1 research outputs found
Stackable, Covalently Fused Gels: Repair and Composite Formation
Combining
modeling and experiment, we created multilayered gels
where each layer was “stacked” on top of the other and
covalently interconnected to form mechanically robust materials, which
could integrate the properties of the individual layers. In this process,
a solution of new initiator, monomer, and cross-linkers was introduced
on top of the first gel, and these new components then underwent living
(co)polymerization to form the subsequent layer. We simulated this
process using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) to isolate factors
that affect the formation and binding of chemically identical gel
as well as incompatible layers. Analysis indicates that the covalent
bond formation between the different layers is primarily due to reactive
chain-ends, rather than residual cross-linkers. In the complementary
experiments, we synthesized multilayered gels using either free radical
(FRP) or atom transfer radical polymerizations (ATRP) methods. Polymerization
results demonstrated that chemically identical materials preserved
their structural integrity independent of the polymerization method.
For gels encompassing incompatible layers, the contribution of reactive
chain-ends plays a particularly important role in the integrity of
the material, as indicated by the more mechanically robust systems
prepared by ATRP. These studies point to a new approach for combining
chemically distinct components into one coherent, multifunctional
material as well as an effective method for repairing severed gels