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Yang L, Nickmilder P, Verhoogt H, Hoeks T, Leclère P. Probing Viscoelastic Properties and Interfaces in High-Density Polyethylene Vitrimers at the Nanoscale Using Dynamic Mode Atomic Force Microscopy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:38501-38510. [PMID: 38993000 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c06809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Vitrimers are a new class of heterogeneous polymers that combine the best features of thermosets with those of thermoplastics. The introduction of cross-links strongly changes the viscoelastic behavior of vitrimer materials. However, the characterization and understanding of the nanostructures and interfaces in vitrimers resulting from dynamic cross-linking formation remain a major challenge. Here, using dynamic modes of atomic force microscopy (AFM), namely intermodulation AFM (ImAFM) and AFM-based dynamic mechanical analysis (AFM-nDMA), local viscoelastic properties and interfaces at the nanoscale length of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) vitrimer materials are reported. ImAFM imaging in combination with the k-means clustering algorithm clearly reveals two distinct phases in the vitrimer system with highly different viscoelastic properties. AFM-nDMA further provides quantitative nanoviscoelastic properties at the nanoscale to confirm that there is a cross-linking-rich aggregation area forming a nanosize network structure in the cross-linking-poor matrix phase. The cross-linking-rich region shows a similar elastic modulus but much higher adhesion force measured by AFM compared to the cross-linking-poor HDPE matrix. Furthermore, the frequency influence on the local viscoelastic properties of HDPE vitrimer at the nanoscale was initially screened. The observed HDPE vitrimer nanostructures and viscoelastic properties at the nanoscale also provide explanations on the observed bulk HDPE vitrimer crystallinity decrease and dimensional stability increase compared to HDPE. Therefore, probing the viscoelastic properties and interfaces of HDPE vitrimer provides important insights into understanding of the correlations between the vitrimer nanostructure and the bulk mechanical and rheological behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanti Yang
- Analytical Science Europe, Corporate T&I, SABIC, Plasticslaan 1, Bergen op Zoom 4612 PX, The Netherlands
| | - Pierre Nickmilder
- Laboratory for Physics of Nanomaterials and Energy (LPNE), Research Institute in Materials Science and Engineering, University of Mons (UMONS), Mons B-7000, Belgium
| | - Henk Verhoogt
- High Performance Materials, Corporate T&I, SABIC, Geleen 6167 RD, The Netherlands
| | - Theo Hoeks
- Corporate T&I, SABIC, Plasticslaan 1, Bergen op Zoom 4612 PX, The Netherlands
| | - Philippe Leclère
- Laboratory for Physics of Nanomaterials and Energy (LPNE), Research Institute in Materials Science and Engineering, University of Mons (UMONS), Mons B-7000, Belgium
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2
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Piacenti AR, Adam C, Hawkins N, Wagner R, Seifert J, Taniguchi Y, Proksch R, Contera S. Nanoscale Rheology: Dynamic Mechanical Analysis over a Broad and Continuous Frequency Range Using Photothermal Actuation Atomic Force Microscopy. Macromolecules 2024; 57:1118-1127. [PMID: 38370912 PMCID: PMC10867883 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c02052] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Polymeric materials are widely used in industries ranging from automotive to biomedical. Their mechanical properties play a crucial role in their application and function and arise from the nanoscale structures and interactions of their constitutive polymer molecules. Polymeric materials behave viscoelastically, i.e., their mechanical responses depend on the time scale of the measurements; quantifying these time-dependent rheological properties at the nanoscale is relevant to develop, for example, accurate models and simulations of those materials, which are needed for advanced industrial applications. In this paper, an atomic force microscopy (AFM) method based on the photothermal actuation of an AFM cantilever is developed to quantify the nanoscale loss tangent, storage modulus, and loss modulus of polymeric materials. The method is then validated on styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), demonstrating the method's ability to quantify nanoscale viscoelasticity over a continuous frequency range up to 5 orders of magnitude (0.2-20,200 Hz). Furthermore, this method is combined with AFM viscoelastic mapping obtained with amplitude modulation-frequency modulation (AM-FM) AFM, enabling the extension of viscoelastic quantification over an even broader frequency range and demonstrating that the novel technique synergizes with preexisting AFM techniques for quantitative measurement of viscoelastic properties. The method presented here introduces a way to characterize the viscoelasticity of polymeric materials and soft and biological matter in general at the nanoscale for any application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba R. Piacenti
- Clarendon
Laboratory, Department of Physics, University
of Oxford, OX1 3PU Oxford, U.K.
| | - Casey Adam
- Clarendon
Laboratory, Department of Physics, University
of Oxford, OX1 3PU Oxford, U.K.
- Department
of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OX1 3PJ Oxford, U.K.
| | - Nicholas Hawkins
- Department
of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OX1 3PJ Oxford, U.K.
| | - Ryan Wagner
- School
of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Jacob Seifert
- Clarendon
Laboratory, Department of Physics, University
of Oxford, OX1 3PU Oxford, U.K.
| | | | - Roger Proksch
- Asylum
Research – An Oxford Instruments Company, Santa Barbara, California 93117, United States
| | - Sonia Contera
- Clarendon
Laboratory, Department of Physics, University
of Oxford, OX1 3PU Oxford, U.K.
