1
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Colijn I, van der Kooij HM, Schroën K. From fundamental insights to rational (bio)polymer nanocomposite design - Connecting the nanometer to meter scale. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 324:103076. [PMID: 38301315 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2023.103076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Nanoparticle addition has the potential to make bioplastic use mainstream, as the resultant nanocomposite shows improved mechanical, barrier, and thermal properties. It is well established that the architecture and dynamics of the nanoparticle-polymer interphasial region, ∼ 1.5-9 nm from the nanoparticle surface, are crucial for nanocomposite characteristics. Yet, how these molecular phenomena translate to the bulk is still largely unknown. A multi-disciplinary and multi-scale vision is required to capture the full picture and improve materials far beyond what is currently possible. In this review, a first step in bridging the apparent gap between fundamental insights toward observed material properties is made. At the molecular scale, the polymer chain density and dynamics at the nanoparticle surface are governed by a complex interplay between enthalpy and entropy. The resultant interphasial properties can only be propagated to the macroscopic scale effectively when the nanoparticles are well-distributed. This makes the dispersion state a key parameter for which thermodynamic and kinetic insights can be used to prevent nanoparticle aggregation. These insights are linked to material properties relevant to packaging. The outlook section elaborates on the remaining challenges and the steps required to further understand and better design nanocomposite systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivanna Colijn
- Wageningen University and Research, Food Process Engineering Group, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Hanne M van der Kooij
- Wageningen University and Research, Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter Group, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Karin Schroën
- Wageningen University and Research, Food Process Engineering Group, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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2
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Zhou Q, Shang Z. CuInS 2 Nanocrystals Embedded PMMA Composite Films: Adjustment of Polymer Molecule Weights and Application in Remote-Type White LEDs. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:1085. [PMID: 36985979 PMCID: PMC10058765 DOI: 10.3390/nano13061085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The commercial application of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals has been realized owing to the development of composite film technology. Here, we demonstrated the fabrication of green and red emissive CuInS2 nanocrystals embedded polymer composite films of equal thickness by using a precise solution casting method. The impacts of polymer molecular weight on the dispersibility of CuInS2 nanocrystals were then systematically studied through evaluating the decrease in transmittance and red shift of emission wavelength. The composite films made from PMMA of small molecular weights exhibited higher transmittance. Applications of these green and red emissive composite films as color converters in remote-type light-emitting devices were further demonstrated.
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3
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Conrad JC, Robertson ML. Shaping the Structure and Response of Surface-Grafted Polymer Brushes via the Molecular Weight Distribution. JACS AU 2023; 3:333-343. [PMID: 36873679 PMCID: PMC9975839 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Breadth in the molecular weight distribution is an inherent feature of synthetic polymer systems. While in the past this was typically considered as an unavoidable consequence of polymer synthesis, multiple recent studies have shown that tailoring the molecular weight distribution can alter the properties of polymer brushes grafted to surfaces. In this Perspective, we describe recent advances in synthetic methods to control the molecular weight distribution of surface-grafted polymers and highlight studies that reveal how shaping this distribution can generate novel or enhanced functionality in these materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta C. Conrad
- William A. Brookshire Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Megan L. Robertson
- William A. Brookshire Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
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4
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Li CX, Mao JY, Li SJ, Wang Y, Liu H. A long chain-induced depletion effect for abnormal grafting in the preparation of bimodal bidisperse polymer-grafted nanoparticles. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:5627-5637. [PMID: 36727641 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp04229k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
One of the challenging problems in the research field of polymer nanocomposites is how to prepare nanocomposites with high grafting density and strong ability of dispersion at the same time. For nanocomposites composed of bimodal bidisperse polymer chains and nanoparticles, the above requirements can be met by rationally adjusting the ratio of long and short polymer chains. In this study, the process of grafting bimodal bidisperse polymer chains onto the surface of nanoparticles in a grafting-to manner was investigated via computer simulation and theoretical methods. Three grafting strategies were designed: first short then long (SL) system, both short and long (Both) system and first long then short (LS) system. An abnormal phenomenon for the Both system was found by analyzing the grafting density of long and short polymer chains on the surface of nanoparticles. We speculate that the reason for this anomalous phenomenon is the "depletion effect" brought about by the long chains in the Both system. We employ the Polymer Reference Interaction Site Model (PRISM) theory to investigate this anomaly in-depth. By comparing the radial distribution function (RDF) predicted by the PRISM theory with the RDF results obtained by the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, we found that with the increase of the number of long chains in the system, the grafting density of short polymer chains on the nanoparticle surface showed an obvious upward trend. The "depletion effect" brought by long chains was the main reason for higher short chains' grafting density of the Both system compared to the SL system. Our findings provide effective guidance for the design of nanoparticle-grafted bimodal bidisperse polymer chains and provide a theoretical basis for experimentation and production of polymer nanocomposites with better performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu-Xiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Yuan Mao
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China.,South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Shu-Jia Li
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment Ministry of Education, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment Ministry of Education, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment Ministry of Education, School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, People's Republic of China.
