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Blisko JM, Grzenda MJ, Vladimirsky RM, Shuck CE, Singer JP, Yong X. Controlling morphology in electrosprayed methylcellulose nanowires via nanoparticle addition: coarse-grained modeling and experiments. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:17985-17994. [PMID: 36412133 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr04177d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Electrospray deposition (ESD) has shown great promise for manufacturing micro- and nanostructured coatings at scale on versatile substrates with complex geometries. ESD exhibits a broad spectrum of morphologies depending upon the properties of spray fluids. Among them are nanowire forests or foams obtained via the in-air gelation of electrospray droplets formed from methylcellulose (MC) solutions. In this study, we explored MC ESD loaded with nanoparticles of various shapes and uncovered the effects of particle fillers on morphology evolution using coarse-grained simulations and physical experiments. Utilizing electrostatic dissipative particle dynamics, we modeled the electrohydrodynamic deformation of particle-laden MC droplets undergoing in-flight evaporation. The simulations quantitatively predict the suppression of droplet deformation as the size or concentration of spherical nanoparticles increases. While small particles can be readily encapsulated into the nanowire body, large particles can arrest nanowire formation. The model was extended to nanoparticles with complex topologies, showing MC nanowires emerging from particle edges and vertices due to curvature-enhanced electric stress. In all cases, strong agreements were found between simulation and experimental results. These results demonstrate the efficacy of the coarse-grained model in predicting the morphology evolution of electrosprayed droplets and lay the groundwork for employing MC nanowires for developing nanostructured composites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Blisko
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, USA.
| | - Michael J Grzenda
- Department of Materials Science Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
| | - Rachel M Vladimirsky
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Christopher E Shuck
- A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Jonathan P Singer
- Department of Materials Science Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA.
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, USA
| | - Xin Yong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, USA.
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2
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Chen S, Zhang P, Wang ZG. Complexation between Oppositely Charged Polyelectrolytes in Dilute Solution: Effects of Charge Asymmetry. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shensheng Chen
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd., Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Center for Advanced Low-Dimension Materials, College of Materials and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Zhen-Gang Wang
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Blvd., Pasadena, California 91125, United States
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3
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Miclotte MJ, Lawrenson SB, Varlas S, Rashid B, Chapman E, O’Reilly RK. Tuning the Cloud-Point and Flocculation Temperature of Poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-Based Nanoparticles via a Postpolymerization Betainization Approach. ACS POLYMERS AU 2021; 1:47-58. [PMID: 34476421 PMCID: PMC8389998 DOI: 10.1021/acspolymersau.1c00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The ability to tune the behavior of temperature-responsive polymers and self-assembled nanostructures has attracted significant interest in recent years, particularly in regard to their use in biotechnological applications. Herein, well-defined poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEMA)-based core-shell particles were prepared by RAFT-mediated emulsion polymerization, which displayed a lower-critical solution temperature (LCST) phase transition in aqueous media. The tertiary amine groups of PDEAEMA units were then utilized as functional handles to modify the core-forming block chemistry via a postpolymerization betainization approach for tuning both the cloud-point temperature (T CP) and flocculation temperature (T CFT) of these particles. In particular, four different sulfonate salts were explored aiming to investigate the effect of the carbon chain length and the presence of hydroxyl functionalities alongside the carbon spacer on the particle's thermoresponsiveness. In all cases, it was possible to regulate both T CP and T CFT of these nanoparticles upon varying the degree of betainization. Although T CP was found to be dependent on the type of betainization reagent utilized, it only significantly increased for particles betainized using sodium 3-chloro-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonate, while varying the aliphatic chain length of the sulfobetaine only provided limited temperature variation. In comparison, the onset of flocculation for betainized particles varied over a much broader temperature range when varying the degree of betainization with no real correlation identified between T CFT and the sulfobetaine structure. Moreover, experimental results were shown to partially correlate to computational oligomer hydrophobicity calculations. Overall, the innovative postpolymerization betainization approach utilizing various sulfonate salts reported herein provides a straightforward methodology for modifying the thermoresponsive behavior of soft polymeric particles with potential applications in drug delivery, sensing, and oil/lubricant viscosity modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu
P. J. Miclotte
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan B. Lawrenson
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Spyridon Varlas
