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Ren T, Hinton ZR, Huang R, Epps TH, Korley L, Gorte RJ, Lee D. Increase in the effective viscosity of polyethylene under extreme nanoconfinement. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:024909. [PMID: 38214386 DOI: 10.1063/5.0185144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding polymer transport in nanopores is crucial for optimizing heterogeneously catalyzed processes in polymer upcycling and fabricating high-performance nanocomposite films and membranes. Although confined polymer dynamics have been extensively studied, the behavior of polyethylene (PE)-the most widely used commodity polymer-in pores smaller than 20 nm remains largely unexplored. We investigate the effects of extreme nanoconfinement on PE transport using capillary rise infiltration in silica nanoparticle packings with average pore radii ranging from ∼1 to ∼9 nm. Using in situ ellipsometry and the Lucas-Washburn model, we discover a previously unknown inverse relationship between effective viscosity (ηeff) and average pore radius (Rpore). Additonally, we determine that PE transport under these extreme conditions is primarily governed by physical confinement, rather than pore surface chemistry. We refine an existing theory to provide a generalized formalism to describe the polymer transport dynamics over a wide range of pore radii (from 1 nm and larger). Our results offer valuable insights for optimizing catalyst supports in polymer upcycling and improving infiltration processes for nanocomposite fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Ren
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Zachary R Hinton
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Renjing Huang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Thomas H Epps
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - LaShanda Korley
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Raymond J Gorte
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
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2
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Kim BQ, Füredi M, Venkatesh RB, Guldin S, Lee D. Water-Induced Separation of Polymers from High Nanoparticle-Content Nanocomposite Films. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2302676. [PMID: 37263985 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202302676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Polymer nanocomposites with high loadings of nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit exceptional mechanical and transport properties. Separation of polymers and NPs from such nanocomposites is a critical step in enabling the recycling of these components and reducing the potential environmental hazards that can be caused by the accumulation of nanocomposite wastes in landfills. However, the separation typically requires the use of organic solvents or energy-intensive processes. Using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-infiltrated SiO2 NP films, we demonstrate that the polymers can be separated from the SiO2 NP packings when these nanocomposites are exposed to high humidity and water. The findings indicate that the charge state of the NPs plays a significant role in the propensity of water to undergo capillary condensation within the PDMS-filled interstitial pores. We also show that the size of NPs has a crucial impact on the kinetics and extent of PDMS expulsion, illustrating the importance of capillary forces in inducing PDMS expulsion. We demonstrate that the separated polymer can be collected and reused to produce a new nanocomposite film. The work provides insightful guidelines on how to design and fabricate end-of-life recyclable high-performance nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baekmin Q Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Máté Füredi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - R Bharath Venkatesh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Stefan Guldin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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3
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Hwang U, Nam JD, Lee D. Dual Porosity-Enhanced Antireflection Coatings with Continuous Gradient. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:40913-40922. [PMID: 37585736 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c07254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
The incorporation of porous structures into films and coatings can transform their properties for applications in optics, separation, electronics, and energy generation and storage. Packing nanoparticles (NPs) is a versatile approach for fabricating nanoporous films with a tunable structure and properties. The mechanical fragility of NP packing-based films and coatings, however, significantly impedes their widespread utilization. Although infiltrating a polymer into the interstices of these NP packings has been shown to enhance their mechanical durability, this method completely eliminates the porosity of the structures, compromising their properties and functionality. This study presents a new approach to fabricate highly loaded porous nanocomposite films with a gradient in the refractive index by infiltrating subsaturating amounts of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) into disordered packings of hollow silica NPs. We demonstrate that dual porosity is a critical feature that enhances their antireflection (AR) and mechanical properties. The hollow cores of NPs prevent a substantial increase in the refractive index of the resulting films. Moreover, the interparticle voids allow for mechanical reinforcement to occur when the NP packings are infiltrated with PMMA, making them even more suitable for AR coatings. The refractive index and gradient across the nanocomposites can be tailored by adjusting the amount of PMMA infiltrated into the NP packing, the shape of hollow NPs, and the annealing time. The nanocomposite coatings with a continuous gradient in refractive index exhibit excellent AR properties and enhanced mechanical durability. Combined with the unique structural tunability afforded by the dual porosity, this approach provides a scalable and effective way to create robust and graded nanoporous structures for various applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uiseok Hwang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Do Nam