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3
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Gisbert VG, Espinosa FM, Sanchez JG, Serrano MC, Garcia R. Nanorheology and Nanoindentation Revealed a Softening and an Increased Viscous Fluidity of Adherent Mammalian Cells upon Increasing the Frequency. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2304884. [PMID: 37775942 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202304884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
The nanomechanical response of a cell depends on the frequency at which the cell is probed. The components of the cell that contribute to this property and their interplay are not well understood. Here, two force microscopy methods are integrated to characterize the frequency and/or the velocity-dependent properties of living cells. It is shown on HeLa and fibroblasts, that cells soften and fluidize upon increasing the frequency or the velocity of the deformation. This property was independent of the type and values (25 or 1000 nm) of the deformation. At low frequencies (2-10 Hz) or velocities (1-10 µm s-1 ), the response is dominated by the mechanical properties of the cell surface. At higher frequencies (>10 Hz) or velocities (>10 µm s-1 ), the response is dominated by the hydrodynamic drag of the cytosol. Softening and fluidization does not seem to involve any structural remodeling. It reflects a redistribution of the applied stress between the solid and liquid-like elements of the cell as the frequency or the velocity is changed. The data indicates that the quasistatic mechanical properties of a cell featuring a cytoskeleton pathology might be mimicked by the response of a non-pathological cell which is probed at a high frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor G Gisbert
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Francsico M Espinosa
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Juan G Sanchez
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Maria Concepcion Serrano
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Madrid, 28049, Spain
| | - Ricardo Garcia
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, Madrid, 28049, Spain
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4
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Li X, He S, Jiang Y, Wang J, Yu Y, Liu X, Zhu F, Xie Y, Li Y, Ma C, Shen Z, Li B, Shen Y, Zhang X, Zhang S, Nan CW. Unraveling bilayer interfacial features and their effects in polar polymer nanocomposites. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5707. [PMID: 37714851 PMCID: PMC10504251 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41479-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymer nanocomposites with nanoparticles dispersed in polymer matrices have attracted extensive attention due to their significantly improved overall performance, in which the nanoparticle-polymer interface plays a key role. Understanding the structures and properties of the interfacial region, however, remains a major challenge for polymer nanocomposites. Here, we directly observe the presence of two interfacial polymer layers around a nanoparticle in polar polymers, i.e., an inner bound polar layer (~10 nm thick) with aligned dipoles and an outer polar layer (over 100 nm thick) with randomly orientated dipoles. Our results reveal that the impacts of the local nanoparticle surface potential and interparticle distance on molecular dipoles induce interfacial polymer layers with different polar molecular conformations from the bulk polymer. The bilayer interfacial features lead to an exceptional enhancement in polarity-related properties of polymer nanocomposites at ultralow nanoparticle loadings. By maximizing the contribution of inner bound polar layer via a nanolamination design, we achieve an ultrahigh dielectric energy storage density of 86 J/cm3, far superior to state-of-the-art polymers and nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shan He
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Lab of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanda Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yi Yu
- Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaofei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Division of Nanomaterials & Chemistry, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yimei Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Youyong Li
- Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Cheng Ma
- Division of Nanomaterials & Chemistry, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhonghui Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Baowen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yang Shen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Lab of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Center of Smart Materials and Devices, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- International School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Shujun Zhang
- Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, Australian Institute of Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
| | - Ce-Wen Nan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Lab of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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5
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Nguyen HK, Shundo A, Ito M, Pittenger B, Yamamoto S, Tanaka K, Nakajima K. Insights into Mechanical Dynamics of Nanoscale Interfaces in Epoxy Composites Using Nanorheology Atomic Force Microscopy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:38029-38038. [PMID: 37499131 PMCID: PMC10416213 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c06123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Interfacial polymer layers with nanoscale size play critical roles in dissipating the strain energy around cracks and defects in structural nanocomposites, thereby enhancing the material's fracture toughness. However, understanding how the intrinsic mechanical dynamics of the interfacial layer determine the toughening and reinforcement mechanisms in various polymer nanocomposites remains a major challenge. Here, by means of a recently developed nanorheology atomic force microscopy method, also known as nanoscale dynamic mechanical analysis (nDMA), we report direct mapping of dynamic mechanical responses at the interface of a model epoxy nanocomposite under the transition from a glassy to a rubbery state. We demonstrate a significant deviation in the dynamic moduli of the interface from matrix behavior. Interestingly, the sign of the deviation is observed to be reversed when the polymer changes from a glassy to a rubbery state, which provides an excellent explanation for the difference in the modulus reinforcement between glassy and rubbery epoxy nanocomposites. More importantly, nDMA loss tangent images unambiguously show an enhanced viscoelastic response at the interface compared to the bulk matrix in the glassy state. This observation can therefore provide important insights into the nanoscale toughening mechanism that occurs in epoxy nanocomposites due to viscoelastic energy dissipation at the interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung K. Nguyen
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical
Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Atsuomi Shundo
- Center