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5
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Guzman-Juarez B, Abdelaal AB, Reven L. NMR Characterization of Nanoscale Surface Patterning in Mixed Ligand Nanoparticles. ACS NANO 2022; 16:20116-20128. [PMID: 36411252 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c03707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Spontaneous phase separation in binary mixed ligand shells is a proposed strategy to create patchy nanoparticles. The surface anisotropy, providing directionality along with interfacial properties emerging from both ligands, is highly desirable for targeted drug delivery, catalysis, and other applications. However, characterization of phase separation on the nanoscale remains quite challenging. Here we have adapted solid-state 1H spin diffusion NMR experiments designed to detect and quantify spatial heterogeneity in polymeric materials to nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized with mixed short ligands. Janus NPs and physical mixtures of homoligand 3.5 nm diameter ZrO2 NPs, with aromatic (phenylphosphonic acid, PPA) and aliphatic (oleic acid, OA) ligands, were used to calibrate the 1H spin diffusion experiments. The Janus NPs, prepared by a facile wax/water Pickering emulsion method, and mixed ligand NPs, produced by ligand exchange, both with 1:1 PPA:OA ligand compositions, display strikingly different solvent and particle-particle interactions. 1H spin diffusion NMR experiments are most consistent with a lamellar surface pattern for the mixed ligand ZrO2 NPs. Solid-state 1H spin diffusion NMR is shown to be a valuable additional characterization tool for mixed ligand NPs, as it not only detects the presence of nanoscale phase separation but also allows measurement of the domain sizes and geometries of the surface phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Guzman-Juarez
- Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels/Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials (CQMF/QCAM), Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street W., MontrealQuebec, CanadaH3A 0B8
| | - Ahmed Bahaeldin Abdelaal
- Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels/Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials (CQMF/QCAM), Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street W., MontrealQuebec, CanadaH3A 0B8
| | - Linda Reven
- Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels/Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials (CQMF/QCAM), Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street W., MontrealQuebec, CanadaH3A 0B8
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6
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Lei Z, Zhang Z, Xu L, Yao J, Chen F, Liu Y. GUS Aerogel Modified Phenolic Nanocomposites: Effects of Inhomogeneous Cross-Linking Characteristics and Interfacial Phase Properties on the Mechanical Behavior. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zixuan Lei
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhongzhou Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, China
| | - Li Xu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiayu Yao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, China
| | - Fei Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuhong Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, Shaanxi, China
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7
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Kumar A, Kumar N. Advances in transparent polymer nanocomposites and their applications: A comprehensive review. POLYM-PLAST TECH MAT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/25740881.2022.2029892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Atish Kumar
- Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, DR. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, India
| | - Narendra Kumar
- Department of Industrial and Production Engineering, DR. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, India
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8
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Zhu Z, Tsai CY, Zhao M, Baker J, Sue HJ. PMMA Nanocomposites Based on PMMA-Grafted α-Zirconium Phosphate Nanoplatelets. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c02337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zewen Zhu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3003, United States
| | - Chia-Ying Tsai
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3003, United States
| | - Mingzhen Zhao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3003, United States
| | - Joseph Baker
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3003, United States
| | - Hung-Jue Sue
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3003, United States
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9
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Yagasaki T, Matubayasi N. Crystallization of Polyethylene Brushes and Its Effect on Interactions with Water. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Yagasaki
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Matubayasi
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka 560-8531, Japan
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10
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LaNasa JA, Neuman A, Riggleman RA, Hickey RJ. Investigating Nanoparticle Organization in Polymer Matrices during Reaction-Induced Phase Transitions and Material Processing. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:42104-42113. [PMID: 34432429 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c14830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Controlling nanoparticle organization in polymer matrices has been and is still a long-standing issue and directly impacts the performance of the materials. In the majority of instances, simply mixing nanoparticles and polymers leads to macroscale aggregation, resulting in deleterious effects. An alternative method to physically blending independent components such as nanoparticle and polymers is to conduct polymerizations in one-phase monomer/nanoparticle mixtures. Here, we report on the mechanism of nanoparticle aggregation in hybrid materials in which gold nanoparticles are initially homogeneously dispersed in a monomer mixture and then undergo a two-step aggregation process during polymerization and material processing. Specifically, oleylamine-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNP) are first synthesized in a methyl methacrylate (MMA) solution and then subsequently polymerized by using a free radical polymerization initiated with azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) to create hybrid AuNP and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) materials. The resulting products are easily pressed to obtain bulk films with nanoparticle organization defined as either well-dispersed or aggregated. Polymerizations are performed at various temperatures (T) and MMA volume fractions (ΦMMA) to systematically influence the final nanoparticle dispersion state. During the polymerization of MMA and subsequent material processing, the initially homogeneous AuNP/MMA mixture undergoes macrophase separation between PMMA and oleylamine during the polymerization, yet the AuNP are dispersed in the oleylamine phase. The nanoparticles then aggregate within the oleylamine phase when the materials are processed via vacuum drying and pressing. Nanoparticle organization is tracked throughout the polymerization and processing steps by using a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The resulting dispersion state of AuNPs in PMMA bulk films is ultimately dictated by the thermodynamics of mixing between the PMMA and oleylamine phases, but the mechanism of nanoparticle aggregation occurs in two steps that correspond to the polymerization and processing of the materials. Flory-Huggins mixing theory is used to support the PMMA and oleylamine phase separation. The reported results highlight how the integration of nonequilibrium processing and mean-field approximations reveal nanoparticle aggregation in hybrid materials synthesized by using reaction-induced phase transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anastasia Neuman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Robert A Riggleman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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11
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Adhikari S, Nikoubashman A, Leibler L, Rubinstein M, Midya J, Kumar SK. Gas Transport in Interacting Planar Brushes. ACS POLYMERS AU 2021; 1:39-46. [PMID: 35253005 DOI: 10.1021/acspolymersau.1c00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent experiments on melts of spherical nanoparticles (NPs) densely grafted with polymer chains show enhanced gas transport relative to the neat polymer (without NPs). As a means of understanding this unexpected behavior, we consider here the simpler case of two interacting planar brushes, under conditions representing a polymer melt far below its critical point (i.e., where the "free volume" or holes act akin to a poor solvent). Computer simulations illustrate, in agreement with mean-field ideas, that the density profile far away from the walls is flat but with a value that is marginally larger than the corresponding polymer melt under identical state conditions. We find that tracer particles, which represent the gas of interest, segregate preferentially to the grafting surface, with this result being relatively insensitive to the nature of polymer-surface interactions. These brush layers therefore correspond to heterogeneous transport media: the gas molecules near the grafting surface have accelerated dynamics (presumably parallel to the wall) relative to the corresponding polymer melt, but they have slower dynamics in the central region of the brush. We therefore find that gas molecules perform hop-like motions - they spend a significant part of their time in the regions of fast transport, separated by motions where they "hop" from one surface to the other. These phenomena in combination lead to an overall speedup in gas dynamics in these brush layers relative to a polymer melt, in good agreement with the experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabin Adhikari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Arash Nikoubashman
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ludwik Leibler
- UMR Gulliver 7083 CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Michael Rubinstein
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0300, USA
| | - Jiarul Midya
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Sanat K Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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12
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Egorov SA. Interactions between Sterically Stabilized Nanoparticles: The Effects of Brush Bidispersity and Chain Stiffness. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:2296. [PMID: 34301054 PMCID: PMC8309298 DOI: 10.3390/polym13142296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Density Functional Theory is employed to study structural properties and interactions between solvent-free polymer-grafted nanoparticles. Both monodisperse and bidisperse polymer brushes with variable chain stiffness are considered. The three major control parameters are the grafting density, the grafted chain length, and its stiffness. The effect of these parameters on the brush-brush overlap and attractive interaction strength is analyzed. The Density Functional Theory results are compared with the available simulation data, and good quantitative agreement is found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei A Egorov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22901, USA
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13
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Agboola O, Fayomi OSI, Ayodeji A, Ayeni AO, Alagbe EE, Sanni SE, Okoro EE, Moropeng L, Sadiku R, Kupolati KW, Oni BA. A Review on Polymer Nanocomposites and Their Effective Applications in Membranes and Adsorbents for Water Treatment and Gas Separation. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:139. [PMID: 33669424 PMCID: PMC7920412 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11020139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Globally, environmental challenges have been recognised as a matter of concern. Among these challenges are the reduced availability and quality of drinking water, and greenhouse gases that give rise to change in climate by entrapping heat, which result in respirational illness from smog and air pollution. Globally, the rate of demand for the use of freshwater has outgrown the rate of population increase; as the rapid growth in town and cities place a huge pressure on neighbouring water resources. Besides, the rapid growth in anthropogenic activities, such as the generation of energy and its conveyance, release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, warming the planet. Polymer nanocomposite has played a significant role in finding solutions to current environmental problems. It has found interest due to its high potential for the reduction of gas emission, and elimination of pollutants, heavy metals, dyes, and oil in wastewater. The revolution of integrating developed novel nanomaterials such as nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, nanofibers and activated carbon, in polymers, have instigated revitalizing and favourable inventive nanotechnologies for the treatment of wastewater and gas separation. This review discusses the effective employment of polymer nanocomposites for environmental utilizations. Polymer nanocomposite membranes for wastewater treatment and gas separation were reviewed together with their mechanisms. The use of polymer nanocomposites as an adsorbent for toxic metals ions removal and an adsorbent for dye removal were also discussed, together with the mechanism of the adsorption process. Patents in the utilization of innovative polymeric nanocomposite membranes for environmental utilizations were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluranti Agboola
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Covenant University, Ota PMB 1023, Nigeria; (A.A.); (A.O.A.); (E.E.A.); (S.E.S.)
