Rubber network in elastomer nanocomposites

Functionalized Elastomers for Intrinsically Soft and Biointegrated Electronics

Elastomers are suitable materials for constructing a conformal interface with soft and curvilinear biological tissue due to their intrinsically deformable mechanical properties. Intrinsically soft electronic devices whose mechanical properties are comparable to human tissue can be fabricated using suitably functionalized elastomers. This article reviews recent progress in functionalized elastomers and their application to intrinsically soft and biointegrated electronics. Elastomers can be functionalized by adding appropriate fillers, either nanoscale materials or polymers. Conducting or semiconducting elastomers synthesized and/or processed with these materials can be applied to the fabrication of soft biointegrated electronic devices. For facile integration of soft electronics with the human body, additional functionalization strategies can be employed to improve adhesive or autonomous healing properties. Recently, device components for intrinsically soft and biointegrated electronics, including sensors, stimulators, power supply devices, displays, and transistors, have been developed. Herein, representative examples of these fully elastomeric device components are discussed. Finally, the remaining challenges and future outlooks for the field are presented.

A functional modified graphene oxide/nanodiamond/nano zinc oxide composite for excellent vulcanization properties of natural rubber

A modified graphene oxide/nanodiamond/nanozinc oxide (MGO/ND/nanoZnO) functional hybrid filler is designed and prepared to improve the vulcanization efficiency of a rubber composite and to reduce the use of ZnO. ND was grafted onto graphite oxide with the aid of 4,4'-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). NanoZnO, with high surface activity, was then loaded onto the MGO/ND complex through the wet chemical method, in order to synthesize the MGO/ND/nanoZnO functional hybrid filler. Rubber composites were prepared using the rubber latex composite method and their vulcanization behaviors were investigated. Our results show that the MGO/ND/nanoZnO functional hybrid filler can remarkably improve the vulcanization behaviors of the rubber composite. Compared with that of pure natural rubber (NR), the vulcanization activation energy of the rubber composite was reduced by approximately 16%. Moreover, the vulcanization efficiency can be improved by 63% (i.e., the optimum cure time is shortened from the original 405 s to 150 s) after the same amount of traditional ZnO was replaced by the functional hybrid filler loaded with 1 wt% nanoZnO. The prepared MGO/ND/nanoZnO functional hybrid filler thus provides a promising alternative to improve the vulcanization efficiency of rubber composites.

RNA Nanoparticles as Rubber for Compelling Vessel Extravasation to Enhance Tumor Targeting and for Fast Renal Excretion to Reduce Toxicity

Rubber is a fascinating material in both industry and daily life. The development of elastomeric material in nanotechnology is imperative due to its economic and technological potential. By virtue of their distinctive physicochemical properties, nucleic acids have been extensively explored in material science. The Phi29 DNA packaging motor contains a 3WJ with three angles of 97°, 125°, and 138°. Here, the rubber-like property of RNA architectures was investigated using optical tweezers and in vivo imaging technologies. The 3WJ 97° interior angle was contracted or stretched to 60°, 90°, and 108° at will to build elegant RNA triangles, squares, pentagons, cubes, tetrahedrons, dendrimers, and prisms. RNA nanoarchitecture was stretchable and shrinkable by optical tweezer with multiple extension and relaxation repeats like a rubber. Comparing to gold and iron nanoparticles with the same size, RNA nanoparticles display stronger cancer-targeting outcomes, while less accumulation in healthy organs. Generally, the upper limit of renal excretion is 5.5 nm; however, the 5, 10, and 20 nm RNA nanoparticles passed the renal filtration and resumed their original structure identified in urine. These findings solve two previous mysteries: (1) Why RNA nanoparticles have an unusually high tumor targeting efficiency since their rubber or amoeba-like deformation property enables them to squeeze out of the leaky vasculature to improve the EPR effect; and (2) why RNA nanoparticles remain non-toxic since they can be rapidly cleared from the body via renal excretion into urine with little accumulation in the body. Considering its controllable shape and size plus its rubber-like property, RNA holds great promises for industrial and biomedical applications especially in cancer therapeutics delivery.

