4 research outputs found
Spiropyran Polymeric Microcapillary Coatings for Photodetection of Solvent Polarity
Fused silica microcapillaries were functionalized with
spiropyran-polymer
brushes using surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization.
Based on the inherited spiropyran properties, the functionalized capillaries
were successfully used to photoidentify solvents of different polarity
when passing through the microcapillary in continuous flow. In the
present study, six different solvents (toluene, tetrahydrofuran, acetone,
acetonitrile, ethanol, and methanol) can be easily detected while
passing through the modified microcapillary by simply irradiating
a portion of it with UV light (365 nm). This converts the closed spiropyran
moiety to the open merocyanine form, and as a consequence, the microcapillary
gains a distinct color and spectral response depending on the polarity
of the solvent. The rate of ring-opening of the spiropyran-polymer
brushes coatings has been determined in situ in the presence of different
solvents, showing that the coloration rate is also influenced by the
solvent polarity and therefore can be used as an additional parameter
for solvent sensing
Design of statistical copolypeptides as multipurpose hydrogel resins in 3D printing
Hydrogels possess desirable properties for the additive manufacturing of 3D objects, but a significant challenge is to expand the range of hydrogel feedstocks with defined molecular structure and functionality while retaining mechanical properties. To this end, the design of photopolymerizable copolypeptides, derived from linear or star-shaped architectures which can be tailored to provide control over mechanical properties and associated 3D printing performance, are reported. Based on hydroxy ethyl-L-glutamine and vinylbenzyl-L-cysteine residues, physical crosslinking via β-motif assembly is shown to afford hydrogels with viscoelastic properties that allow their use as resins for direct ink writing (DIW) and/or direct laser writing (DLW). The strategic incorporation of vinyl benzyl units permits rapid photocrosslinking of the self-assembled hydrogels leading to mechanically robust 3D objects. Significantly, copolypeptide architecture directly influences hydrogel resin viscosity, which affords materials with tailorable characteristics for different 3D printing techniques, highlighting the intrinsic versatility of these systems. </p
Design of statistical copolypeptides as multipurpose hydrogel resins in 3D printing
Hydrogels possess desirable properties for the additive manufacturing of 3D objects, but a significant challenge is to expand the range of hydrogel feedstocks with defined molecular structure and functionality while retaining mechanical properties. To this end, the design of photopolymerizable copolypeptides, derived from linear or star-shaped architectures which can be tailored to provide control over mechanical properties and associated 3D printing performance, are reported. Based on hydroxy ethyl-L-glutamine and vinylbenzyl-L-cysteine residues, physical crosslinking via β-motif assembly is shown to afford hydrogels with viscoelastic properties that allow their use as resins for direct ink writing (DIW) and/or direct laser writing (DLW). The strategic incorporation of vinyl benzyl units permits rapid photocrosslinking of the self-assembled hydrogels leading to mechanically robust 3D objects. Significantly, copolypeptide architecture directly influences hydrogel resin viscosity, which affords materials with tailorable characteristics for different 3D printing techniques, highlighting the intrinsic versatility of these systems. </p
Photoswitchable Layer-by-Layer Coatings Based on Photochromic Polynorbornenes Bearing Spiropyran Side Groups
Herein, we present
the synthesis of linear photochromic norbornene
polymers bearing spiropyran side groups (poly(SP-R)) and their assembly
into layer-by-layer (LbL) films on glass substrates when converted
to poly(MC-R) under UV irradiation. The LbL films were composed of
bilayers of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(MC-R), forming
(PAH/poly(MC-R))<sub><i>n</i></sub> coatings. The merocyanine
(MC) form presents a significant absorption band in the visible spectral
region, which allowed tracking of the LbL deposition process by UV–vis
spectroscopy, which showed a linear increase of the characteristic
MC absorbance band with increasing number of bilayers. The thickness
and morphology of the (PAH/poly(MC-R))<sub><i>n</i></sub> films were characterized by ellipsometry and scanning electron microscopy,
respectively, with a height of ∼27.5 nm for the first bilayer
and an overall height of ∼165 nm for the (PAH/poly(MC-R))<sub>5</sub> multilayer film. Prolonged white light irradiation (22 h)
resulted in a gradual decrease of the MC band by 90.4 ± 2.9%
relative to the baseline, indicating the potential application of
these films as coatings for photocontrolled delivery systems