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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4
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Venkatesh RB, Lee D. Conflicting Effects of Extreme Nanoconfinement on the Translational and Segmental Motion of Entangled Polymers. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Bharath Venkatesh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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5
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Qiang Y, Pande SS, Lee D, Turner KT. The Interplay of Polymer Bridging and Entanglement in Toughening Polymer-Infiltrated Nanoparticle Films. ACS NANO 2022; 16:6372-6381. [PMID: 35380037 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c00471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Polymer-nanoparticle composite films (PNCFs) with high loadings of nanoparticles (NPs) (>50 vol %) have applications in multiple areas, and an understanding of their mechanical properties is essential for their broader use. The high-volume fraction and small size of the NPs lead to physical confinement of the polymers that can drastically change the properties of polymers relative to the bulk. We investigate the fracture behavior of a class of highly loaded PNCFs prepared by polymer infiltration into NP packings. These polymer-infiltrated nanoparticle films (PINFs) have applications as multifunctional coatings and membranes and provide a platform to understand the behavior of polymers that are highly confined. Here, the extent of confinement in PINFs is tuned from 0.1 to 44 and the fracture toughness of PINFs is increased by up to a factor of 12 by varying the molecular weight of the polymers over 3 orders of magnitude and using NPs with diameters ranging from 9 to 100 nm. The results show that brittle, low molecular weight (MW) polymers can significantly toughen NP packings, and this toughening effect becomes less pronounced with increasing NP size. In contrast, high MW polymers capable of forming interchain entanglements are more effective in toughening large NP packings. We propose that confinement has competing effects of polymer bridging increasing toughness and chain disentanglement decreasing toughness. These findings provide insight into the fracture behavior of confined polymers and will guide the development of mechanically robust PINFs as well as other highly loaded PNCFs.
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Ren T, Huang R, Gorte RJ, Lee D. Modulating Interactions between Molten Polystyrene and Porous Solids Using Atomic Layer Deposition. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:14520-14526. [PMID: 34865477 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding and modulating the interactions between molten polymers and porous solids is important for numerous processes and phenomena including catalytic conversion of polymers and fabrication of nanocomposites and nanostructured materials. Although changing the surface composition of pores would enable modulation of interactions between polymers and nanoporous solids, it is challenging to achieve such a control without inducing significant changes to the size and structure of nanopores. In this work, we demonstrate that the interactions between molten polystyrene (PS) and disordered packings of SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) can be modulated by changing the surface composition of the NPs using atomic layer deposition (ALD). A disordered packing of silica NPs is modified with varying surface coverages of TiO2, WO3, and CaCO3, with coverages estimated by the mass gain and the refractive index change of NP packings. Based on the time required to fully infiltrate these ALD-modified NP packings via capillarity, the contact angles for PS on different surfaces prepared via ALD are determined. The contact angle gradually changes from that of pure SiO2 to that of the fully covered surfaces. The contact angles for PS on SiO2, TiO2, WO3, and CaCO3 are found to be 20, 62, 70, and 10°, respectively. Interestingly, the contact angles and interfacial energies between PS and the ALD-modified surfaces do not correlate strongly with the water contact angle of these surfaces; thus, caution must be exercised in predicting how a polymer would wet or interact with porous solids solely based on their hydrophilicity. The method presented in this work can be extended to study the interactions between a wide range of polymers and surfaces in porous media, which will have important implications for designing new catalytic materials for polymer upcycling reactions and novel NP-polymer composite films and membranes with enhanced mechanical and transport properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Ren
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Renjing Huang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Raymond J Gorte