Graphene Layers Functionalized with A Janus Pyrrole-Based Compound in Natural Rubber Nanocomposites with Improved Ultimate and Fracture Properties

The ultimate properties and resistance to fracture of nanocomposites based on poly(1,4-cis-isoprene) from Hevea Brasiliensis (natural rubber, NR) and a high surface area nanosized graphite (HSAG) were improved by using HSAG functionalized with 2-(2,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)propane-1,3-diol (serinol pyrrole) (HSAG-SP). The functionalization reaction occurred through a domino process, by simply mixing HSAG and serinol pyrrole and heating at 180 °C. The polarity of HSAG-SP allowed its dispersion in NR latex and the isolation of NR/HSAG-SP masterbatches via coagulation. Nanocomposites, based either on pristine HSAG or on HSAG-SP, were prepared through traditional melt blending and cured with a sulphur-based system. The samples containing HSAG-SP revealed ultimate dispersion of the graphitic filler with smaller aggregates and higher amounts of few layers stacks and isolated layers, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. With HSAG-SP, better stress and elongation at break and higher fracture resistance were obtained. Indeed, in the case of HSAG-SP-based composites, fracture occurred at larger deformation and with higher values of load and, at the highest filler content (24 phr), deviation of fracture propagation was observed. These results have been obtained with a moderate functionalization of the graphene layers (about 5%) and normal lab facilities. This work reveals a simple and scalable way to prepare tougher NR-based nanocomposites and indicates that the dispersion of a graphitic material in a rubber matrix can be improved without using an extra-amount of mechanical energy, just by modifying the chemical nature of the graphitic material through a sustainable process, avoiding the traditional complex approach, which implies oxidation to graphite oxide and subsequent partial reduction.

Material-Based Approaches for the Fabrication of Stretchable Electronics

Stretchable electronics are mechanically compatible with a variety of objects, especially with the soft curvilinear contours of the human body, enabling human-friendly electronics applications that could not be achieved with conventional rigid electronics. Therefore, extensive research effort has been devoted to the development of stretchable electronics, from research on materials and unit device, to fully integrated systems. In particular, material-processing technologies that encompass the synthesis, assembly, and patterning of intrinsically stretchable electronic materials have been actively investigated and have provided many notable breakthroughs for the advancement of stretchable electronics. Here, the latest studies of such material-based approaches are reviewed, mainly focusing on intrinsically stretchable electronic nanocomposites that generally consist of conducting/semiconducting filler materials inside or on elastomer backbone matrices. Various approaches for fabricating these intrinsically stretchable electronic materials are presented, including the blending of electronic fillers into elastomer matrices, the formation of bi-layered heterogeneous electronic-layer and elastomer support-layer structures, and modifications to polymeric molecular structures in order to impart stretchability. Detailed descriptions of the various conducting/semiconducting composites prepared by each method are provided, along with their electrical/mechanical properties and examples of device applications. To conclude, a brief future outlook is presented.

Effect of Zinc Oxide Modified Silica Particles on the Molecular Dynamics of Carboxylated Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubber Composites

This work examines the molecular dynamics of carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber crosslinked with zinc oxide modified silica particles. ZnO/SiO₂ with the wide range of ZnO concentrations were used as both a crosslinking agent and filler. A series of thermal measurements were applied to the characterization of the samples: differential scanning calorimetry, dynamical mechanical thermal analysis, and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy. A complementary experimental technique, which is equilibrium swelling in solvents, confirms the presence of ionic crosslinks, which are created between zinc ions and the functional carboxyl groups of the rubber, within the structure of the vulcanizates. These interactions influenced not only the affinity of the vulcanizates to solvents, but also their dynamic mechanical and dielectric properties. In these investigations, the influence of concentration of ZnO on the surface of the ZnO/SiO₂ on the properties of the vulcanizates are described.

New insights into reinforcement mechanism of nanoclay-filled isoprene rubber during uniaxial deformation by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction

The existence of a denser network domain formed by incorporation of filler and its vital role in determining the strain-induced crystallization behavior of nanocomposites is proved by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction characterization.

Electrical and Electrorheological Properties of Alumina/Natural Rubber (STR XL) Composites

The electrorheological properties (ER) of natural rubber (XL)/alumina (Al₂O₃) composites were investigated in oscillatory shear mode under DC electrical field strengths between 0 to 2 kV/mm. SEM micrographs indicate a mean particle size of 9.873 ± 0.034 µm and particles that are moderately dispersed in the matrix. The XRD patterns indicate Al₂O₃ is of the β-phase polytype which possesses high ionic conductivity. The storage modulus (G′) of the composites, or the rigidity, increases by nearly two orders of magnitude, with variations in particle volume fraction and electrical field strength. The increase in the storage modulus is caused the ionic polarization of the alumina particles and the induced dipole moments set up in the natural rubber matrix.