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Bilal Rashid
- BP
Exploration Operating Company Ltd., Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames,
Middlesex TW16 7LN, United
Kingdom
| | - Emma Chapman
- BP
Exploration Operating Company Ltd., Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames,
Middlesex TW16 7LN, United
Kingdom
| | - Rachel K. O’Reilly
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom,
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4
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Fritz AT, Cazotti JC, Garcia‐Valdez O, Smeets NMB, Dubé MA, Cunningham MF. Grafting pH‐Responsive Copolymers to Cold Water‐Soluble Starch Using Nitroxide‐Mediated Polymerization. MACROMOL REACT ENG 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/mren.202100011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T. Fritz
- Department of Chemical Engineering Queen's University, 19 Division St. Kingston Ontario K7L 2N9 Canada
| | - Jaime C. Cazotti
- Department of Chemical Engineering Queen's University, 19 Division St. Kingston Ontario K7L 2N9 Canada
| | - Omar Garcia‐Valdez
- Department of Chemical Engineering Queen's University, 19 Division St. Kingston Ontario K7L 2N9 Canada
| | | | - Marc A. Dubé
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Ottawa 161 Louis Pasteur Pvt. Ottawa Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada
| | - Michael F. Cunningham
- Department of Chemical Engineering Queen's University, 19 Division St. Kingston Ontario K7L 2N9 Canada
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5
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Khedr A, Striolo A. Self-assembly of mono- and poly-dispersed nanoparticles on emulsion droplets: antagonistic vs. synergistic effects as a function of particle size. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:22662-22673. [PMID: 33015700 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp02588g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this work, using Dissipative Particle Dynamics simulations, we provide fundamental insights into the self-assembly of nanoparticles (NPs) on droplet surfaces in an oil-in-water emulsion. We highlight the effect of particle size on the arrangement of NPs for different interparticle interactions. NPs of two different sizes were considered. In general, when the NP-NP interaction is changed from repulsive to attractive, a transition in the NP arrangement occurs from weekly-connected networks to clusters of NPs separated by particle-free domains. When NP-NP interactions are strongly attractive, NPs yield small 3D aggregates on the droplet surface. These arrangements seem to agree with experimental observations reported in the literature. In addition, our simulations suggest that small NPs are able to diffuse more easily on the droplet surface, which leads to prompt self-organisation, while large NPs are more likely to form metastable structures, perhaps because of slow mobility and strong adsorption to the interface. Our analysis suggests that thermal fluctuations could provide the activation energy for the small NPs to escape local minima in the free energy landscape. The results obtained for systems containing NPs of two sizes provide evidence of size segregation on the droplet surface, which could be useful when NP self-assemblies are used, for example, to template supra-molecular materials. However, analysis of the simulated trajectories suggests that the results depend strongly on the initial configuration, as the larger NPs seem to impose barriers for the small NPs to adsorb and diffuse on the droplet surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abeer Khedr
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, UK.
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6
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Chen S, Olson E, Jiang S, Yong X. Nanoparticle assembly modulated by polymer chain conformation in composite materials. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:14560-14572. [PMID: 32613987 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr01740j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mixing nanoparticles into a strategically selected polymer matrix yields nanocomposites with well-controlled microstructures and unique properties and functions. The modulation of nanoparticle assembly by polymer chain conformation can play a dominant role in determining nanocomposite structures, yet such a physical mechanism remains largely unexplored. We hypothesize that highly ordered microdomains of rigid linear polymers provide a template for nanoparticle assembly into open fractal structures. We conducted mesoscopic computer simulations and physical experiments to elucidate how polymer chain conformation regulates the dynamic evolution of nanoparticle structures during the drying processing of polymer nanocomposite films. The evaporation of polymer-nanoparticle mixtures with varying chain stiffnesses was simulated using dissipative particle dynamics. The formation of distinguished nanoparticle assemblies as a result of matrix selection was further corroborated by probing nanoparticle aggregation in different polymer nanocomposite coatings. The results show that polymer conformation not only influences the dispersion states of individual particles (dispersed vs. aggregated), but also modulates the morphologies of large-scale assembly (globular vs. fractal). The emergence of nematically ordered polymer clusters when the chain rigidity is increased creates local solvent-rich "voids" that promote anisotropic particle aggregates, which then percolate into open fractal structures upon solvent evaporation. The nanoparticle dynamics also exhibits an intriguing non-monotonic behavior attributed to the transitions between the coupling and decoupling with polymer dynamics. The nanoparticle assembly morphologies obtained in simulations match well with the electron microscopy images taken in physical experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shensheng Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, USA.
