polymers, such as giant molecules, exhibit distinct dynamics from chain-like polymers. By studying binary blends of giant molecules, it is found that the majority component forms a cooperative glass state when it contains more beads than a critical number. A sudden slowdown in dynamics occurs when the volume fraction of the majority component reaches 80%. Both experimental and simulated data can be described by a Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann-like equation, and the relaxation times can be expressed as a function of the average number of beads.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jilei Wang, Nan Zhang, Yurong Tan, Fanfan Fu, Gengxin Liu, Yin Fang, Xin-Xing Zhang, Minsu Liu, Yuan Cheng, Jing Yu
Summary: We report a silk fibroin-polyacrylamide double network hydrogel adhesive with excellent biocompatibility, strong and durable adhesion on wet surfaces, and tunable adhesive properties. The hydrogel exhibits excellent adhesive properties across a wide range of humidity conditions and can be easily integrated with different epidermal sensor arrays, performing well in real-time sweat sensing.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Changpeng Gu, Zhukang Du, Xikai Ouyang, Hengxue Xiang, Meifang Zhu, Jintian Luo, GengXin Liu
Summary: In this study, in situ UV irradiation was used to increase the molecular weight of telechelic associating polymers (TAPs) without changing concentrations. The extensional rheology and structure evolution of TAPs were investigated by dripping-onto-substrate rheometer with UV-induced coupling.
Article
Polymer Science
Xikai Ouyang, Jintian Luo, GengXin Liu
Summary: Polystyrene solutions are widely used as a model system to study polymer dynamics and rheology. This study explores the shear strain hardening behavior of polystyrene solutions under high shear rates, regardless of the distribution. The findings suggest non-Gaussian stretching of chains and identify some key parameters for shear strain hardening.
Article
Polymer Science
Jianzhong Ma, Weiwei Wu, Zhao Ke, Hui Li, Jintian Luo, Jinjun Yang, GengXin Liu
Summary: This study systematically investigates the early aging of resin solutions and formulates equations and a master surface to accurately identify the aging degree of phenolic resin solutions.
Article
Mechanics
Weiwei Wu, Jintian Luo, Xikai Ouyang, Wangjing He, Kangle Bao, Hui Li, GengXin Liu
Summary: The researchers developed a miniaturized sliding-plates shear rheometer (mgRheo) that requires only a small amount of sample for rheological measurements. The mgRheo can measure forces ranging from micronewtons to millinewtons and perform standard rheological tests. The results obtained from the mgRheo showed good agreement with those from commercial rheometers, making it suitable for characterizing the linear viscoelasticity of soft matters.
JOURNAL OF RHEOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Polymer Science
Yuchu Liu, Xiao-Yun Yan, Qing-Yun Guo, Huanyu Lei, Xian-you Liu, Xing-han Li, Yuean Wu, Wei Zhang, GengXin Liu, Stephen Z. D. Cheng
Summary: Giant molecules are a new class of precise macromolecules constructed from molecular nanoparticles connected in 3D. They exhibit unique dynamics dependent on their sizes, bridging the conventional polymeric and colloidal systems. Investigating their dynamics not only yields new materials properties but also provides deeper insights into glass formation principles. This review introduces the definition, assembly, and structural features of giant molecules, summarizes the dynamics of other systems, and focuses on recent progress in rheological studies before proposing future directions.
MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Yuchu Liu, Huanyu Lei, Qing-Yun Guo, Xianyou Liu, Xinghan Li, Yuean Wu, Weiyi Li, Wei Zhang, GengXin Liu, Xiao-Yun Yan, Stephen Z. D. Cheng
Summary: The construction of complex superlattices using homogenous soft matter has great potential for bottom-up fabrication of nanoscale structures. This topic is interested in exploring new concepts of supramolecular crystals with nanometer sizes, as well as providing construction principles of metamaterials for controlling physical behaviors. Fast assembly kinetics and convenient processing procedures make these systems ideal for large-scale superlattice production.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
GengXin Liu, Weiwei Wu, Shuguang Yang, Meifang Zhu
Summary: mgRheo, a newly developed shear rheometer, requires only 2 mg of sample, which is no more than the amount needed for typical chemical characterizations. With this device, various soft matter with limited yields can now be screened for their viscoelastic properties. Additionally, mgRheo is compatible with advanced purification techniques, making it possible to study the dynamics and rheology beyond entangled linear polymers, which were previously challenging due to the limited sample amount.
Article
Polymer Science
Xikai Ouyang, Jintian Luo, Tao Li, Yihui Zhu, Wancheng Yu, Jinlin He, Pengfei Zhang, GengXin Liu
Summary: Replacing carbon black and silica with organic fillers can decrease the weight of polymer nanocomposites. Soft nanoparticles (SNPs), produced in large quantities through microemulsion polymerization, can be customized in terms of elasticity and diameter. This study investigates the linear viscoelasticity of all-polystyrene nanocomposites filled with different molecular weights of matrix chains. The results show that the second plateau is observed with semi-rigid SNPs if the weight percentage of SNPs is above a critical value, while polymer nanocomposites filled with soft SNPs do not exhibit this plateau.
