Elastic properties of randomly cross-linked polymers

Free-radicals and advanced chemistries involved in cell membrane organization influence oxygen diffusion and pathology treatment

A breakthrough has been discovered in pathology chemistry related to increasing molecular structure that can interfere with oxygen diffusion through cell membranes. Free radicals can crosslink unsaturated low-viscosity fatty acid oils by chain-growth polymerization into more viscous liquids and even solids. Free radicals are released by mitochondria in response to intermittent hypoxia that can increase membrane molecular organization to reduce fluidity and oxygen diffusion in a possible continuing vicious cycle toward pathological disease. Alternate computational chemistry demonstrates molecular bond dynamics in free energy for cell membrane physiologic movements. Paired electrons in oxygen and nitrogen atoms require that oxygen bonds rotate and nitrogen bonds invert to seek polar nano-environments and hide from nonpolar nano-environments thus creating fluctuating instability at a nonpolar membrane and polar biologic fluid interface. Subsequent mechanomolecular movements provide free energy to increase diffusion by membrane transport of molecules and oxygen into the cell, cell-membrane signaling/recognition/defense in addition to protein movements for enzyme mixing. In other chemistry calcium bonds to membrane phosphates primarily on the outer plasma cell membrane surface to influence the membrane firing threshold for excitability and better seal out water permeation. Because calcium is an excellent metal conductor and membrane phosphate headgroups form a semiconductor at the biologic fluid interface, excess electrons released by mitochondria may have more broad dissipation potential by safe conduction through calcium atomic-sized circuits on the outer membrane surface. Regarding medical conditions, free radicals are known to produce pathology especially in age-related disease in addition to aging. Because cancer cell membranes develop extreme polymorphism that has been extensively followed in research, accentuated easily-visualized free-radical models are developed. In terms of treatment, use of vitamin nutrient supplements purported to be antioxidants that remove free radicals has not proved worthwhile in clinical trials presumably due to errors with early antioxidant measurements based on inaccurate colorimetry tests. However, newer covalent-bond shrinkage tests now provide accurate measurements for free-radical inhibitor hydroquinone and other molecules toward drug therapy.

Rigidity transition in polymer melts with van der Waals interaction

We study the onset of rigidity near the glass transition (GT) in a short-chain polymer melt modelled by a bead-spring model, where all beads interact with Lennard-Jones potentials. The properties of the system are examined above and below the GT. In order to minimize high-cooling-rate effects and computational times, equilibrium configurations are reached via isothermal compression. We monitor quantities such as the heat capacity CP, the short-time diffusion constants D, the viscosity eta , and the shear modulus; the time-dependent shear modulus Gt is compared with the shear modulus mu obtained from an externally applied instantaneous shear. We give a detailed analysis of the effects of such shearing on the system, both locally and globally. It is found that the polymeric glass displays long-time rigid behavior only below a temperature T1 , where T1 < TG. Furthermore, the linear and nonlinear relaxation regimes under applied shear are discussed.

Rigidity transition in two-dimensional random fiber networks

Rigidity percolation is analyzed in two-dimensional random fibrous networks. The model consists of central forces between the adjacent crossing points of the fibers. Two strategies are used to incorporate rigidity: adding extra constraints between second-nearest crossing points with a probability p(sn), and "welding" individual crossing points by adding there four additional constraints with a probability p(weld), and thus fixing the angles between the fibers. These additional constraints will make the model rigid at a critical probability p(sn)=p(sn)(c) and p(weld)=p(weld)(c), respectively. Accurate estimates are given for the transition thresholds and for some of the associated critical exponents. The transition is found in both cases to be in the same universality class as that of the two-dimensional central-force rigidity percolation in diluted lattices.