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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8
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Lin EY, Frischknecht AL, Riggleman RA. Chain and Segmental Dynamics in Polymer–Nanoparticle Composites with High Nanoparticle Loading. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Y. Lin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Amalie L. Frischknecht
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Robert A. Riggleman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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9
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Venkatesh RB, Manohar N, Qiang Y, Wang H, Tran HH, Kim BQ, Neuman A, Ren T, Fakhraai Z, Riggleman RA, Stebe KJ, Turner K, Lee D. Polymer-Infiltrated Nanoparticle Films Using Capillarity-Based Techniques: Toward Multifunctional Coatings and Membranes. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2021; 12:411-437. [PMID: 34097843 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-101220-093836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Polymer-infiltrated nanoparticle films (PINFs) are a new class of nanocomposites that offer synergistic properties and functionality derived from unusually high fractions of nanomaterials. Recently, two versatile techniques,capillary rise infiltration (CaRI) and solvent-driven infiltration of polymer (SIP), have been introduced that exploit capillary forces in films of densely packed nanoparticles. In CaRI, a highly loaded PINF is produced by thermally induced wicking of polymer melt into the nanoparticle packing pores. In SIP, exposure of a polymer-nanoparticle bilayer to solvent vapor atmosphere induces capillary condensation of solvent in the pores of nanoparticle packing, leading to infiltration of polymer into the solvent-filled pores. CaRI/SIP PINFs show superior properties compared with polymer nanocomposite films made using traditional methods, including superb mechanical properties, thermal stability, heat transfer, and optical properties. This review discusses fundamental aspects of the infiltration process and highlights potential applications in separations, structural coatings, and polymer upcycling-a process to convert polymer wastes into useful chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bharath Venkatesh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; , , , , , ,
| | - Neha Manohar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; , , , , , ,
| | - Yiwei Qiang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA;
| | - Haonan Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; ,
| | - Hong Huy Tran
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; , , , , , , .,Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP (Institute of Engineering, Université Grenoble Alpes), LMGP, 38000 Grenoble, France;
| | - Baekmin Q Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; , , , , , , .,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and KAIST Institute for the NanoCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea;
| | - Anastasia Neuman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; , , , , , ,
| | - Tian Ren
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; , , , , , ,
| | - Zahra Fakhraai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; ,
| | - Robert A Riggleman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; , , , , , ,
| | - Kathleen J Stebe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; , , , , , ,
| | - Kevin Turner
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA;
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA; , , , , , ,
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10
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Qiang Y, Turner KT, Lee D. Polymer-infiltrated nanoplatelet films with nacre-like structure via flow coating and capillary rise infiltration (CaRI). NANOSCALE 2021; 13:5545-5556. [PMID: 33688884 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr08691f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Alignment of highly anisotropic nanomaterials in a polymer matrix can yield nanocomposites with unique mechanical and transport properties. Conventional methods of nanocomposite film fabrication are not well-suited for manufacturing composites with very high concentrations of anisotropic nanomaterials, potentially limiting the widespread implementation of these useful structures. In this work, we present a scalable approach to fabricate polymer-infiltrated nanoplatelet films (PINFs) based on flow coating and capillary rise infiltration (CaRI) and study the processing-structure-property relationship of these PINFs. We show that films with high aspect ratio (AR) gibbsite (Al (OH)3) nanoplatelets (NPTs) aligned parallel to the substrate can be prepared using a flow coating process. NPTs are highly aligned with a Herman's order parameter of 0.96 and a high packing fraction >80 vol%. Such packings show significantly higher fracture toughness compared to low AR nanoparticle (NP) packings. By depositing NPTs on a polymer film and subsequently annealing the bilayer above the glass transition temperature of the polymer, polymer infiltrates into the tortuous NPT packings though capillarity. We observe larger enhancement in the modulus, hardness and scratch resistance of NPT films upon polymer infiltration compared to NP packings. The excellent mechanical properties of such films benefit from both thermally promoted oxide bridge formation between NPTs as well as polymer infiltration increasing the strength of NPT contacts. Our approach is widely applicable to highly anisotropic nanomaterials and allows the generation of mechanically robust polymer nanocomposite films for a diverse set of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Qiang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