for Polymer Interface and Molecular Adhesion Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Makiko Ito
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical
Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Bede Pittenger
- Bruker
Nano Surfaces, AFM Unit, Santa Barbara, California 93117, United States
| | - Satoru Yamamoto
- Center
for Polymer Interface and Molecular Adhesion Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Keiji Tanaka
- Center
for Polymer Interface and Molecular Adhesion Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
- Department
of Applied Chemistry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Ken Nakajima
- Department
of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical
Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
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6
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Kim M, Kim S, Han N, Lee S, Kim H. Understanding viscoelastic behavior of hybrid nanocellulose film based on rheological and electrostatic observation in blended suspension. Carbohydr Polym 2023; 300:120218. [DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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7
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Nguyen HK, Nakajima K. Evidence of the Transition from a Flexible to Rigid Percolating Network in Polymer Nanocomposites. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hung K. Nguyen
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Ken Nakajima
- Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
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8
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Li TT, Cheng SB, Feng LF, Gu XP, Zhang CL, Hu GH. Measuring the Interfacial Thickness of Immiscible Polymer Blends by Nano-probing of Atomic Force Microscopy. CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10118-022-2682-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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9
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Lou L, Lopez KO, Nautiyal P, Agarwal A. Integrated Perspective of Scaffold Designing and Multiscale Mechanics in Cardiac Bioengineering. ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202100075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Lou
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering Florida International University Miami FL 33174 USA
| | - Kazue Orikasa Lopez
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering Florida International University Miami FL 33174 USA
| | - Pranjal Nautiyal
- Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
| | - Arvind Agarwal
- Plasma Forming Laboratory Advanced Materials Engineering Research Institute (AMERI) Mechanical and Materials Engineering College of Engineering and Computing Florida International University Miami FL 33174 USA
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10
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Collinson DW, Sheridan RJ, Palmeri MJ, Brinson LC. Best practices and recommendations for accurate nanomechanical characterization of heterogeneous polymer systems with atomic force microscopy. Prog Polym Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2021.101420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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11
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Liu S, Chambers TG, Cutts WD. Comparison of nanostructure and nanomechanical properties of cast and air sides of polyimide films from different manufacturers. Micron 2021; 145:103059. [PMID: 33751938 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2021.103059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Polyimide films are widely applied in harsh environments because of their outstanding performance. High-quality polyimide films are often manufactured through a two-step process. The complicated procedure results in different properties on the two sides, i.e., the air side and cast side of the films, and the quality of products from different manufacturers varies notably. In the present work, polyimide films with two thicknesses (1 and 2 mm) from four manufacturers were investigated. Atomic force microscope and FT-IR spectrometer were employed to monitor morphology, roughness, nanomechanical properties, and corresponding relative imidization degree on the two sides of each film. Statistical tools were applied to analyze the data. T-test suggests that the two sides of the same film were significantly different in roughness, DMT modulus, and relative imidization degree (p < 0.05). The roughness on the air side was consistently smaller than that of the cast side. ANOVA was used to compare differences among the manufacturers. Manufacturer B provided the smoothest films with the highest DMT moduli and imidization degrees. A positive correlation was found between the DMT modulus and imidization degree (r = 0.7330). Nanostructure and nanomechanical properties could affect the quality of the film. Striped morphology and adhesion were found on the cast side of the 2-mm film from manufacturer D, which compromised the film tension in the direction perpendicular to the strips. Investigations of morphology and mechanical properties of polyimide film at the nanoscale would help us better characterize the film, assure its quality, and select suitable film and side for proper applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoyang Liu
- Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Troy University, AL 36082, USA.
| | - Taylor G Chambers
- Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Troy University, AL 36082, USA
| | - William D Cutts
- Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Troy University, AL 36082, USA
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12
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Garcia R. Nanomechanical mapping of soft materials with the atomic force microscope: methods, theory and applications. Chem Soc Rev 2020; 49:5850-5884. [PMID: 32662499 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00318b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Fast, high-resolution, non-destructive and quantitative characterization methods are needed to develop materials with tailored properties at the nanoscale or to understand the relationship between mechanical properties and cell physiology. This review introduces the state-of-the-art force microscope-based methods to map at high-spatial resolution the elastic and viscoelastic properties of soft materials. The experimental methods are explained in terms of the theories that enable the transformation of observables into material properties. Several applications in materials science, molecular biology and mechanobiology illustrate the scope, impact and potential of nanomechanical mapping methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Garcia
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, c/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
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13
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Collinson DW, Eaton MD, Shull KR, Brinson LC. Deconvolution of Stress Interaction Effects from Atomic Force Spectroscopy Data across Polymer−Particle Interfaces. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - L. Catherine Brinson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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