| | | | - Ayoola Ayodeji
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Covenant University, Ota PMB 1023, Nigeria; (A.A.); (A.O.A.); (E.E.A.); (S.E.S.)
| | - Augustine Omoniyi Ayeni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Covenant University, Ota PMB 1023, Nigeria; (A.A.); (A.O.A.); (E.E.A.); (S.E.S.)
| | - Edith E. Alagbe
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Covenant University, Ota PMB 1023, Nigeria; (A.A.); (A.O.A.); (E.E.A.); (S.E.S.)
| | - Samuel E. Sanni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Covenant University, Ota PMB 1023, Nigeria; (A.A.); (A.O.A.); (E.E.A.); (S.E.S.)
| | - Emmanuel E. Okoro
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Covenant University, Ota PMB 1023, Nigeria;
| | - Lucey Moropeng
- Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa; (L.M.); (R.S.)
| | - Rotimi Sadiku
- Department of Chemical, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa; (L.M.); (R.S.)
| | - Kehinde Williams Kupolati
- Department of Civil Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa;
| | - Babalola Aisosa Oni
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China;
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14
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Yin R, Wang Z, Bockstaller MR, Matyjaszewski K. Tuning dispersity of linear polymers and polymeric brushes grown from nanoparticles by atom transfer radical polymerization. Polym Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d1py01178b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Molecular weight distribution imposes considerable influence on the properties of polymers, making it an important parameter, impacting morphology and structural behavior of polymeric materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongguan Yin
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Zongyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Michael R. Bockstaller
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
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15
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Midya J, Rubinstein M, Kumar SK, Nikoubashman A. Structure of Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticle Melts. ACS NANO 2020; 14:15505-15516. [PMID: 33084300 PMCID: PMC8056455 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c06134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The structure of neat melts of polymer-grafted nanoparticles (GNPs) is studied via coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. We systematically vary the degree of polymerization and grafting density at fixed nanoparticle (NP) radius and study in detail the shape and size of the GNP coronas. For sufficiently high grafting density, chain sections close to the NP core are extended and form a dry layer. Further away from the NP, there is an interpenetration layer, where the polymer coronas of neighboring GNPs overlap and the chain sections have almost unperturbed conformations. To better understand this partitioning, we develop a two-layer model, representing the grafted polymer around an NP by spherical dry and interpenetration layers. This model quantitatively predicts that the thicknesses of the two layers depend on one universal parameter, x, the degree of overcrowding of grafted chains relative to chains in the melt. Both simulations and theory show that the chain extension free energy is nonmonotonic with increasing chain length at a fixed grafting density, with a well-defined maximum. This maximum is indicative of the crossover from the dry layer-dominated to interpenetration layer-dominated regime, and it could have profound consequences on our understanding of a variety of anomalous transport properties of these GNPs. Our theoretical approach therefore provides a facile means for understanding and designing solvent-free GNP-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarul Midya
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael Rubinstein
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0300, USA
| | - Sanat K. Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Arash Nikoubashman
- Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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16
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Baker J, Xia F, Zhu Z, Zhang X, Sue HJ. α-Zirconium Phosphate Nanoplatelets with Covalent Modifiers for Exfoliation in Organic Media. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:11948-11956. [PMID: 32937067 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c02057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Nanocomposites with exfoliated 2D materials are highly sought after due to resulting material enhancement of barrier and increased modulus among others. In the past, this was achieved by using polyols that were effective but caused a significant drop in the glass transition temperature of the nanocomposite. In this contribution, α-zirconium phosphate (ZrP) nanoplatelets were covalently modified to allow for dispersion in solvents with varying hydrophobicity and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) for the first time. The nanoplatelets were prepared by using a polyetheramine surfactant to achieve exfoliation, followed by modification with epoxides. Combinations of different epoxides were shown capable of tuning the functionality and hydrophobicity of the exfoliated ZrP in organic media. After grafting glycidyl methacrylate and cyclohexene oxide to the surface of ZrP, an in situ free radical polymerization of MMA allowed for high concentrations of self-assembled exfoliated ZrP in a PMMA matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Baker
- Material Science and Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3003, United States
| | - Fangqing Xia
- Material Science and Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3003, United States
| | - Zewen Zhu
- Material Science and Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3003, United States
| | - Xi Zhang
- Material Science and Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3003, United States
| | - Hung-Jue Sue
- Material Science and Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3003, United States
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17
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Liu H, Hu D, Chen X, Ma W. Surface engineering of nanoparticles for highly efficient
UV
‐shielding composites. POLYM ADVAN TECHNOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pat.5081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Huaqing Liu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Dechao Hu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Xiaojun Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Wenshi Ma
- School of Materials Science and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
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18
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Wang Z, Lee J, Wang Z, Zhao Y, Yan J, Lin Y, Li S, Liu T, Olszewski M, Pietrasik J, Bockstaller MR, Matyjaszewski K. Tunable Assembly of Block Copolymer Tethered Particle Brushes by Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:806-812. [PMID: 35648530 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
A strategy to synthesize SiO2-g-PMMA/PMMA-b-PS mono- and bimodal block copolymer particle brushes by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) from silica particles is presented. First, PMMA blocks were prepared by normal ATRP with controlled degree of polymerizations and grafting density. In a second step, the PS block was synthesized through a chain extension using low parts per million of Cu catalyst. Variation of the SiO2-g-PMMA-Br macroinitiator concentration had a pronounced effect on the modality of the chain extension product. In the limit of small concentration, partial termination resulted in bimodal brush architectures, while more uniform brush architectures were observed with increasing concentration of macroinitiator. Brush nanoparticles with bimodal architectures assembled into string-like aggregates that bore a resemblance to structures found in systems comprised of sparse (homopolymer) brush particles. The unexpected effect of modality on structure formation points to opportunities in controlling microstructures in brush particle materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongyu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Jaejun Lee
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Zhenhua Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States.,Xi'an Institute of Biomedical Materials and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.,Institute of Flexible Electronics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Yuqi Zhao
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Jiajun Yan
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Yu Lin
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Sipei Li
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Tong Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Mateusz Olszewski
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Joanna Pietrasik
- Institute of Polymer and Dye Technology, Technical University of Lodz, Stefanowskiego 12/16, 90 924 Lodz, Poland
| | - Michael R Bockstaller
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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19