| | - Kevin T Turner
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. and Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
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11
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Wang H, Kearns KL, Zhang A, Arabi Shamsabadi A, Jin Y, Bond A, Hurney SM, Morillo C, Fakhraai Z. Effect of Nanopore Geometry in the Conformation and Vibrational Dynamics of a Highly Confined Molecular Glass. NANO LETTERS 2021; 21:1778-1784. [PMID: 33555892 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c04744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The effect of nanoporous confinement on the glass transition temperature (Tg) strongly depends on the type of porous media. Here, we study the molecular origins of this effect in a molecular glass, N,N'-bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N'-diphenylbenzidine (TPD), highly confined in concave and convex geometries. When confined in controlled pore glass (CPG) with convex pores, TPD's vibrational spectra remained unchanged and two Tg's were observed, consistent with previous studies. In contrast, when confined in silica nanoparticle packings with concave pores, the vibrational peaks were shifted due to more planar conformations and Tg increased, as the pore size was decreased. The strong Tg increases in concave pores indicate significantly slower relaxation dynamics compared to CPG. Given TPD's weak interaction with silica, these effects are entropic in nature and are due to conformational changes at molecular level. The results highlight the role of intramolecular degrees of freedom in the glass transition, which have not been extensively explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - Kenneth L Kearns
- Department of Chemistry, Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, Michigan 48710, United States
| | - Aixi Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - Ahmad Arabi Shamsabadi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - Yi Jin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
| | - Aaron Bond
- Department of Chemistry, Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, Michigan 48710, United States
| | - Steven M Hurney
- Department of Chemistry, Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, Michigan 48710, United States
| | - Carlos Morillo
- JASCO Incorporated, Easton, Maryland 21601, United States
| | - Zahra Fakhraai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6323, United States
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12
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Hoffmann R, Strodtmann L, Thiel K, Sloboda L, Urbaniak T, Hubley AN, Hartwig A. Highly porous nanocoatings tailored for inverse nanoparticle‐polymer composites. NANO SELECT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/nano.202000128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ron Hoffmann
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) Bremen Germany
- Department 2 Biology/Chemistry University of Bremen Bremen Germany
| | - Laura Strodtmann
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) Bremen Germany
- Faculty of Engineering Institute for Materials Science Kiel University Kiel Germany
| | - Karsten Thiel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) Bremen Germany
| | - Laura Sloboda
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) Bremen Germany
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Tobias Urbaniak
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) Bremen Germany
| | - Austin N. Hubley
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) Bremen Germany
- Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience University of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
| | - Andreas Hartwig
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) Bremen Germany
- Department 2 Biology/Chemistry University of Bremen Bremen Germany
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Kim BQ, Qiang Y, Turner KT, Choi SQ, Lee D. Heterostructured Polymer‐Infiltrated Nanoparticle Films with Cavities via Capillary Rise Infiltration. ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES 2021; 8:2001421. [DOI: 10.1002/admi.202001421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 08/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Baekmin Q. Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and KINC Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon 34141 Korea
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
| | - Yiwei Qiang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
| | - Kevin T. Turner
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
| | - Siyoung Q. Choi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and KINC Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) Daejeon 34141 Korea
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
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14
