1
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Nikoumanesh E, Jouaneh CJM, Poling-Skutvik R. Elucidating the role of physicochemical interactions on gel rheology. SOFT MATTER 2024. [PMID: 38973240 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00516c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Soft materials are characterized by their intricate interplay of structure, dynamics, and rheological properties. This complexity makes it challenging to accurately predict their response to shear stress. Here, we investigate how the nature of bonds - electrostatic attractions, physical entanglements, physical repulsion, and covalent bonds - affects the linear and nonlinear rheology of gels. Specifically, we determine the critical roles these bonds play in the yield transition and thixotropic recovery of gel properties through a combination of linear oscillatory deformations, serial creep divergence measurements, and time-resolved flow sweeps. Different classes of gels are prepared with nearly identical linear rheology but significantly different yield transitions and nonlinear properties post-yielding. These differences are directly related to the kinetics by which the underlying elastic networks rebuild after flow. Gels which exhibit thixotropic hysteresis are able to fully recover their yield stress over time while non-thixotropic gels possess time-independent yielding metrics. This direct comparison between thixotropy and yielding reveals the intimate relationship between these phenomena and their controlling physical mechanisms within soft, amorphous materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elnaz Nikoumanesh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA.
| | | | - Ryan Poling-Skutvik
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA.
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2
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Mei B, Moreno AJ, Schweizer KS. Unified Understanding of the Structure, Thermodynamics, and Diffusion of Single-Chain Nanoparticle Fluids. ACS NANO 2024; 18:15529-15544. [PMID: 38842208 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs) are a fascinating class of soft nano-objects with promising properties and relevance to protein condensates, polymer nanocomposites, nanomedicine, bioimaging, catalysis, and drug delivery. We combine molecular dynamics simulations and equilibrium and time-dependent statistical mechanical theory to construct a unified understanding of how the internal conformational structure of SCNPs, of both a simple fractal globule-like form and more complex objects with multiple internal intermediate length scales, determines nm-scale intermolecular packing correlations, thermodynamic properties, and center-of-mass diffusion over a wide range of concentrations up to dense melts. The intermolecular pair correlations generically exhibit a distinctive deep correlation hole form due to SCNP internal connectivity structure and repulsive interparticle interactions associated with a globular-like conformation on the macromolecular scale, with concentration-dependent deviations at small separations. Unanticipated exponential-like dependences of the equation-of-state, osmotic compressibility, and center-of-mass diffusion constant on SCNP macromolecular packing fraction are theoretically predicted and confirmed via simulations. System-specific behaviors are found associated with SCNP internal structure, but overarching regularities are identified and understood based on a generalized effective globule conformation on macromolecular scales. Diffusivity slows down by 2-3 decades with increasing concentration and is understood as a consequence of a nonactivated excluded volume-driven weak-caging process associated with space-time correlated intermolecular forces experienced by the SCNP. Good agreement between the theory and simulations is established, testable predictions are made, and a quantitative comparison with viscosity measurements on a specific SCNP fluid is carried out. The basic theoretical approach can potentially be extended to treat the chemical and physical consequences of varying the structure of other classes of soft nanoparticles with distinctive internal nanoscale organization relevant in nanotechnology and nanomedicine, and the possible emergence of macromolecular kinetically arrested glasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baicheng Mei
- Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Angel J Moreno
- Centro de Física de Materiales (CSIC, UPV/EHU) and Materials Physics Center MPC, Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, Donostia-San Sebastián E-20018, Spain
- Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 4, Donostia-San Sebastián E-20018, Spain
| | - Kenneth S Schweizer
- Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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3
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Caraglio M, Micheletti C, Orlandini E. Unraveling the Influence of Topology and Spatial Confinement on Equilibrium and Relaxation Properties of Interlocked Ring Polymers. Macromolecules 2024; 57:3223-3233. [PMID: 38616813 PMCID: PMC11008367 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c02203] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
We use Langevin dynamics simulations to study linked ring polymers in channel confinement. We address the in- and out-of-equilibrium behavior of the systems for varying degrees of confinement and increasing topological and geometrical complexity of the interlocking. The main findings are three. First, metric observables of different link topologies collapse onto the same master curve when plotted against the crossing number, revealing a universal response to confinement. Second, the relaxation process from initially stretched states is faster for more complex links. We ascribe these properties to the interplay of several effects, including the dependence of topological friction on the link complexity. Finally, we show that transient forms of geometrical entanglement purposely added to the initial stressed state can leave distinctive signatures in force-spectroscopy curves. The insight provided by the findings could be leveraged in single-molecule nanochannel experiments to identify geometric entanglement within topologically linked rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Caraglio
- Institut
für Theoretische Physik, Universität
Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, Innsbruck A-6020, Austria
| | - Cristian Micheletti
- Scuola
Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati—SISSA, Via Bonomea 265, Trieste 34136, Italy