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Kwon NK, Kim H, Shin TJ, Saalwächter K, Park J, Kim SY. Control of Particle Dispersion with Autophobic Dewetting in Polymer Nanocomposites. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kay Saalwächter
- Institut für Physik-NMR, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Betty-Heimann-Str. 7, D-06120 Halle, Germany
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20
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Kulshreshtha A, Jayaraman A. Dispersion and Aggregation of Polymer Grafted Particles in Polymer Nanocomposites Driven by the Hardness and Size of the Grafted Layer Tuned by Attractive Graft–Matrix Interactions. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arjita Kulshreshtha
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Colburn Laboratory, Newark. Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Arthi Jayaraman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Colburn Laboratory, Newark. Delaware 19716, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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21
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Brush-modified materials: Control of molecular architecture, assembly behavior, properties and applications. Prog Polym Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2019.101180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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22
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Munaò G, De Nicola A, Müller-Plathe F, Kawakatsu T, Kalogirou A, Milano G. Influence of Polymer Bidispersity on the Effective Particle–Particle Interactions in Polymer Nanocomposites. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gianmarco Munaò
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Biologia, Università di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
| | - Antonio De Nicola
- Department of Organic Materials Science, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jonan Yonezawa, Yamagata-ken 992-8510, Japan
| | - Florian Müller-Plathe
- Eduard-Zintl-Institut für Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie and Center of Smart Interfaces, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Str. 8, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Toshihiro Kawakatsu
- Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
| | - Andreas Kalogirou
- Eduard-Zintl-Institut für Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie and Center of Smart Interfaces, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Str. 8, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Milano
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Biologia, Università di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I-84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
- Department of Organic Materials Science, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jonan Yonezawa, Yamagata-ken 992-8510, Japan
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23
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Ning X, Jimenez AM, Pribyl J, Li S, Benicewicz B, Kumar SK, Schadler LS. Nanoparticle Organization by Growing Polyethylene Crystal Fronts. ACS Macro Lett 2019; 8:1341-1346. [PMID: 35651145 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.9b00619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the crystallization-induced ordering of C18 grafted 14 nm diameter spherical silica nanoparticles (NPs) in a short chain (Mw = 4 kDa, ĐM ≈ 2.3) polyethylene and a commercial high-density polyethylene (Mw = 152 kDa, ĐM ≈ 3.2) matrix. For slow isothermal crystallization of the low molecular weight matrix, the NPs segregate into the interlamellar regions. This result establishes the generality of our earlier work on poly(ethylene oxide) based materials and suggests that crystallization can be used to control NP dispersion across different polymer classes. The incompatibility between the particles and the matrix in the Mw = 152 kDa results in a competition between filler organization and filler agglomeration. The mechanical properties improve due to the addition of NPs and are further enhanced by particle organization, even for the case of the macrophase-separated mixtures in the Mw = 152 kDa matrix. In contrast, dielectric behavior is strongly affected by the scale of NP organization, with the lower molecular weight matrix showing more significant increases in permittivity due to the local scale of NP ordering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Ning
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, United States
| | - Andrew M. Jimenez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Julia Pribyl
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Shaohua Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, United States
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Brian Benicewicz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Sanat K. Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Linda S. Schadler
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405, United States
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24
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Gao N, Hou G, Liu J, Shen J, Gao Y, Lyulin AV, Zhang L. Tailoring the mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites via interfacial engineering. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:18714-18726. [PMID: 31424061 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp02948f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The improvement of mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) has been studied for many years, with the main focus on the structure of the nanofillers. Much less effort has been devoted to unraveling the factors controlling the structure of the grafted chains. Herein, through coarse-grained molecular-dynamics simulations, we have successfully fabricated an ideal, mechanically-interlocked composite structure composed of end-functionalized chains grafted to the nanoparticle surface forming rings and making the matrix chains thread through these rings. Depending on the details of the grafting, the reinforcement effect can be remarkable, improving the tensile stress of the system significantly up to 700%. Meanwhile, anisotropy of the system's mechanical response is also observed. Furthermore, the influence of the grafted chain distribution on the mechanical properties of the system has been investigated as well. We observe that the mechanical properties of the system are closely related to the total number of the beads in the grafted chains or the synergistic effect between the length and density of the grafted chains leads to no significant difference in the performance of systems. At constant grafting density, the mechanical properties of the systems correlate negatively to the grafted chain length. In general, our study should help to design and fabricate high-performance PNCs with excellent mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naishen Gao
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, People's Republic of China
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25
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Midya J, Cang Y, Egorov SA, Matyjaszewski K, Bockstaller MR, Nikoubashman A, Fytas G. Disentangling the Role of Chain Conformation on the Mechanics of Polymer Tethered Particle Materials. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:2715-2722. [PMID: 30913883 PMCID: PMC6463242 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b00817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The linear elastic properties of isotropic materials of polymer tethered nanoparticles (NPs) are evaluated using noncontact Brillouin light spectroscopy. While the mechanical properties of dense brush materials follow predicted trends with NP composition, a surprising increase in elastic moduli is observed in the case of sparsely grafted particle systems at approximately equal NP filling ratio. Complementary molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the stiffening is caused by the coil-like conformations of the grafted chains, which lead to stronger polymer-polymer interactions compared to densely grafted NPs with short chains. Our results point to novel opportunities to enhance the physical properties of composite materials by the strategic design of the "molecular architecture" of constituents to benefit from synergistic effects relating to the organization of the polymer component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiarul Midya
- Institute
of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University
Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Yu Cang
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sergei A. Egorov
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Virginia, McCormick Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4319, United States
| | - Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
- Chemistry
Department, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Michael R. Bockstaller
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie
Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Arash Nikoubashman
- Institute
of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg University
Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - George Fytas
- Max
Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany
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26