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Xiao H, Ivancic RJS, Durian DJ. Strain localization and failure of disordered particle rafts with tunable ductility during tensile deformation. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:8226-8236. [PMID: 32935714 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00839g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Quasi-static tensile experiments were performed for a model disordered solid consisting of a two-dimensional raft of polydisperse floating granular particles with capillary attractions. The ductility is tuned by controlling the capillary interaction range, which varies with the particle size. During the tensile tests, after an initial period of elastic deformation, strain localization occurs and leads to the formation of a shear band at which the pillar later fails. In this process, small particles with long-ranged interactions can endure large plastic deformation without forming significant voids, while large particles with short-range interactions fail dramatically by fracturing at small deformation. Particle-level structure was measured, and the strain-localized region was found to have higher structural anisotropy than the bulk. Local interactions between anisotropic sites and particle rearrangements were the main mechanisms driving strain localization and the subsequent failure, and significant differences of such interactions exist between ductile and brittle behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyi Xiao
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Robert J S Ivancic
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Douglas J Durian
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Ji L, Yu Y, Deng Q, Shen S. Tailoring the nanostructures of electrochemical actuators for fast response and large deformation. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:15643-15651. [PMID: 32558873 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr03751f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical actuators (EAs) can effectively convert electric energy to mechanical energy through chemical reactions. However, the response rate and deformability, two of the crucial and antithetic factors in EA studies, can both hardly be improved just by developing or hybridizing different kinds of materials. In this work, this challenge is overcome through tailoring the nanostructures of EAs. A 3D nanoporous structure formed by aggregating spherical MoS2 nanoparticles (NPs) is reported. The NP-aggregated nanoporous structure not only provides a fast ion-migration process but also ensures strong mechanical strength. Experiments show that the voltage-dependent response rate and curvature amplitude respectively approach 0.015 mm-1·s-1·V-1 and 0.244 mm-1·V-1, which simultaneously exceed those of most EAs. A continuous energy density of 14 kJ·m-3, almost double that of mammalian muscle, enables the EA to rotate a stainless-steel weight which is over 550 times heavier than itself. By opening a new way to improve EAs' comprehensive performance, this research propels their potential applications in microrobotics and mini-medical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ji
- State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
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Manohar N, Stebe KJ, Lee D. Effect of Confinement on Solvent-Driven Infiltration of the Polymer into Nanoparticle Packings. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Neha Manohar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Kathleen J. Stebe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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17
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Lin EY, Frischknecht AL, Riggleman RA. Origin of Mechanical Enhancement in Polymer Nanoparticle (NP) Composites with Ultrahigh NP Loading. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Y. Lin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Amalie L. Frischknecht
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Robert A. Riggleman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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Tran HH, Venkatesh RB, Kim Y, Lee D, Riassetto D. Multifunctional composite films with vertically aligned ZnO nanowires by leaching-enabled capillary rise infiltration. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:22099-22107. [PMID: 31720653 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr07183k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nanocomposite films (NCFs) with vertically aligned nanowires (NWs) provide several useful properties owing to their unique morphology. One of the key challenges in producing such an NCF is retaining the vertical alignment of NWs during NCF fabrication. Although current methods such as layer-by-layer assembly and solution-based processes with field-induced alignment of NWs have been successfully demonstrated, these approaches require multiple steps thus are time-consuming, and only suitable for lab-scale production, consequently limiting their widespread applicability. Herein, we describe a new method for fabricating an NCF with vertically aligned ZnO NWs by inducing leaching-enabled capillary rise infiltration (LeCaRI) of uncross-linked and mobile oligomer chains from a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) slab into the space between the vertically aligned ZnO NWs. PDMS-infiltrated ZnO NW NCFs have a suite of useful properties including superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning, solvent resistance, and anti-icing properties as well as high transparency and anti-reflection properties. The NCF can easily recover its superhydrophobicity after it has been compromised through repeated plasma treatments or even exposure to intense UV irradiation. Moreover, our approach represents a straightforward, efficient, and potentially scalable strategy to produce multifunctional NCFs with vertically aligned NW arrays which could be easily extended to other types of materials and NW arrangements toward a wide range of properties and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Huy Tran
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP (Institute of Engineering Univ. Grenoble Alpes), LMGP, 38000 Grenoble, France.