| | - Enzo Orlandini
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, Padova I-35100, Italy
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4
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Hsu HP, Kremer K. Entanglement-Stabilized Nanoporous Polymer Films Made by Mechanical Deformation. Macromolecules 2024; 57:2998-3012. [PMID: 38560347 PMCID: PMC10976899 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.4c00187] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
We present a new simulation-guided process to create nanoporous materials, which does not require specific chemical treatment and solely relies on mechanical deformation of pure highly entangled homopolymer films. Starting from fully equilibrated freestanding thick polymer melt films, we apply a simple "biaxial expansion" deformation. Upon expansion holes form, which are prevented from growing and coalescing beyond a characteristic size due to the entanglement structure of the melt. We investigate the local morphology, the void formation upon expansion, and their stabilization. The dependence of the average void (pore) size and void fraction (porosity) on the total strain and subsequent relaxation is investigated. Furthermore, the stabilization of the porous structure of the thin expanded films through cooling below the glass transition temperature Tg is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Ping Hsu
- Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung, Ackermannweg 10, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Kurt Kremer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung, Ackermannweg 10, Mainz 55128, Germany
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5
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Gürel U, Keten S, Giuntoli A. Bidispersity Improves the Toughness and Impact Resistance of Star-Polymer Thin Films. ACS Macro Lett 2024; 13:302-307. [PMID: 38373272 PMCID: PMC10956491 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.3c00671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Branched polymer architectures are used to tune the mechanical properties of impact-resistant thin films through parameters, such as chain length and grafting density. While chain dispersity affects molecular properties, such as interpenetration and entanglements, structure-property relationships accounting for dispersity are challenging to obtain experimentally and are often neglected in computational models. We employ molecular dynamics simulations to model the high-rate tensile elongation and nanoballistic impact of thin films composed of bidisperse star polymers with varying arm lengths. We find that, at fixed molecular weight, high dispersity can significantly enhance the toughness and impact resistance of the films without decreasing their elastic modulus. Bidisperse stars with fewer longer arms are less entangled, but stretch and interpenetrate for longer times during crazing, leading to increased toughness. These findings highlight controlled dispersity as a design strategy to improve the mechanical properties of polymer composites across Pareto fronts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Utku Gürel
- University
of Groningen, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sinan Keten
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3109, United States
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern
University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3109, United States
| | - Andrea Giuntoli
- University
of Groningen, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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6
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Miranda JP, Locatelli E, Valeriani C. Self-Organized States from Solutions of Active Ring Polymers in Bulk and under Confinement. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:1636-1645. [PMID: 38153343 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
In the present work, we study, by means of numerical simulations, the structural and dynamical behavior of a suspension of active ring polymers in bulk and under lateral confinement. At high activity, when changing the distance between the confining planes and the polymers' density, we identify the emergence of a self-organized dynamical state, characterized by the coexistence of slowly diffusing clusters of rotating disks and faster rings moving in between them. We further assess that self-organization is robust in a range of polymer sizes, and we identify a critical value of the activity, necessary to trigger cluster formation. This system has distinctive features resembling at the same time polymers, liquid crystals, and active systems, where the interplay between activity, topology, and confinement leads to a spontaneous segregation in an initially one-component solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pablo Miranda
- Dep. Est. de la Materia, Física Térmica y Electrónica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- GISC - Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Emanuele Locatelli
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
- INFN, Sezione di Padova, via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Chantal Valeriani
- Dep. Est. de la Materia, Física Térmica y Electrónica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- GISC - Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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7
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Bajd F, Mikac U, Mohorič A, Serša I. The Effect of Polymer-Solvent Interaction on the Swelling of Polymer Matrix Tablets: A Magnetic Resonance Microscopy Study Complemented by Bond Fluctuation Model Simulations. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:601. [PMID: 38475285 DOI: 10.3390/polym16050601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Polymer matrix tablets are an important drug-delivery system widely used for oral drug administration. Understanding the tablet hydration process, both experimentally and theoretically, is, thus, very important for the development of drug delivery systems that exhibit high drug loading capacity and controlled release potential. In this study, we used magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) to nondestructively and dynamically analyze the water hydration process of xanthan-based tablets. The swelling process was characterized by well-resolved fronts of erosion, swelling, and penetration. The experimental results were complemented by numerical simulations of the polymer matrix hydration process. In the simulations, the polymer tablet matrix was modeled as an assembly of interacting chains with embedded drug particles, while its hydration process was mediated by interaction with solvent particles. The swelling dynamics were modeled within a Monte Carlo-based bond fluctuation model (BFM) that elegantly accounted for steric and nearest-neighbor interactions. This study provides an efficient experimental-theoretical approach for the study of polymer matrix swelling processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franci Bajd
- Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Urša Mikac
- Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Aleš Mohorič
- Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Igor Serša
- Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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8
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Cui X, Zhang L, Yang Y, Tang P. Understanding the application of covalent adaptable networks in self-repair materials based on molecular simulation. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:1486-1498. [PMID: 38264848 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01364b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Covalent adaptable networks (CANs) are widely used in the field of self-repair materials. They are a group of covalently cross-linked associative polymers that undergo reversible chemical reactions, and can be further divided into dissociative CANs (Diss-CANs) and associative CANs (Asso-CANs). Self-repair refers to the ability of a material to repair itself without external intervention, and can be classified into self-adhesion and self-healing according to the utilization of open stickers. Unlike conventional materials, the viscoelastic properties of CANs are influenced by both the molecular structure and reaction kinetics, ultimately affecting their repair performance. To gain deeper insight into the repair mechanism of CANs, we conducted simulations by using the hybrid MC/MD algorithm, as previously proposed in our research. Interestingly, we observed a significant correlation between reaction kinetics and repair behavior. Asso-CANs exhibited strong mechanical strength and high creep resistance, rendering them suitable as self-adhesion materials. On the other hand, Diss-CANs formed open stickers that facilitated local relaxation, aligning perfectly with self-healing processes. Moreover, the introduction of crosslinkers in the form of small molecules enhanced the repair efficiency. Theoretically, it was found that the repair timescale of Asso-CANs is slower than that of Diss-CANs with identical molecular structures. Our study not only clarifies the similarities and differences between Diss-CANs and Asso-CANs in terms of their self-repairing capabilities, but more importantly, it provides valuable insights guiding the effective utilization of CANs in the development of self-repair materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Lu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Yuliang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Ping Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
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9
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Park J, Kim WJ, Kim Y, Lee EK, Kim H. Threading Subunits for Polymers to Predict the Equilibrium Ensemble of Solid Polymer Electrolytes. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:1227-1233. [PMID: 38277277 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
We present a computational method for polymer growth called "threading subunits for polymers (TSP)" that can efficiently sample solid polymer electrolyte structures with extended conformations. The TSP method involves equilibrating subunit (e.g., monomer) conformations that form favorable solvation ion shells, followed by consecutively connecting the subunits and minimizing the structures. The TSP method can sample polymers with good solvent-like conformations and from near-equilibrium structures in which ions are well-dispersed, avoiding unusual ion clustering under ambient conditions. Using the TSP method, the equilibration time can be reduced significantly by effectively sampling the polymer conformations near equilibrium. We anticipate that the TSP method can be applied to simulate various polymer electrolytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihye Park
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Won June Kim
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Changwon National University, Changwondaehak-ro 20, Uichang-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 51140, Republic of Korea
| | - YongJoo Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Eok Kyun Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyungjun Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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10
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Furuya T, Koga T. Comparison of gels synthesized by controlled radical copolymerization and free radical copolymerization: molecular dynamics simulation. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:1164-1172. [PMID: 38165233 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01431b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The structures of gels synthesized by controlled radical copolymerization (CRP) and conventional free radical copolymerization (FRP) were studied by a coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation. It was confirmed that the CRP gel has a larger number of elastically effective chains and fewer cyclic structures and entanglements than the FRP gel, i.e., the network structure of the CRP gel is more uniform than that of the FRP gel. However, the difference in the shear modulus between the two gels was small due to the opposing changes in the number of elastically effective chains and that of entanglements. The relatively uniform structure of the CRP gel is attributed to the suppression of intramolecular cross-linking by the fast initiation and slow propagation, and the development of cross-linked structures in the post-gel region due to the limited termination. The effects of these CRP characteristics were studied in detail. From the results, it was found that all of these characteristics of CRP cooperatively act to improve the homogeneity of the structure of the CRP gel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Furuya
- Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
| | - Tsuyoshi Koga
- Department of Polymer Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan.