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Giovino M, Buenning E, Jimenez A, Kumar SK, Schadler L. Polymer Grafted Nanoparticle Viscosity Modifiers. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.201800543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Giovino
- Materials Science and Engineering Department Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 110 8th Street NY 12180 USA
| | - Eileen Buenning
- Chemical Engineering Department Columbia University 116th Street & Broadway NY 10027 USA
| | - Andrew Jimenez
- Chemical Engineering Department Columbia University 116th Street & Broadway NY 10027 USA
| | - Sanat K. Kumar
- Chemical Engineering Department Columbia University 116th Street & Broadway NY 10027 USA
| | - Linda Schadler
- Mechanical Engineering Department University of Vermont 33 Colchester Ave VT 05405 USA
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27
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28
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Li S, Zhang Z, Hou G, Liu J, Gao Y, Coates P, Zhang L. Self-assembly and structural manipulation of diblock-copolymer grafted nanoparticles in a homopolymer matrix. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:11785-11796. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp00872a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Detailed coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations are performed to investigate the structural and mechanical properties of nanoparticles (NPs) grafted with an amphiphilic AB diblock copolymer, with the A-block being compatible with NPs and the B-block being miscible with a homopolymer matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Li
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials
- Beijing University of Chemical Technology
- People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials
- Beijing University of Chemical Technology
- People's Republic of China
| | - Guanyi Hou
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials
- Beijing University of Chemical Technology
- People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials
- Beijing University of Chemical Technology
- People's Republic of China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Advanced Elastomers
- Beijing University of Chemical Technology
| | - Yangyang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials
- Beijing University of Chemical Technology
- People's Republic of China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Advanced Elastomers
- Beijing University of Chemical Technology
| | - Phil Coates
- Joint-International Laboratory for Soft Matter Technologies Bradford-BUCT
- 100029 Beijing
- People's Republic of China
| | - Liqun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials
- Beijing University of Chemical Technology
- People's Republic of China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Advanced Elastomers
- Beijing University of Chemical Technology
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29
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Senses E, Tyagi M, Pasco M, Faraone A. Dynamics of Architecturally Engineered All-Polymer Nanocomposites. ACS NANO 2018; 12:10807-10816. [PMID: 30299918 PMCID: PMC11168023 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b02514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We present nanocomposite materials formed by using glassy star-shaped polymers as nanofillers and dispersing them in soft matrices. The resulting "architecturally engineered" polymer nanocomposites structurally reside between the linear homopolymer blends and the conventional polymer nanocomposites with inorganic fillers, inducing reinforcement, which can be as strong as that of solid nanoparticles, or softening depending on the compactness and concentration of the nanoparticles. Such behavior can be traced back to the dynamical features at the local segmental and the chain level, which we investigated using neutron scattering over a wide range of time and length scales in the glassy and melt states of the nanocomposites. The local and segmental dynamics as well as the degree of chain-chain entanglements are all modified by the star-shaped fillers. The presented approach to tuning the physical properties of all-polymer-based nanocomposites is readily adaptable to other polymer architectures with immediate applications in numerous areas including gas separation membranes, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and functional coatings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkan Senses
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg , Maryland 20899-8562 United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Maryland , College Park , Maryland 20742-2115 , United States
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering , Koc University , Rumelifeneri Yolu, 34450 , Sariyer , Istanbul , Turkey
| | - Madhusudan Tyagi
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg , Maryland 20899-8562 United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering , University of Maryland , College Park , Maryland 20742-2115 , United States
| | - Madeleine Pasco
- Department of Biology , Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology , Terre Haute , Indiana 47803 , United States
| | - Antonio Faraone
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology , Gaithersburg , Maryland 20899-8562 United States
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30
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Zhang L, Zhou Y, Mo Y, Zhou Z, Sha Y, Lu Z, Cheng Z. Dielectric property and charge evolution behavior in thermally aged polyimide films. Polym Degrad Stab 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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31
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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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32
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Park SJ, Kim S, Yong D, Choe Y, Bang J, Kim JU. Interactions between brush-grafted nanoparticles within chemically identical homopolymers: the effect of brush polydispersity. SOFT MATTER 2018; 14:1026-1042. [PMID: 29328340 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm02483e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We systematically examined the polymer-mediated interparticle interactions between polymer-grafted nanoparticles (NPs) within chemically identical homopolymer matrices through experimental and computational efforts. In experiments, we prepared thermally stable gold NPs grafted with polystyrene (PS) or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and they were mixed with corresponding homopolymers. The nanocomposites are well dispersed when the molecular weight ratio of free to grafted polymers, α, is small. For α above 10, NPs are partially aggregated or clumped within the polymer matrix. Such aggregation of NPs at large α has been understood as an autophobic dewetting behavior of free homopolymers on brushes. In order to theoretically investigate this phenomenon, we calculated two particle interaction using self-consistent field theory (SCFT) with our newly developed numerical scheme, adopting two-dimensional finite volume method (FVM) and multi-coordinate-system (MCS) scheme which makes use of the reflection symmetry between the two NPs. By calculating the polymer density profile and interparticle potential, we identified the effects of several parameters such as brush thickness, particle radius, α, brush chain polydispersity, and chain end mobility. It was found that increasing α is the most efficient method for promoting autophobic dewetting phenomenon, and the attraction keeps increasing up to α = 20. At small α values, high polydispersity in brush may completely nullify the autophobic dewetting, while at intermediate α values, its effect is still significant in that the interparticle attractions are heavily reduced. Our calculation also revealed that the grafting type is not a significant factor affecting the NP aggregation behavior. The simulation result qualitatively agrees with the dispersion/aggregation transition of NPs found in our experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- So Jung Park
- Department of Physics, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
| | - Seyong Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Daeseong Yong
- Department of Physics, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
| | - Youngson Choe
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Joona Bang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jaeup U Kim
- Department of Physics, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
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33
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Shanmugam S, Matyjaszewski K. Reversible Deactivation Radical Polymerization: State-of-the-Art in 2017. ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/bk-2018-1284.ch001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sivaprakash Shanmugam
- Center for Macromolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
- Center for Macromolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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34