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19
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Wang H, Qiang Y, Shamsabadi AA, Mazumder P, Turner KT, Lee D, Fakhraai Z. Thermal Degradation of Polystyrene under Extreme Nanoconfinement. ACS Macro Lett 2019; 8:1413-1418. [PMID: 35651194 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.9b00649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Extreme nanoconfinement has been shown to significantly affect the properties of materials. Here we demonstrate that extreme nanoconfinement can significantly improve the thermal stability of polystyrene (PS) and reduce its flammability. Capillary rise infiltration (CaRI) is used to infiltrate PS into films of randomly packed silica nanoparticles (NPs) to produce highly confined states. We demonstrate that as the NP size is decreased, increasing the degree of confinement, the isothermal degradation time is dramatically increased, by up to a factor of 30 at 543 K for PS confined in ∼3 nm pores. The activation energy of PS degradation is also increased, by 50 kJ/mol in the most confined state (∼3 nm pores). We demonstrate that the degradation proceeds through the film surface and from the center of large holes toward NP surfaces, indirect evidence that the process is diffusion limited. The surface-driven process dramatically reduces char formation even in large NP packings that show no significant changes in their dynamics and glass transition temperature (Tg) compared to the bulk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Yiwei Qiang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Ahmad Arabi Shamsabadi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Prantik Mazumder
- Corning Research and Development Corporation, Corning, New York 14830, United States
| | - Kevin T. Turner
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Zahra Fakhraai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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20
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Ivancic RJS, Riggleman RA. Identifying structural signatures of shear banding in model polymer nanopillars. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:4548-4561. [PMID: 31119228 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm02423e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Amorphous solids are critical in the design and production of nanoscale devices, but under strong confinement these materials exhibit changes in their mechanical properties which are not well understood. Phenomenological models explain these properties by postulating an underlying defect structure in these materials but do not detail the microscopic properties of these defects. Using machine learning methods, we identify mesoscale defects that lead to shear banding in model polymer nanopillars well below the glass transition temperature as a function of pillar diameter. Our results show that the primary structural features responsible for shear banding on this scale are fluctuations in the diameter of the pillar. Surprisingly, these fluctuations are quite small compared to the diameter of the pillar, less than half of a particle diameter in size. At intermediate pillar diameters, we find that these fluctuations tend to concentrate along the minor axis of shear band planes. We also see the importance of mean "softness" as a classifier of shear banding grow as a function of pillar diameter. Softness is a new field that characterizes local structure and is highly correlated with particle-level dynamics such that softer particles are more likely to rearrange. This demonstrates that softness, a quantity that relates particle-level structure to dynamics on short time and length scales, can predict large time and length scale phenomena related to material failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J S Ivancic
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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21
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Zhou T, Ioannidou K, Masoero E, Mirzadeh M, Pellenq RJM, Bazant MZ. Capillary Stress and Structural Relaxation in Moist Granular Materials. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:4397-4402. [PMID: 30798608 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A numerical and theoretical framework to address the poromechanical effect of capillary stress in complex mesoporous materials is proposed and exemplified for water sorption in cement. We first predict the capillary condensation/evaporation isotherm using lattice-gas simulations in a realistic nanogranular cement model. A phase-field model to calculate moisture-induced capillary stress is then introduced and applied to cement at different water contents. We show that capillary stress is an effective mechanism for eigenstress relaxation in granular heterogeneous porous media, which contributes to the durability of cement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Enrico Masoero
- School of Engineering , Newcastle University , Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU , U.K
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22
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Jiang Y, Hor JL, Lee D, Turner KT. Toughening Nanoparticle Films via Polymer Infiltration and Confinement. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:44011-44017. [PMID: 30520630 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b15027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Disordered nanoparticle films have significant technological applications as coatings and membranes. Unfortunately, their use to date has been limited by poor mechanical properties, notably low fracture toughness, which often results in brittle failure and cracking. We demonstrate that the fracture toughness of TiO2 nanoparticle films can be increased by nearly an order of magnitude through infiltration of polystyrene into the film. The fracture properties of films with various polymer volume fractions were characterized via nanoindentation pillar-splitting tests. Significant toughening is observed even at low volume fractions of polymer, which allows the nanoparticle packing to be toughened while retaining porosity. Moreover, higher-molecular-weight polymers lead to greater toughening at low polymer volume fractions. The toughness enhancement observed in polymer-infiltrated nanoparticle films may be attributed to multiple factors, including an increase in the area and strength of interparticle contacts, deflection and blunting of cracks during failure, and confinement-induced polymer bridging of nanoparticles. Our findings demonstrate that polymer infiltration is a highly effective route for reinforcing nanoparticle packings while retaining porosity.
