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Shahidi N, Laub JA, Vogiatzis KD, Doxastakis M. Multiscale Modeling of Vinyl-Addition Polynorbornenes: The Effect of Stereochemistry. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:2243. [PMID: 39204463 PMCID: PMC11358979 DOI: 10.3390/polym16162243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Vinyl-addition polynorbornenes are candidates for designing high-performance polymers due to unique characteristics, which include a high glass transition temperature associated with a rigid backbone. Recent studies have established that the processability and properties of these polymers can be fine-tuned by using targeted substitutions. However, synthesis with different catalysts results in materials with distinct properties, potentially due to the presence of various stereoisomers that are difficult to quantify experimentally. Herein, we develop all-atom models of polynorbornene oligomers based on classical force fields and density functional theory. To establish the relationship between chemical architecture, chain conformations, and melt structure, we perform detailed molecular dynamics simulations with the fine-tuned atomistic force field and propose simpler coarse-grained descriptions to address the high molecular weight limit. All-atom simulations of oligomers suggest high glass transition temperatures in the range of 550-600 K. In the melt state (800 K), meso chains form highly rigid extended coils (C∞≈11) with amorphous structural characteristics similar to the X-ray diffraction data observed in the literature. In contrast, simulations with racemo chains predict highly helical tubular chain conformations that could promote assembly into crystalline structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobahar Shahidi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Jeffrey A. Laub
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | | | - Manolis Doxastakis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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2
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Cammarata MDM, Contin MD, Negri RM, Factorovich MH. Diffusion Coefficients of Variable-Size Amphiphilic Additives in a Glass-Forming Polyethylene Matrix. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:312-328. [PMID: 38146058 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c04904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion of additives in polymers is an important issue in the plastics industry since migratory-type molecules are widely used to tune the properties of polymeric composites. Predicting the diffusional behavior of new additives can minimize the need for repetitive experiments. This work presents molecular dynamics simulations at the microsecond time scale and uses the MARTINI force field to estimate self-diffusion coefficients, D, of six monounsaturated amides and their analogs carboxylic acids in polyethylene matrices (PE, MW = 5600 Da). The results are strongly influenced by the glass-forming properties of the PE matrix, which we characterize by three distinct temperatures. The metastability region (T < 325 K), the glass transition temperature (Tg = 256-260 K), and the end of the transition (T ≅ 200 K). Self-diffusion mechanisms are inferred from the results of the dependence of D on the molecular mass of the additive, observing a Rouse-like behavior at high temperatures and deviations from it within the metastability region of the matrix. Interestingly, D values are nonsensitive to the nature of the considered polar head for additives of similar size. The temperature-dependent behavior of D follows, at fixed additive size, a linear Arrhenius pattern at high temperatures and a super Arrhenius trend at lower temperatures, which is well represented with a power law equation as predicted by the Mode Coupling Theory (MCT). We offer a conceptual explanation for the observed super-Arrhenius behavior. This explanation draws on Truhlar and Kohen's interpretation of the available energies at both the initial and the transition states along the diffusion pathway. The matrix's mobility significantly affects solute self-diffusion, yielding equal activation enthalpies for the Arrhenius region or the same power law parameters for the super-Arrhenius regime. Finally, we establish a one-to-one time-equivalence of the self-diffusion processes between CG and all-atom systems for the largest additives and the PE matrix in the high-temperature regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Del Mar Cammarata
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física/INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II, Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina
| | - Mario D Contin
- Departamento de Ciencias Química, Catedra de Química Analítica. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 954, Buenos Aires C1113AAD, Argentina
| | - R Martín Negri
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física/INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II, Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina
| | - Matias H Factorovich
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física/INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab. II, Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina
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3
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Schneider L, de Pablo JJ. Entanglements via Slip Springs with Soft, Coarse-Grained Models for Systems Having Explicit Liquid-Vapor Interfaces. Macromolecules 2023; 56:7445-7453. [PMID: 37781215 PMCID: PMC10538480 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in nano-rheology require that new techniques and models be developed to precisely describe the equilibrium and non-equilibrium characteristics of entangled polymeric materials and their interfaces at a molecular level. In this study, a slip-spring (SLSP) model is proposed to capture the dynamics of entangled polymers at interfaces, including those between liquids, liquids and vapors, and liquids and solids. The SLSP model employs a highly coarse-grained approach, which allows for comprehensive simulations of entire nano-rheological characterization systems using a particle-level description. The model relies on many-body dissipative particle dynamics (MDPD) non-bonded interactions, which permit explicit description of liquid-vapor interfaces; a compensating potential is introduced to ensure an unbiased representation of the shape of the liquid-vapor interface within the SLSP model. The usefulness of the proposed MDPD + SLSP approach is illustrated by simulating a capillary breakup rheometer (CaBR) experiment, in which a liquid droplet splits into two segments under the influence of capillary forces. We find that the predictions of the MDPD + SLSP model are consistent with experimental measurements and theoretical predictions. The proposed model is also verified by comparison to the results of explicit molecular dynamics simulations of an entangled polymer melt using a Kremer-Grest chain representation, both at equilibrium and far from equilibrium. Taken together, the model and methods presented in this study provide a reliable framework for molecular-level interpretation of high-polymer dynamics in the presence of interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludwig Schneider