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Sakakibara K, Moriki Y, Yano H, Tsujii Y. Strategy for the Improvement of the Mechanical Properties of Cellulose Nanofiber-Reinforced High-Density Polyethylene Nanocomposites Using Diblock Copolymer Dispersants. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:44079-44087. [PMID: 29185701 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b13963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) hold great potential as sustainable reinforcement fillers with excellent mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties. However, in polyolefin nanocomposite materials, the rational control of dispersion and the improvement of interfacial strength remain challenging. Herein we propose the tuning of the interface between CNF and high-density polyethylene by the design of polymer dispersants on the basis of surface free energy and the glass transition temperature. The former is related to the wettability against the polymer matrix and is therefore critical to the dispersion of CNF whereas the latter is related to the interfacial strength between CNF and HDPE. As a result of this investigation, we discovered a suitable dispersant for CNFs, poly(dicyclopentenyloxyethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), which played a pivotal role in achieving both a uniform dispersion of CNF and greatly improved mechanical properties, including a 4-fold increase of the Young's modulus over that of neat HDPE with 10 wt % CNF loading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Sakakibara
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University , Gokasho, Uji Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Moriki
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University , Gokasho, Uji Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Yano
- Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University , Gokasho, Uji Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Tsujii
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University , Gokasho, Uji Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
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35
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Giovino M, Pribyl J, Benicewicz B, Kumar S, Schadler L. Linear rheology of polymer nanocomposites with polymer-grafted nanoparticles. POLYMER 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2017.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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36
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Zheng Y, Huang Y, Benicewicz BC. A Useful Method for Preparing Mixed Brush Polymer Grafted Nanoparticles by Polymerizing Block Copolymers from Surfaces with Reversed Monomer Addition Sequence. Macromol Rapid Commun 2017; 38. [PMID: 28804973 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201700300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The preparation of well-defined block copolymers using controlled radical polymerization depends on the proper order of monomer addition. The reversed order of monomer addition results in a mixture of block copolymer and homopolymer and thus has typically been avoided. In this paper, the low blocking efficiency of reversed monomer addition order is utilized in combination with surface initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization to establish a facile procedure toward mixed polymer brush grafted nanoparticles SiO2 -g-(PS (polystyrene), PS-b-PMAA (polymethacrylic acid)). The SiO2 -g-(PS, PS-b-PMAA) nanoparticles are analyzed by gel permeation chromatography deconvolution, and the fraction of each polymer component is calculated. Additionally, the SiO2 -g-(PS, PS-b-PMAA) are amphiphilic in nature and show unique self-assembly behavior in water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zheng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Yucheng Huang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Brian C Benicewicz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
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37
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Chen F, Takatsuji K, Zhao D, Yu X, Kumar SK, Tsui OKC. Unexpected thermal annealing effects on the viscosity of polymer nanocomposites. SOFT MATTER 2017; 13:5341-5354. [PMID: 28702673 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm00280g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The effects of thermal annealing, 12-50 K above the glass transition temperature, on the zero-shear viscosity, η, of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) and the corresponding host polymers were studied. For all specimens, including neat and 4 wt% dioctyl phthalate (DOP)-plasticized polystyrene (PS), neat poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and PNCs containing bare and grafted silica nanoparticles in neat and DOP-plasticized PS, the η increased with time initially, and only asymptotically approached a steady-state value after thermal annealing for ∼100 to ∼200 h. We found that this phenomenon occurred regardless of the solvent used to prepare the sample although the fractional changes in η (δη/η) are visibly bigger for tetrahydrofuran (THF). Moreover, the PNCs not plasticized by DOP showed bigger δη/η than their host polymers while the plasticized ones behave essentially the same as the neat hosts. Interestingly, some unplasticized PNCs prepared from THF exhibited smaller viscosities than the host polymer, but this anomaly disappeared on thermal annealing. By correlating the viscosity measurements with the evolution of the solvent content, average NP aggregate size and the amount of adsorbed PS on silica for samples prepared from different solvents, we infer that the temporal viscosity evolution originates from out-of-equilibrium chain conformations produced during sample preparation. Because these relaxations are limited by the rearrangement of the polymer chains adsorbed on the NP or sample substrate surface, the timescales over which η changes can be much longer than the polymer reptation time, as observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Chen
- Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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38
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Bentz KC, Savin DA. Chain Dispersity Effects on Brush Properties of Surface-Grafted Polycaprolactone-Modified Silica Nanoparticles: Unique Scaling Behavior in the Concentrated Polymer Brush Regime. Macromolecules 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b00608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle C. Bentz
- George & Josephine Butler Polymer Research Laboratory, Center for Macromolecular Science & Engineering, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Daniel A. Savin
- George & Josephine Butler Polymer Research Laboratory, Center for Macromolecular Science & Engineering, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
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39
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Bell M, Krentz T, Keith Nelson J, Schadler L, Wu K, Breneman C, Zhao S, Hillborg H, Benicewicz B. Investigation of dielectric breakdown in silica-epoxy nanocomposites using designed interfaces. J Colloid Interface Sci 2017; 495:130-139. [PMID: 28193511 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Adding nano-sized fillers to epoxy has proven to be an effective method for improving dielectric breakdown strength (DBS). Evidence suggests that dispersion state, as well as chemistry at the filler-matrix interface can play a crucial role in property enhancement. Herein we investigate the contribution of both filler dispersion and surface chemistry on the AC dielectric breakdown strength of silica-epoxy nanocomposites. Ligand engineering was used to synthesize bimodal ligands onto 15nm silica nanoparticles consisting of long epoxy compatible, poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) chains, and short, π-conjugated, electroactive surface ligands. Surface initiated RAFT polymerization was used to synthesize multiple graft densities of PGMA chains, ultimately controlling the dispersion of the filler. Thiophene, anthracene, and terthiophene were employed as π-conjugated surface ligands that act as electron traps to mitigate avalanche breakdown. Investigation of the synthesized multifunctional nanoparticles was effective in defining the maximum particle spacing or free space length (Lf) that still leads to property enhancement, as well as giving insight into the effects of varying the electronic nature of the molecules at the interface on breakdown strength. Optimization of the investigated variables was shown to increase the AC dielectric breakdown strength of epoxy composites as much as 34% with only 2wt% silica loading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Bell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29205, United States.
| | - Timothy Krentz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, United States.
| | - J Keith Nelson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, United States.
| | - Linda Schadler
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, United States.
| | - Ke Wu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, United States.
| | - Curt Breneman
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, United States.
| | - Su Zhao
- ABB AB, Corporate Research, Västerås SE-721 78, Sweden.
| | | | - Brian Benicewicz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29205, United States.