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23
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Zhang T, Winey KI, Riggleman RA. Polymer Conformations and Dynamics under Confinement with Two Length Scales. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b01779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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24
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Hor JL, Wang H, Fakhraai Z, Lee D. Effect of Physical Nanoconfinement on the Viscosity of Unentangled Polymers during Capillary Rise Infiltration. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b00966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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25
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Wang H, Hor JL, Zhang Y, Liu T, Lee D, Fakhraai Z. Dramatic Increase in Polymer Glass Transition Temperature under Extreme Nanoconfinement in Weakly Interacting Nanoparticle Films. ACS NANO 2018; 12:5580-5587. [PMID: 29792676 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b01341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Properties of polymers in polymer nanocomposites and nanopores have been shown to deviate from their respective bulk properties due to physical confinement as well as polymer-particle interfacial interactions. However, separating the confinement effects from the interfacial effects under extreme nanoconfinement is experimentally challenging. Capillary rise infiltration enables polymer infiltration into nanoparticle (NP) packings, thereby confining polymers within extremely small pores and dramatically increasing the interfacial area, providing a good system to systematically distinguish the role of each effect on polymer properties. In this study, we investigate the effect of spatial confinement on the glass transition temperature ( Tg) of polystyrene (PS) infiltrated into SiO2 NP films. The degree of confinement is tuned by varying the molecular weight of polymers, the size of NPs (diameters between 11 and 100 nm, producing 3-30 nm average pore sizes), and the fill-fraction of PS in the NP films. We show that in these dense NP packings the Tg of confined PS, which interacts weakly with SiO2 NPs, significantly increases with decreasing pore size such that for the two molecular weights of PS studied the Tg increases by up to 50 K in 11 nm NP packings, while Tg is close to the bulk Tg in 100 nm NP packings. Interestingly, as the fill-fraction of PS is decreased, resulting in the accumulation of the polymer in the contacts between nanoparticles, hence an increased specific interfacial area, the Tg further increases relative to the fully filled films by another 5-8 K, indicating the strong role of geometrical confinement as opposed to the interfacial effects on the measured Tg values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Wang
- Department of Chemistry , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States
| | - Jyo Lyn Hor
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Chemistry , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States
| | - Tianyi Liu
- Department of Chemistry , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States
| | - Zahra Fakhraai
- Department of Chemistry , University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19104 , United States
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26
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Hor JL, Wang H, Fakhraai Z, Lee D. Effects of polymer-nanoparticle interactions on the viscosity of unentangled polymers under extreme nanoconfinement during capillary rise infiltration. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:2438-2446. [PMID: 29442118 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm02465g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We explore the effect of confinement and polymer-nanoparticle interactions on the viscosity of unentangled polymers undergoing capillary rise infiltration (CaRI) in dense packings of nanoparticles. In CaRI, a polymer is thermally induced to wick into the dense packings of nanoparticles, leading to the formation of polymer-infiltrated nanoparticle films, a new class of thin film nanocomposites with extremely high concentrations of nanoparticles. To understand the effect of this extreme nanoconfinement, as well as polymer-nanoparticle interactions on the polymer viscosity in CaRI films, we use two polymers that are known to have very different interactions with SiO2 nanoparticles. Using in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry, we monitor the polymer infiltration process, from which we infer the polymer viscosity based on the Lucas-Washburn model. Our results suggest that physical confinement increases the viscosity by approximately two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, confinement also increases the glass transition temperature of both polymers. Thus, under extreme nanoconfinement, the physical confinement has a more significant impact than the polymer-nanoparticle interactions on the viscosity of unentangled polymers, measured through infiltration dynamics, as well as the glass transition temperature. These findings will provide fundamental frameworks for designing processes to enable the fabrication of CaRI nanocomposite films with a wide range of nanoparticles and polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyo Lyn Hor
