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Guo S, Cui H, Agarwal T, Zhang LG. Nanomaterials in 4D Printing: Expanding the Frontiers of Advanced Manufacturing. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2307750. [PMID: 38431939 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202307750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
As an innovative technology, four-dimentional (4D) printing is built upon the principles of three-dimentional (3D) printing with an additional dimension: time. While traditional 3D printing creates static objects, 4D printing generates "responsive 3D printed structures", enabling them to transform or self-assemble in response to external stimuli. Due to the dynamic nature, 4D printing has demonstrated tremendous potential in a range of industries, encompassing aerospace, healthcare, and intelligent devices. Nanotechnology has gained considerable attention owing to the exceptional properties and functions of nanomaterials. Incorporating nanomaterials into an intelligent matrix enhances the physiochemical properties of 4D printed constructs, introducing novel functions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current applications of nanomaterials in 4D printing, exploring their synergistic potential to create dynamic and responsive structures. Nanomaterials play diverse roles as rheology modifiers, mechanical enhancers, function introducers, and more. The overarching goal of this review is to inspire researchers to delve into the vast potential of nanomaterial-enabled 4D printing, propelling advancements in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo Guo
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Haitao Cui
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Tarun Agarwal
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Lijie Grace Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
- Department of Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
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Reda H, Tanis I, Harmandaris V. Distribution of Mechanical Properties in Poly(ethylene oxide)/silica Nanocomposites via Atomistic Simulations: From the Glassy to the Liquid State. Macromolecules 2024; 57:3967-3984. [PMID: 38911610 PMCID: PMC11190983 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.4c00537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Polymer nanocomposites exhibit a heterogeneous mechanical behavior that is strongly dependent on the interaction between the polymer matrix and the nanofiller. Here, we provide a detailed investigation of the mechanical response of model polymer nanocomposites under deformation, across a range of temperatures, from the glassy regime to the liquid one, via atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. We study the poly(ethylene oxide) matrix with silica nanoparticles (PEO/SiO2) as a model polymer nanocomposite system with attractive polymer/nanofiller interactions. Probing the properties of polymer chains at the molecular level reveals that the effective mass density of the matrix and interphase regions changes during deformation. This decrease in density is much more pronounced in the glassy state. We focus on factors that govern the mechanical response of PEO/SiO2 systems by investigating the distribution of the (local) mechanical properties, focusing on the polymer/nanofiller interphase and matrix regions. As expected when heating the system, a decrease in Young's modulus is observed, accompanied by an increase in Poisson's ratio. The observed differences regarding the rigidity between the interphase and the matrix region decrease as the temperature rises; at temperatures well above the glass-transition temperature, the rigidity of the interphase approaches the matrix one. To describe the nonlinear viscoelastic behavior of polymer chains, the elastic modulus of the PEO/SiO2 systems is further calculated as a function of the strain for the entire nanocomposite, as well as the interphase and matrix regions. The elastic modulus drops dramatically with increasing strain for both the matrix and the interphase, especially in the small-deformation regime. We also shed light on characteristic structural and dynamic attributes during deformation. Specifically, we examine the rearrangement behavior as well as the segmental and center-of-mass dynamics of polymer chains during deformation by probing the mobility of polymer chains in both axial and radial motions under deformation. The behavior of the polymer motion in the axial direction is dominated by the deformation, particularly at the interphase, whereas a more pronounced effect of the temperature is observed in the radial directions for both the interphase and matrix regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilal Reda
- Computation-based
Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | - Ioannis Tanis
- Computation-based
Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
| | - Vagelis Harmandaris
- Computation-based
Science and Technology Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia 2121, Cyprus
- Department
of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Crete, Heraklion GR-71110, Greece
- Institute
of Applied and Computational Mathematics, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Heraklion GR-71110, Greece
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Shen J, Li X, Li P, Shentu B. Structural and dynamical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane/fullerene nanocomposites: a molecular dynamics simulations study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:27352-27363. [PMID: 37791853 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03809b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
In this work, the structural and dynamical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/fullerene (C60) nanocomposites are investigated using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, focusing on the glass transition, thermal expansion, polymer mobility, polymer-C60 interactions, and diffusion behavior of C60. The results show a slight increase in the glass transition temperature (Tg) with increasing C60 weight fraction (wt%), attributed to hindered polymer dynamics, and a remarkable reduction in the coefficient of thermal expansion above Tg. Results of the mean squared displacement and the time decay of bond-reorientation autocorrelation indicate that the mobility of TPU hard segments is more restricted than that of soft segments, owing to the electrostatic attractions and the π-π stacking between isocyanate groups and C60 molecules. Analysis of TPU-C60 interaction energy reveals that the electrostatic interactions are weakened with an increase in the C60 wt%, while the van der Waals contributions become more significant due to the TPU-C60 interfacial characteristics. Further analysis shows that the translational and rotational diffusion of C60 are both increasingly suppressed with the increase of C60 wt%, indicating a violation of Stokes-Einstein (SE) and Stokes-Einstein-Debye (SED) relations, presumably due to the polymer chain-mediated hydrodynamic interactions arising from chain bridges between neighboring C60 particles. This is highlighted by a stronger decoupling of translational-rotational diffusion and a lower ratio of translational-rotational diffusion coefficient (DT/DR) with increasing C60 wt%. This work elucidates an atomistic understanding of the structure and properties of polymer/C60 nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxiang Shen
- State Key Lab of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China.