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11
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Zhang J, Lei J, Feng P, Floudas G, Zhang G, Zhou J. Capillary filling of star polymer melts in nanopores. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:054903. [PMID: 38341697 DOI: 10.1063/5.0188955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The topology of a polymer profoundly influences its behavior. However, its effect on imbibition dynamics remains poorly understood. In the present work, capillary filling (during imbibition and following full imbibition) of star polymer melts was investigated by molecular dynamics simulations with a coarse-grained model. The reversal of imbibition dynamics observed for linear-chain systems was also present for star polymers. Star polymers with short arms penetrate slower than the prediction of the Lucas-Washburn equation, while systems with long arms penetrate faster. The radius of gyration increases during confined flow, indicating the orientation and disentanglement of arms. In addition, the higher the functionality of the star polymer, the more entanglement points are retained. Besides, a stiff region near the core segments of the stars is observed, which increases in size with functionality. The proportion of different configurations of the arms (e.g., loops, trains, tails) changes dramatically with the arm length and degree of confinement but is only influenced by the functionality when the arms are short. Following full imbibition, the different decay rates of the self-correlation function of the core-to-end vector illustrate that arms take a longer time to reach the equilibrium state as the functionality, arm length, and degree of confinement increase, in agreement with recent experimental findings. Furthermore, the star topology induces a stronger effect of adsorption and friction, which becomes more pronounced with increasing functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwei Zhang
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Jinyu Lei
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Pu Feng
- School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - George Floudas
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
- Institute of Materials Science and Computing, University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Guangzhao Zhang
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Jiajia Zhou
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
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12
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Micheletti C, Chubak I, Orlandini E, Smrek J. Topology-Based Detection and Tracking of Deadlocks Reveal Aging of Active Ring Melts. ACS Macro Lett 2024:124-129. [PMID: 38198592 PMCID: PMC10883035 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.3c00567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Connecting the viscoelastic behavior of stressed ring melts to the various forms of entanglement that can emerge in such systems is still an open challenge. Here, we consider active ring melts, where stress is generated internally, and introduce a topology-based method to detect and track consequential forms of ring entanglements, namely, deadlocks. We demonstrate that, as stress accumulates, more and more rings are co-opted in a growing web of deadlocks that entrap many other rings by threading, bringing the system to a standstill. The method ought to help the study of topological aging in more general polymer contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Micheletti
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, I-34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Iurii Chubak
- Sorbonne Université CNRS, Physico-Chimie des électrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Enzo Orlandini
- Università degli studi di Padova, Dipartimento di Fisica "G. Galilei", Via Marzolo 8, I-35100 Padova, Italy
| | - Jan Smrek
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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13
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Ninarello A, Ruiz-Franco J, Zaccarelli E. Auxetic polymer networks: The role of crosslinking, density, and disorder. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:234902. [PMID: 38108485 DOI: 10.1063/5.0178409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Low-crosslinked polymer networks have recently been found to behave auxetically when subjected to small tensions, that is, their Poisson's ratio ν becomes negative. In addition, for specific state points, numerical simulations revealed that diamond-like networks reach the limit of mechanical stability, exhibiting values of ν = -1, a condition that we define as hyper-auxeticity. This behavior is interesting per se for its consequences in materials science but is also appealing for fundamental physics because the mechanical instability is accompanied by evidence of criticality. In this work, we deepen our understanding of this phenomenon by performing a large set of equilibrium and stress-strain simulations in combination with phenomenological elasticity theory. The two approaches are found to be in good agreement, confirming the above results. We also extend our investigations to disordered polymer networks and find that the hyper-auxetic behavior also holds in this case, still manifesting a similar critical-like behavior as in the diamond one. Finally, we highlight the role of the number density, which is found to be a relevant control parameter determining the elastic properties of the system. The validity of the results under disordered conditions paves the way for an experimental investigation of this phenomenon in real systems, such as hydrogels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ninarello
- CNR Institute of Complex Systems, Uos Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - José Ruiz-Franco
- CNR Institute of Complex Systems, Uos Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Emanuela Zaccarelli