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7
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Slavgorodska M, Kyrychenko A. Structure and Dynamics of Pyrene-Labeled Poly(acrylic acid): Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study. CHEMISTRY & CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.23939/chcht14.01.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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8
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Chen S, Yong X. Janus Nanoparticles Enable Entropy-Driven Mixing of Bicomponent Hydrogels. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:14840-14848. [PMID: 31657936 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mixing incompatible polymers in water to form homogeneous hydrogels possessing both hydrophilic and lipophilic components is challenging due to high enthalpic penalty and negligible entropic gain in total Gibbs free energy. Here we performed dissipative particle dynamics simulations and machine learning to uncover the influence of Janus nanoparticles on immiscible polymer mixtures with high water content and to predict the phase behavior of bicomponent hydrogels. An intriguing transition from kinetically arrested demixing to spontaneous mixing was observed with increasing particle concentration and decreasing particle size. The analysis reveals that the mixing is driven by a significant entropic gain of small nanoparticles being well dispersed in aqueous solvent of high-volume fraction. This finding highlights an entropy-driven mixing mechanism for nanocomposite bicomponent hydrogels. Supervised machine learning algorithms were used to establish a microstructure phase diagram with respect to particle concentration and radius, in which homogeneous, percolated, clustered, and separated phases, as well as corresponding phase boundaries, were clearly identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shensheng Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Binghamton University, The State University of New York , Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - Xin Yong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Binghamton University, The State University of New York , Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
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9
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Qin S, Yong X. Controlling the stability of Pickering emulsions by pH-responsive nanoparticles. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:3291-3300. [PMID: 30821791 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm02407c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Electrostatic dissipative particle dynamics simulations were conducted to model the interactions between emulsion droplets stabilized by pH-sensitive polyelectrolyte-grafted nanoparticles. Using a steered molecular dynamics approach, a mechanistic study of forced coalescence was performed to probe the resistance between two particle-covered droplets. The degree of ionization of the grafted polyelectrolytes was adjusted to capture the pH responsiveness. The maximal resistance forces were measured to quantitatively discriminate the efficacy of particles in stabilizing emulsions at different degrees of ionization. Through analyzing droplet dynamics, resistance force variation, and electric field, we discovered that the resistance is attributed to direct electrostatic repulsion, the image charge effect near the water-oil interface, and steric hindrance among extended polymers. When the particle density on the droplet surface is relatively low, the increasing resistance forces at higher degrees of ionization can effectively prevent droplet coalescence. Oppositely, the ionization compromises emulsion stability when the particle surface coverage is high. Substantial desorption of particles from the interface was triggered as the degree of ionization increases. This in turn reduces resistance force and facilitates coalescence. Moreover, the nanoparticles prevent coalescence at high surface coverages by forming dense layers at individual interfaces, while the particle bridges straddling two interfaces were found at low surface coverages, which can also keep the droplets apart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyi Qin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, New York 13902, USA.
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10
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Gbadamosi AO, Junin R, Manan MA, Yekeen N, Agi A, Oseh JO. Recent advances and prospects in polymeric nanofluids application for enhanced oil recovery. J IND ENG CHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2018.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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11
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Chen S, Yong X. Dissipative particle dynamics modeling of hydrogel swelling by osmotic ensemble method. J Chem Phys 2018; 149:094904. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5045100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shensheng Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, New York 13902, USA
| | - Xin Yong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, New York 13902, USA
- Institute for Materials Research, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, 4400 Vestal Parkway East, Binghamton, New York 13902, USA
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12
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Qin S, Kang J, Yong X. Structure and Dynamics of Stimuli-Responsive Nanoparticle Monolayers at Fluid Interfaces. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:5581-5591. [PMID: 29676917 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b00809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive nanoparticles at fluid interfaces offer great potential for realizing on-demand and controllable self-assembly that can benefit various applications. Here, we conducted electrostatic dissipative particle dynamics simulations to provide a fundamental understanding of the microstructure and interfacial dynamics of responsive nanoparticle monolayers at a water-oil interface. The model nanoparticle is functionalized with polyelectrolytes to render the pH sensitivity, which permits further manipulation of the monolayer properties. The monolayer structure was analyzed in great detail through the density and electric field distributions, structure factor, and Voronoi tessellation. Even at a low surface coverage, a continuous disorder-to-order phase transition was observed when the particle's degree of ionization increases in response to pH changes. The six-neighbor particle fraction and bond orientation order parameter quantitatively characterize the structural transition induced by long-range electrostatic interactions. Adding salt can screen the electrostatic interactions and offer additional control on the monolayer structure. The detailed dynamics of the monolayer in different states was revealed by analyzing mean-squared displacements, in which different diffusion regimes were identified. The self-diffusion of individual particles and the collective dynamics of the whole monolayer were probed and correlated with the structural transition. Our results provide deeper insight into the dynamic behavior of responsive nanoparticle surfactants and lay the groundwork for bottom-up synthesis of novel nanomaterials, responsive emulsions, and microdroplet reactors.
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