Article
Polymer Science
Chengmeng Wang, Yibo Wu, Yihui Zhu, Hongbing Ma, Mingzu Zhang, GengXin Liu, Jinlin He, Peihong Ni
Summary: This study focuses on investigating eight-arm tapered star copolymers. The microstructures of tapered copolymers were confirmed using various techniques, and the properties of tapered and diblock copolymers were compared. The ratio of soft and hard segments greatly affects the thermal and mechanical properties of the tapered copolymers. Introduction of the star-shaped structure increases the thermal stability of the copolymers.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qingzhi Zou, Yihui Zhu, Yifu Ruan, Rui Zhang, GengXin Liu
Summary: The study focused on the melts of 3-dimensional dendritic beads-springs, revealing that soft-clusters composed of more than 200 beads cannot diffuse or relax above the glass transition temperature, although relaxation can happen on the level of beads. Each soft-cluster can only rotate in the cage formed by neighboring soft-clusters, and the non-diffusing state would transform to the liquid state at exceptionally high temperature.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jia-Fu Yin, Haiyan Xiao, Peidong Xu, Junsheng Yang, Zhiwei Fan, Yubin Ke, Xikai Ouyang, Geng Xin Liu, Tao Lin Sun, Liqun Tang, Stephen Z. D. Cheng, Panchao Yin
Summary: In this study, POSSs were integrated as side chains to polymer backbones, imposing strong space confinements to realize synergistic interactions among polymer chains. The resulting composites demonstrated unprecedented mechanical properties with ultra-stretchability and high impact resistance, paving a new pathway for the design of advanced cluster-based materials.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yiping Yin, Zhe Wang, Hua Zou
Summary: This study presents a novel method for preparing dimpled polymer-silica nanocomposite particles using interfacial swelling-based seeded polymerization. The optimized conditions allow for a relatively high percentage of dimpled particles to be achieved.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Brenden D. Hoehn, Elizabeth A. Kellstedt, Marc A. Hillmyer
Summary: Porous materials with nanometer-scale pores have important applications as nanoporous membranes. In this study, ABA triblock copolymers were used as precursors to produce nanoporous polymeric membranes (NPMs) in thin film form by degrading the end blocks. Polycyclooctene (PCOE) NPMs with tunable pore sizes were successfully prepared using solvent casting technique. Oxygen plasma etching was employed to improve the surface porosity and hydrophilicity of the membranes. This study provides a straightforward method to produce tough NPMs with high porosity and hydrophilic surface properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vladislav S. Petrovskii, Stepan I. Zholudev, Igor I. Potemkin
Summary: This article investigates the behavior of linear and ring polypeptide chains in aqueous solution and explores the properties of the complexes formed by these chains with oppositely charged surfactants. The results demonstrate that the complexes of linear supercharged unfolded polypeptides and the corresponding surfactants exhibit impressive adhesive properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Merve Cevik, Serkan Dikici
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death globally, and vascular grafts are a promising treatment option. This study focuses on tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) using decellularized parsley stems as a potential biomaterial. The decellularized parsley stems showed suitable properties for TEVGs, providing a suitable environment for human endothelial cells to form a pseudo endothelium. This study showcases the potential of using parsley stems for TEVGs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gustavo A. Vasquez-Montoya, Tadej Emersic, Noe Atzin, Antonio Tavera-Vazquez, Ali Mozaffari, Rui Zhang, Orlando Guzman, Alexey Snezhko, Paul F. Nealey, Juan J. de Pablo
Summary: The optical properties of liquid crystals are typically controlled by electric fields. In this study, we investigate the effects of microfluidic flows and acoustic fields on the molecular orientation and optical response of nematic liquid crystals. We identify several previously unknown structures and explain them through calculations and simulations. These findings hold promise for the development of new systems combining sound, flow, and confinement.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xinjun Wu, Xin Guan, Shushu Chen, Jiangpeng Jia, Chongyi Chen, Jiawei Zhang, Chuanzhuang Zhao
Summary: This research presents a novel shape memory hydrogel with a remodelable permanent shape and programmable cold-induced shape recovery behavior. The hydrogel is prepared using specific treatment methods to achieve shape fixation by heating and shape recovery by cooling. Additionally, deformable devices can be obtained by assembling hydrogel blocks with different concentrations.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rebecca Hengsbach, Gerhard Fink, Ulrich Simon
Summary: This study examines the properties of DNA functionalized pNipmam microgels and pure pNipmam microgels at different concentrations of sodium chloride and in PBS solutions using temperature dependent H-1-NMR measurements. The results show that DNA modification affects the volume phase transition temperature and the addition of salt and PBS further enhances this effect.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ningyi Li, Junhong Li, Lijingting Qing, Shicheng Ma, Yao Li, Baohui Li
Summary: This paper investigates the self-assembly behavior of colloids with competing interactions under spherical confinement and finds that different ordered structures can be formed under different sized spherical confinements. Moreover, more perforated structures are formed in smaller spheres.