- Department of Polymer Science and Technology, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China
- Zhejiang Double Arrow Rubber Co., Ltd., Tongxiang 314513, China
| | - Xue Li
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Jiaxing Nanhu University, Jiaxing 314001, China.
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Polymer Science and Technology, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China
| | - Baoqing Shentu
- State Key Lab of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China.
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Shen J, Li X, Li P, Shentu B. Exploring thermodynamic and structural properties of carbon nanotube/thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites from atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. RSC Adv 2023; 13:21080-21087. [PMID: 37448641 PMCID: PMC10336647 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra03000h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanocomposites have emerged as promising materials for various applications in the field of nanotechnology. An understanding of the thermodynamic and structural properties is of fundamental significance in designing and fabricating CNT/TPU nanocomposites with desired properties. To this end, this work has employed atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the thermal properties and interfacial characteristics of TPU composites filled with pristine or functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Simulations reveal that the introduction of SWNTs suppresses TPU chain dynamics and favors the hydrogen bond formation induced by the wrapping of TPU chains around SWNTs, leading to an increase of glass transition temperature (Tg) and a reduction of volumetric coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) in the rubbery state. Compared to pristine and hydrogenated SWNTs, SWNTs featuring polar groups, such as carboxyl (-COOH), oxhydryl (-OH) and amine (-NH2) groups, show improved affinity for TPU molecules, suppressing polymer mobility. Analysis of SWNT/TPU binding energy and solubility parameter suggests that electrostatic interactions are responsible for such a functionalized SWNT/TPU interface enhancement. Furthermore, the amine groups exhibit the highest potential for forming hydrogen bonds with the urethane carbonyl (-C[double bond, length as m-dash]O) of TPU chains, resulting in lowest polymer mobility and highest Tg. In general, this research work could provide some guidance for material design of polymer nanocomposites and future simulations relevant to TPUs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxiang Shen
- State Key Lab of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China
- Department of Polymer Science and Technology, Jiaxing University Jiaxing 314001 China
- Zhejiang Double Arrow Rubber Co., Ltd. Tongxiang 314513 China
| | - Xue Li
- School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Jiaxing Nanhu University Jiaxing 314001 China
| | - Ping Li
- Zhejiang Double Arrow Rubber Co., Ltd. Tongxiang 314513 China
| | - Baoqing Shentu
- State Key Lab of Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310027 China
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Kumar V, Alam MN, Azam S, Manikkavel A, Park S. The tough and multi‐functional stretchable device based on silicone rubber composites. POLYM ADVAN TECHNOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/pat.6036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vineet Kumar
- School of Mechanical Engineering Yeungnam University Gyeongsan Republic of Korea
| | - Md Najib Alam
- School of Mechanical Engineering Yeungnam University Gyeongsan Republic of Korea
| | - Siraj Azam
- School of Mechanical Engineering Yeungnam University Gyeongsan Republic of Korea
| | | | - Sang‐Shin Park
- School of Mechanical Engineering Yeungnam University Gyeongsan Republic of Korea
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Li X, Kang H, Luo Q, Shen J. Preparation and properties of a novel poly(lactic-acid)-based thermoplastic vulcanizate from both experiments and simulations. RSC Adv 2022; 12:9534-9542. [PMID: 35424957 PMCID: PMC8985119 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra00286h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel bio-based thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) material consisting of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and a novel polymeric slide ring material (SeRM) was fabricated via isocyanate-induced dynamic vulcanization. The microscopic morphology, thermal properties, biocompatibility, and mechanical properties of the SeRM/PLA TPV material were comprehensively investigated, in turn by transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, in vitro cytotoxicity test, electron tension machine, and molecular dynamics simulations. Phase inversion in TPV was observed during the dynamic vulcanization, and TEM images showed that SeRM particles that were dispersed in PLA continuous phase had an average diameter of 1–4 μm. Results also indicated that an optimum phase inversion morphology was obtained at the SeRM/PLA blending ratio of 70/30 w/w. Glass transition temperature of PLA was found to be slightly decreased, owing to the improvement in interface compatibility by chemically bonding the PCL side chains (of SeRM molecules) and PLA chains. The tensile strength and elongation at break of TPVs were approximately 14.7 MPa and 164%, respectively, at SeRM/PLA blending ratio of 70/30, owing to the unique sliding effect of SeRM molecules when subjected to deformations. Cytotoxicity test results proved that the bio-based TPVs were fully non-toxic to L929 cells. In such aspects we believe that the bio-based TPV can be a promising material in the biomedical applications as an alternative of traditional commodity plastics. A novel bio-based thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) material consisting of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and a novel polymeric slide ring material (SeRM) was fabricated via isocyanate-induced dynamic vulcanization.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Li
- Institute of Novel Materials, Jiaxing Nanhu University Jiaxing 314001 P.R. China
| | - Hailan Kang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenyang University of Chemical Technology Shenyang 110142 China
| | - Qiulan Luo
- Institute of Novel Materials, Jiaxing Nanhu University Jiaxing 314001 P.R. China
| | - Jianxiang Shen
- Department of Polymer Science and Technology, Jiaxing University Jiaxing 314001 China