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, 5740 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637-1403, United States
| | - Juan J. de Pablo
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, 5740 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637-1403, United States
- Argonne
National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Lemont, IL 60439, United States
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4
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Ghanta R, Burkhart C, Polińska P, Harmandaris V, Doxastakis M. The effect of chemical constitution on polyisoprene dynamics. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:044902. [PMID: 37486059 DOI: 10.1063/5.0155612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Polyisoprene (PI) melts have been studied, with most reports focusing on systems with high 1,4-cis content. In contrast, 1,4-trans PI homopolymers or random copolymers have seldom been examined, despite a handful of investigations suggesting a distinct dynamic behavior. Herein, we employ all-atom simulations to investigate the effect of chemical architecture on the dynamics of cis and trans-PI homopolymers, as well as copolymers. We examine the thermodynamic, conformational, and structural properties of the polymers and validate the performance of the models. We probe chain dynamics, revealing that cis-PI presents accelerated translation and reorientation modes relative to trans as recorded by the mean square displacement of the chain center-of-mass as well as by the characteristic times of the lower modes in a Rouse analysis. Interestingly, progressing to higher modes, we observe a reversal with trans units exhibiting faster dynamics. This was further confirmed by calculations of local carbon-hydrogen vector reorientation dynamics, which offer a microscopic view of segmental mobility. To obtain insight into the simulation trajectories, we evaluate the intermediate incoherent scattering function that supports a temperature-dependent crossover in relative mobility that extends over separations beyond the Kuhn-length level. Finally, we analyzed the role of non-Gaussian displacements, which demonstrate that cis-PI exhibits increased heterogeneity in dynamics over short-timescales in contrast to trans-PI, where deviations persist over times extending to terminal dynamics. Our all-atom simulations provide a fundamental understanding of PI dynamics and the impact of microstructure while providing important data for the design and optimization of PI-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Ghanta
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
| | - Craig Burkhart
- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio 44305, USA
| | - Patrycja Polińska
- Goodyear Innovation Center Luxembourg, Avenue Gordon Smith, L-7750 Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg
| | - Vagelis Harmandaris
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Crete, and IACM FORTH, GR-71110 Heraklion, Greece
- Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | - Manolis Doxastakis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, USA
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Statics, Dynamics and Linear Viscoelasticity from Dissipative Particle Dynamics Simulation of Entangled Linear Polymer Melts. CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10118-023-2931-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
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6
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Christofi E, Chazirakis A, Chrysostomou C, Nicolaou MA, Li W, Doxastakis M, Harmandaris VA. Deep convolutional neural networks for generating atomistic configurations of multi-component macromolecules from coarse-grained models. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:184903. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0110322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the modern advances in the available computational resources, the length and time scales of the physical systems that can be studied in full atomic detail, via molecular simulations, are still limited. To overcome such limitations, coarse-grained (CG) models have been developed to reduce the dimensionality of the physical system under study. However, to study such systems at the atomic level, it is necessary to re-introduce the atomistic details into the CG description. Such an ill-posed mathematical problem is typically treated via numerical algorithms, which need to balance accuracy, efficiency, and general applicability. Here, we introduce an efficient and versatile method for backmapping multi-component CG macromolecules of arbitrary microstructures. By utilizing deep learning algorithms, we train a convolutional neural network to learn structural correlations between polymer configurations at the atomistic and their corresponding CG descriptions, obtained from atomistic simulations. The trained model is then utilized to get predictions of atomistic structures from input CG configurations. As an illustrative example, we apply the convolutional neural network to polybutadiene copolymers of various microstructures, in which each monomer microstructure (i.e., cis-1,4, trans-1,4, and vinyl-1,2) is represented as a different CG particle type. The proposed methodology is transferable over molecular weight and various microstructures. Moreover, starting from a specific single CG configuration with a given microstructure, we show that by modifying its chemistry (i.e., CG particle types), we are able to obtain a set of well equilibrated polymer configurations of different microstructures (chemistry) than the one of the original CG configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleftherios Christofi
- Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | - Antonis Chazirakis
- Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Crete, Heraklion GR-71110, Greece
- Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics, Foundation for Research and Technology–Hellas, GR-71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Charalambos Chrysostomou
- Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | - Mihalis A. Nicolaou
- Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | - Wei Li