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40
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Kumar SK, Benicewicz BC, Vaia RA, Winey KI. 50th Anniversary Perspective: Are Polymer Nanocomposites Practical for Applications? Macromolecules 2017. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.6b02330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 389] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanat K. Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Brian C. Benicewicz
- Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Richard A. Vaia
- Materials and Manufacturing
Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433, United States
| | - Karen I. Winey
- Department of Materials Science
and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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41
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Shi R, Qian HJ, Lu ZY. Computer simulation study on the self-assembly of unimodal and bimodal polymer-grafted nanoparticles in a polymer melt. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:16524-16532. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cp01905j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
By performing comprehensive molecular dynamics simulations, the self-assembly behavior of polymer-grafted nanoparticles in a polymer matrix is investigated in this study. Short grafted chains on bimodal grafted NP surfaces favor the dispersion of NPs in the polymer matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry
- Changchun
- China
| | - Hu-Jun Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry
- Changchun
- China
| | - Zhong-Yuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry
- Changchun
- China
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42
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The effect of polymer grafting in the dispersibility of alumina/polysulfone nanocomposites. Macromol Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s13233-016-4150-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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43
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Chandran S, Begam N, Sprung M, Basu J. Coherent X-ray scattering reveals nature of dynamical transitions in nanoparticle–polymer suspensions. POLYMER 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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44
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Huang Y, Huang X, Schadler LS, He J, Jiang P. Core@Double-Shell Structured Nanocomposites: A Route to High Dielectric Constant and Low Loss Material. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:25496-25507. [PMID: 27602603 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b06650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This work reports the advances of utilizing a core@double-shell nanostructure to enhance the electrical energy storage capability and suppress the dielectric loss of polymer nanocomposites. Two types of core@double-shell barium titanate (BaTiO3) matrix-free nanocomposites were prepared using a surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method to graft a poly(2-hydroxylethyle methacrylate)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) and sodium polyacrylate-block-poly(2-hydroxylethyle methacrylate) block copolymer from BaTiO3 nanoparticles. The inner shell polymer is chosen to have either high dielectric constant or high electrical conductivity to provide large polarization, while the encapsulating outer shell polymer is chosen to be more insulating as to maintain a large resistivity and low loss. Finite element modeling was conducted to investigate the dielectric properties of the fabricated nanocomposites and the relaxation behavior of the grafted polymer. It demonstrates that confinement of the more conductive (lossy) phase in this multishell nanostructure is the key to achieving a high dielectric constant and maintaining a low loss. This promising multishell strategy could be generalized to a variety of polymers to develop novel nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhui Huang
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York 12180, United States
| | - Xingyi Huang
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Linda S Schadler
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York 12180, United States
| | - Jinliang He
- State Key Laboratory of Power Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China
| | - Pingkai Jiang
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , Shanghai 200240, China
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45
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Krentz T, Khani MM, Bell M, Benicewicz BC, Nelson JK, Zhao S, Hillborg H, Schadler LS. Morphologically dependent alternating-current and direct-current breakdown strength in silica-polypropylene nanocomposites. J Appl Polym Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/app.44347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Krentz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; 110 8th Street MRC 140 Troy New York 12180
| | - Mohammad M. Khani
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of South Carolina; 541 Main Street, Horizon I Room 232 Columbia South Carolina 29208
| | - Michael Bell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of South Carolina; 541 Main Street, Horizon I Room 232 Columbia South Carolina 29208
| | - Brian C. Benicewicz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of South Carolina; 541 Main Street, Horizon I Room 232 Columbia South Carolina 29208
| | - J. Keith Nelson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; 110 8th Street MRC 140 Troy New York 12180
| | - Su Zhao
- Power Devices, Corporate Research, ABB AB; Forskargränd 7 Västerås 721 78 Sweden
| | - Henrik Hillborg
- Power Devices, Corporate Research, ABB AB; Forskargränd 7 Västerås 721 78 Sweden
| | - Linda S. Schadler
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; 110 8th Street MRC 140 Troy New York 12180
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46
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Wåhlander M, Nilsson F, Carlmark A, Gedde UW, Edmondson S, Malmström E. Hydrophobic matrix-free graphene-oxide composites with isotropic and nematic states. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:14730-14745. [PMID: 27230294 DOI: 10.1039/c6nr01502f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a novel route to synthesise hydrophobic matrix-free composites of polymer-grafted graphene oxide (GO) showing isotropic or nematic alignment and shape-memory effects. For the first time, a cationic macroinitiator (MI) has been immobilised on anionic GO and subsequently grafted with hydrophobic polymer grafts. Dense grafts of PBA, PBMA and PMMA with a wide range of average graft lengths (MW: 1-440 kDa) were polymerised by surface-initiated controlled radical precipitation polymerisation from the statistical MI. The surface modification is designed similarly to bimodal graft systems, where the cationic MI generates nanoparticle repulsion, similar to dense short grafts, while the long grafts offer miscibility in non-polar environments and cohesion. The state-of-the-art dispersions of grafted GO were in the isotropic state. Transparent and translucent matrix-free GO-composites could be melt-processed directly using only grafted GO. After processing, birefringence due to nematic alignment of grafted GO was observed as a single giant Maltese cross, 3.4 cm across. Permeability models for composites containing aligned 2D-fillers were developed, which were compared with the experimental oxygen permeability data and found to be consistent with isotropic or nematic states. The storage modulus of the matrix-free GO-composites increased with GO content (50% increase at 0.67 wt%), while the significant increases in the thermal stability (up to 130 °C) and the glass transition temperature (up to 17 °C) were dependent on graft length. The tuneable matrix-free GO-composites with rapid thermo-responsive shape-memory effects are promising candidates for a vast range of applications, especially selective membranes and sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Wåhlander
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Fibre and Polymer Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
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47