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Hou G, Li S, Liu J, Weng Y, Zhang L. Designing high performance polymer nanocomposites by incorporating robustness-controlled polymeric nanoparticles: insights from molecular dynamics. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:2813-2825. [PMID: 35043809 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp04254h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Introducing polymeric nanoparticles into polymer matrices is an interesting topic, and the robustness of the polymeric nanoparticles is crucial for the properties of the polymer nanocomposites (PNCs). In this study, by incorporating star-shaped polymeric nanoparticles (SSPNs) into the polymer, the effect of the sphericity (η) and arm length (L) of the SSPNs on the mechanical properties of PNCs is systematically investigated, using a coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation. In addition, the linear and spherical nanoparticles (NPs) are compared with SSPNs by fixing the approximate diameter and mass fraction of the NPs. The radial distribution function, the second virial coefficient, mean-squared displacement, bond autocorrelation function, and primitive path analysis are employed to systematically characterize the structure and dynamics of these new PNCs. It is found that the dispersion of the NPs is enhanced with the increase of η, and the entanglement density reaches maximum, which both contribute to the greatest mechanical reinforcing effect. More significantly, it is found that the classical Payne effect, namely the storage as a function of the strain amplitude, decreases remarkably, and with a much smaller loss factor for these SSPN filled polymer nanocomposites, compared to conventional PNCs filled with rigid NPs. Furthermore, the change of the arm length of the SSPNs is found to exhibit the same effect on the mechanical and viscoelastic properties, as the variation of the number of the arms. In general, this work shows that these new SSPN filled polymer nanocomposites can exceed conventional PNCs, by manipulating the robustness of the SSPNs using, for example, the number and length of the arms. This research may provide guidelines for the investigation of the structure-property relationships of the topological structure of polymeric nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanyi Hou
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, 100048, People's Republic of China
| | - Sai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China. .,Center of Advanced Elastomer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China. .,Center of Advanced Elastomer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunxuan Weng
- College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, 100048, People's Republic of China
| | - Liqun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China. .,Center of Advanced Elastomer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People's Republic of China
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Ionic Polymer Nanocomposites Subjected to Uniaxial Extension: A Nonequilibrium Molecular Dynamics Study. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13224001. [PMID: 34833305 PMCID: PMC8621629 DOI: 10.3390/polym13224001] [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: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We explore the behavior of coarse-grained ionic polymer nanocomposites (IPNCs) under uniaxial extension up to 800% strain by means of nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. We observe a simultaneous increase of stiffness and toughness of the IPNCs upon increasing the engineering strain rate, in agreement with experimental observations. We reveal that the excellent toughness of the IPNCs originates from the electrostatic interaction between polymers and nanoparticles, and that it is not due to the mobility of the nanoparticles or the presence of polymer-polymer entanglements. During the extension, and depending on the nanoparticle volume fraction, polymer-nanoparticle ionic crosslinks are suppressed with the increase of strain rate and electrostatic strength, while the mean pore radius increases with strain rate and is altered by the nanoparticle volume fraction and electrostatic strength. At relatively low strain rates, IPNCs containing an entangled matrix exhibit self-strengthening behavior. We provide microscopic insight into the structural, conformational properties and crosslinks of IPNCs, also referred to as polymer nanocomposite electrolytes, accompanying their unusual mechanical behavior.
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Li X, Li Z, Shen J, Zheng Z, Liu J. Role of a nanoparticle network in polymer mechanical reinforcement: insights from molecular dynamics simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:21797-21807. [PMID: 34550123 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp03153h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Fully understanding the mechanism by which nanoparticles (NPs) strengthen polymer matrices is crucial for fabricating high-performance polymer nanocomposites (PNCs). Herein, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations were adopted to explicitly investigate the reinforcing effect of a NP network. Our results revealed that increasing the NP-NP interactions induced the self-assembly of NPs into a three-dimensional (3D) network that reinforced the polymer matrix. The reinforcing mechanism of NP-NP interactions was quite different from that of NP-polymer interactions. The latter promoted the orientation of polymer chains to transfer the external stress, while the former distributed the stress throughout the NP network. This work revealed the mechanism by which the NP network reinforced the polymer matrix at the molecular level and also provided guidelines for developing high performance PNCs via interfacial modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu Li
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China.
| | - Ziwei Li
- College of Material Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Jianxiang Shen
- Department of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, 314001, China
| | - Zijian Zheng
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China.
| | - Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Beijing City on Preparation and Processing of Novel Polymer Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China.
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Optical properties of Bromothymol Blue/PVA Composite: Development of flexible high performance laser filter. JOURNAL OF POLYMER RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10965-021-02452-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Li X, Kang H, Shen J. Effects of graft locations on dispersion behavior of polymer-grafted nanorods: A molecular dynamics simulation study. POLYMER 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2020.123077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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