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan
| | - Manolis Doxastakis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Vagelis A. Harmandaris
- Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
- Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Crete, Heraklion GR-71110, Greece
- Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics, Foundation for Research and Technology–Hellas, GR-71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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Hollborn KU, Schneider L, Müller M. Effect of Slip-Spring Parameters on the Dynamics and Rheology of Soft, Coarse-Grained Polymer Models. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:6725-6739. [PMID: 36037428 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c03983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Highly coarse-grained (hCG) linear polymer models allow for accessing long time and length scales by dissipative particle dynamics (DPD). This top-down strategy exploits the universal equilibrium behavior of long, flexible macromolecules by accounting only for the relevant interactions, such as molecular connectivity, and by parametrizing their strength via coarse-grained invariants, such as the mean-squared end-to-end distance. The description of the dynamics of long, entangled polymers, however, poses a challenge because (i) the noncrossability of the molecular backbones is not enforced by the soft interactions of an hCG model and (ii) the rheology involves multiple time and length scales, such as the Rouse-like dynamics on short scales and the reptation dynamics on long scales. One popular technique to effectively mimic the effect of entanglements in linear polymer melts via hCG models is slip-springs, and quantitative agreement with simulations that explicitly account for the noncrossability of molecular contours, experiments, and theoretical predictions has been achieved by identifying the time, length, and energy scales of the hCG model and adjusting the number of slip-springs per macromolecule. In the present work, we study how the spatial extent and the mobility of slip-springs affect the dynamics and discuss their implications in the choice of the degree of coarse-graining in computationally efficient hCG models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Uwe Hollborn
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ludwig Schneider
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Marcus Müller
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Jana PK, Bačová P, Schneider L, Kobayashi H, Hollborn KU, Polińska P, Burkhart C, Harmandaris VA, Müller M. Wall-Spring Thermostat: A Novel Approach for Controlling the Dynamics of Soft Coarse-Grained Polymer Fluids at Surfaces. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pritam Kumar Jana
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37977 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Petra Bačová
- Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics, Foundation for Research and Technology─Hellas, Heraklion GR-71110, Greece
- Departamento de Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, IMEYMAT, Campus Universitario Río San Pedro s/n, Puerto Real, Cádiz 11510, Spain
| | - Ludwig Schneider
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37977 Göttingen, Germany
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Hideki Kobayashi
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37977 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kai-Uwe Hollborn
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37977 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Craig Burkhart
- Goodyear Research, The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, 142 Goodyear Boulevard, Akron, Ohio 44305, United States
| | - Vagelis A. Harmandaris
- Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics, Foundation for Research and Technology─Hellas, Heraklion GR-71110, Greece
- Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Crete, Heraklion GR-71110, Greece
- Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | - Marcus Müller
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37977 Göttingen, Germany
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Constant E, King O, Weems AC. Bioderived 4D Printable Terpene Photopolymers from Limonene and β-Myrcene. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:2342-2352. [PMID: 35608477 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Green manufacturing and reducing our cultural dependency on petrochemicals have been topics of growing interest in the past decade, particularly for three-dimensional (3D) printable photopolymers where often toxic solvents and reagents have been required. Here, a simple solvent-free, free-radical polymerization is utilized to homo- and copolymerize limonene and β-myrcene monomers to produce oligomeric photopolymers (Mn < 11 kDa) displaying Newtonian, low viscosities (∼10 Pa × s) suitable for thiol-ene photo-cross-linking, yielding photoset materials in a digital light processing (DLP)-type 3D printer. The resulting photosets display tunable thermomechanical properties (poly(limonene) displays elastic moduli exceeding 1 GPa) compared with previous works focusing on monomeric terpenes as well as four-dimensional (4D) shape memory behavior. The utility of such photopolymers for biomedical applications is briefly considered on the premise of the hydrophilic nature (measured by contact angle) as well as their cytocompatibility upon seeding films with macrophages. These terpene-derived, green 4D photopolymers are shown to have promising physical behaviors suitable for an array of manufacturing and 3D printing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Constant
- Biomedical Engineering, Russ College of Engineering, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
| | - Olivia King
- Molecular and Chemical Biology, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
| | - Andrew C Weems
- Biomedical Engineering, Russ College of Engineering, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States.,Molecular and Chemical Biology, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Translational Biosciences, Orthopedic and Musculoskeletal Neurological Institute, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
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Wang J, in ’t Veld PJ, Robbins MO, Ge T. Effects of Coarse-Graining on Molecular Simulation of Craze Formation in Polymer Glass. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiuling Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | | | - Mark O. Robbins
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Ting Ge
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
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