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Senses E, Faraone A, Akcora P. Microscopic Chain Motion in Polymer Nanocomposites with Dynamically Asymmetric Interphases. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29326. [PMID: 27457056 PMCID: PMC4960532 DOI: 10.1038/srep29326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamics of the interphase region between matrix and bound polymers on nanoparticles is important to understand the macroscopic rheological properties of nanocomposites. Here, we present neutron scattering investigations on nanocomposites with dynamically asymmetric interphases formed by a high-glass transition temperature polymer, poly(methyl methacrylate), adsorbed on nanoparticles and a low-glass transition temperature miscible matrix, poly(ethylene oxide). By taking advantage of selective isotope labeling of the chains, we studied the role of interfacial polymer on segmental and collective dynamics of the matrix chains from subnanoseconds to 100 nanoseconds. Our results show that the Rouse relaxation remains unchanged in a weakly attractive composite system while the dynamics significantly slows down in a strongly attractive composite. More importantly, the chains disentangle with a remarkable increase of the reptation tube size when the bound polymer is vitreous. The glassy and rubbery states of the bound polymer as temperature changes underpin the macroscopic stiffening of nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkan Senses
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8562, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2115, USA
| | - Antonio Faraone
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8562, USA
| | - Pinar Akcora
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, Castle Point on Hudson, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5942
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48
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Zhao D, Di Nicola M, Khani MM, Jestin J, Benicewicz BC, Kumar SK. Self-Assembly of Monodisperse versus Bidisperse Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles. ACS Macro Lett 2016; 5:790-795. [PMID: 35614768 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We systematically compare the dispersion and self-assembly of silica nanoparticles (NPs) grafted with either a sparse monomodal long chain length polystyrene (PS) brush or a bimodal brush comprised of a sparse grafting of long PS chains and a dense carpet of short poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) chains. These two different types of NPs are placed in pure PS matrices of varying molecular weights in a series of experiments. We first show that NP dispersion is generally improved in the case of bimodal brushes. More interestingly, at low PS grafting densities the bimodal brushes give different self-assembled structures relative to the monomodal brushes; we conjecture that the presence of the short P2VP chains in the bimodal brush reduces the effective core-core attractions and thus allows these bidisperse NPs to display self-assembly behavior that is less likely to be kinetically trapped by the strong intercore attractions that control the behavior of monomodal NPs. In this low PS grafting density limit, where we expect the spatial coverage of the brush to be the most nonuniform, we find the formation of "vesicular" structures that are representative of highly asymmetric ("tadpole") surfactants. Our results therefore show that reducing the inter-NP attractions gives rise to a much richer ensemble of NP self-assemblies, apparently with a smaller influence from kinetic traps (or barriers).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Zhao
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, 500 West 120th Street, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Matteo Di Nicola
- School
of Science and Technology, Università di Camerino, Via Sant’Agostino
1, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Mohammad M. Khani
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Jacques Jestin
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, 500 West 120th Street, New York, New York 10027, United States
- Laboratoire
Léon Brillouin, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette
Cedex, France
| | - Brian C. Benicewicz
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Sanat K. Kumar
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, 500 West 120th Street, New York, New York 10027, United States
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49
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Zheng Z, Wang Z, Wang L, Liu J, Wu Y, Zhang L. Dispersion and shear-induced orientation of anisotropic nanoparticle filled polymer nanocomposites: insights from molecular dynamics simulation. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2016; 27:265704. [PMID: 27196704 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/27/26/265704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Although a large number of studies have been performed to study the dispersion behavior of spherical nanoparticles (NPs) in the polymer matrix, little effort has been directed to anisotropic NPs via simulation, which is convenient for controlling the physical parameters compared to experiment. In this work we adopt molecular dynamics simulation to study polymer nanocomposites filled with anisotropic NPs such as graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). We investigate the effects of the grafting position, grafting density, the length and flexibility of the grafted chains on the dispersion of graphene and CNTs. In particular, we find that when the grafting position is located on the surface center of the graphene or the middle of the CNT, the dispersion state is the best, leading to the greatest stress-strain behavior. Meanwhile, the mechanical property can be further strengthened by introducing chemical couplings in the interfacial region, by chemically tethering the grafted chains to the matrix chains. To monitor the processing effect, we exert a dynamic periodic shear deformation in the x direction with its gradient in the y direction. Polymer chains are found to align in the x direction, graphene sheets align in the xoz plane and CNTs orientate in the z direction. We study the effects of the shear amplitude, the shear frequency, polymer-NP interaction strength and volume fraction of NPs on the stress-strain behavior. We also observe that the relaxation process following the shear deformation deteriorates the mechanical performance, resulting from the disorientation of polymer chains and NPs. In general, this work could provide valuable guidance in manipulating the distribution and alignment of graphene and CNTs in the polymer matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijian Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, People's Republic of China. Beijing Engineering Research Center of Advanced Elastomers, People's Republic of China
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50
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Grisorio R, Debellis D, Suranna GP, Gigli G, Giansante C. The Dynamic Organic/Inorganic Interface of Colloidal PbS Quantum Dots. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201511174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Grisorio
- CNR NANOTEC-; Istituto di Nanotecnologia; Via Monteroni 73100 Lecce Italy
- DICATECh-Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile; Ambientale, del Territorio; Edile e di Chimica; Politecnico di Bari; Via Orabona 4 70125 Bari Italy
| | - Doriana Debellis
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “E. De Giorgi”; Università del Salento; Via per Arnesano 73100 Lecce Italy
| | - Gian Paolo Suranna
- CNR NANOTEC-; Istituto di Nanotecnologia; Via Monteroni 73100 Lecce Italy
- DICATECh-Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile; Ambientale, del Territorio; Edile e di Chimica; Politecnico di Bari; Via Orabona 4 70125 Bari Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gigli
- CNR NANOTEC-; Istituto di Nanotecnologia; Via Monteroni 73100 Lecce Italy
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “E. De Giorgi”; Università del Salento; Via per Arnesano 73100 Lecce Italy
| | - Carlo Giansante
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies@UNILE; Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia; Via Barsanti 73010 Arnesano Italy
- CNR NANOTEC-; Istituto di Nanotecnologia; Via Monteroni 73100 Lecce Italy
- Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “E. De Giorgi”; Università del Salento; Via per Arnesano 73100 Lecce Italy
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