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
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27
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Manohar N, Stebe KJ, Lee D. Solvent-Driven Infiltration of Polymer (SIP) into Nanoparticle Packings. ACS Macro Lett 2017; 6:1104-1108. [PMID: 35650925 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Despite their wide potential utility, the manufacture of polymer-nanoparticle (NP) composites with high filler fractions presents significant challenges because of difficulties associated with dispersing and mixing high volume fractions of NPs in polymer matrices. Polymer-infiltrated nanoparticle films (PINFs) circumvent these issues, allowing fabrication of functional composites with extremely high filler fractions (>50 vol %). In this work, we present a one-step, room-temperature method for porous PINF fabrication through solvent-driven infiltration of polymer (SIP) into NP packings from a bilayer film composed of a densely packed layer of NPs atop a polymer film. Upon exposure to solvent vapor, capillary condensation occurs in the NP packing, leading to plasticization of the polymer layer and subsequent infiltration of polymer into the NP layer. This process results in a porous PINF without the need for energy-intensive processes. We show that the extent of polymer infiltration depends on the quality of solvent and the duration of solvent annealing as well as the molecular weight of the polymer. SIP can also be induced using a slightly poor solvent, which offers a great advantage of inducing SIP via liquid solvent annealing, eliminating potential hazards associated with solvent vapor annealing. The SIP process circumvents challenges associated with dispersing high concentrations of nanoparticles in a polymer matrix to prepare a nanocomposite film with high filler fraction. Thus, SIP is a potentially scalable method that can be used for the manufacturing of porous PINFs of a wide range of compositions, structures, and functionalities for applications in structural and barrier coatings as well as electrodes for energy storage and conversion devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Manohar
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Kathleen J. Stebe
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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28
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Jin B, He J, Yao L, Zhang Y, Li J. Rational Design and Construction of Well-Organized Macro-Mesoporous SiO 2/TiO 2 Nanostructure toward Robust High-Performance Self-Cleaning Antireflective Thin Films. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:17466-17475. [PMID: 28492300 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b04140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Antireflection (AR) thin films on optical substrates are of great significance in high-performance optoelectronic devices. Here, we present a rational design and construction of well-organized macro-mesoporous nanostructure toward robust high-performance self-cleaning antireflective thin films on the basis of effective medium theory and finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations that combine the optical design principle. A hierarchical macro-mesoporous SiO2 thin film with very high porosity and gradient refractive indexes works as a λ/4-wavelength AR layer and significantly suppresses the reflection in the range from 350 to 1200 nm. Even after dip-coating a layer of high refractive index TiO2 nanocrystals, the nanostructured thin film still exhibits broadband AR properties which are much superior to conventional flat SiO2/TiO2 thin films, especially in the range of 350-500 nm. In addition, the obtained thin film exhibits photocatalytic self-cleaning and durable superhydrophilicity. The advantages brought by the well-organized macro-mesoporous structure are also testified through comparing to the solely mesoporous SiO2/TiO2 film counterpart. Moreover, the pencil hardness test and sandpaper abrasion test show favorable robustness and functional durability of the thin film, which make it extremely attractive for practical applications in optical devices, display devices, and photovoltaic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binbin Jin
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Center for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, China
| | - Junhui He
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Center for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Lin Yao
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Center for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Center for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jing Li
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Center for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
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