- CNR Institute of Complex Systems, Uos Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
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14
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Sleiman JL, Conforto F, Fosado YAG, Michieletto D. Geometric learning of knot topology. SOFT MATTER 2023; 20:71-78. [PMID: 37877330 PMCID: PMC10732224 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01199b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Knots are deeply entangled with every branch of science. One of the biggest open challenges in knot theory is to formalise a knot invariant that can unambiguously and efficiently distinguish any two knotted curves. Additionally, the conjecture that the geometrical embedding of a curve encodes information on its underlying topology is, albeit physically intuitive, far from proven. Here we attempt to tackle both these outstanding challenges by proposing a neural network (NN) approach that takes as input a geometric representation of a knotted curve and tries to make predictions of the curve's topology. Intriguingly, we discover that NNs trained with a so-called geometrical "local writhe" representation of a knot can distinguish curves that share one or many topological invariants and knot polynomials, such as mutant and composite knots, and can thus classify knotted curves more precisely than some knot polynomials. Additionally, we also show that our approach can be scaled up to classify all prime knots up to 10-crossings with more than 95% accuracy. Finally, we show that our NNs can also be trained to solve knot localisation problems on open and closed curves. Our main discovery is that the pattern of "local writhe" is a potentially unique geometric signature of the underlying topology of a curve. We hope that our results will suggest new methods for quantifying generic entanglements in soft matter and even inform new topological invariants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Lahoud Sleiman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, UK.
| | - Filippo Conforto
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, UK.
| | | | - Davide Michieletto
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, UK.
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
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15
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Goto S, Kim K, Matubayasi N. Unraveling the Glass-like Dynamic Heterogeneity in Ring Polymer Melts: From Semiflexible to Stiff Chain. ACS POLYMERS AU 2023; 3:437-446. [PMID: 38107414 PMCID: PMC10722566 DOI: 10.1021/acspolymersau.3c00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Ring polymers are an intriguing class of polymers with unique physical properties, and understanding their behavior is important for developing accurate theoretical models. In this study, we investigate the effect of chain stiffness and monomer density on the static and dynamic behaviors of ring polymer melts using molecular dynamics simulations. Our first focus is on the non-Gaussian parameter of center-of-mass displacement as a measure of dynamic heterogeneity, which is commonly observed in glass-forming liquids. We find that the non-Gaussianity in the displacement distribution increases with the monomer density and stiffness of the polymer chains, suggesting that excluded volume interactions between centers of mass have a strong effect on the dynamics of ring polymers. We then analyze the relationship between the radius of gyration and monomer density for semiflexible and stiff ring polymers. Our results indicate that the relationship between the two varies with chain stiffness, which can be attributed to the competition between repulsive forces inside the ring and from adjacent rings. Finally, we study the dynamics of bond-breakage virtually connected between the centers of mass of rings to analyze the exchanges of intermolecular networks of bonds. Our results demonstrate that the dynamic heterogeneity of bond-breakage is coupled with the non-Gaussianity in ring polymer melts, highlighting the importance of the bond-breaking method in determining the intermolecular dynamics of ring polymer melts. Overall, our study sheds light on the factors that govern the dynamic behaviors of ring polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Goto
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Department
of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Kang Kim
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Department
of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Matubayasi
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Department
of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
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16
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Nitta H, Ozawa T, Yasuoka K. Construction of full-atomistic polymer amorphous structures using reverse-mapping from Kremer-Grest models. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:194903. [PMID: 37982485 DOI: 10.1063/5.0159722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We propose a method to build full-atomistic (FA) amorphous polymer structures using reverse-mapping from coarse-grained (CG) models. In this method, three models with different resolutions are utilized, namely the CG1, CG2, and FA models. It is assumed that the CG1 model is more abstract than the CG2 model. The CG1 is utilized to equilibrate the system, and then sequential reverse-mapping procedures from the CG1 to the CG2 models and from the CG2 to the FA models are conducted. A mapping relation between the CG1 and the FA models is necessary to generate a polymer structure with a given density and radius of chains. Actually, we have used the Kremer-Grest (KG) model as the CG1 and the monomer-level CG model as the CG2 model. Utilizing the mapping relation, we have developed a scheme that constructs an FA polymer model from the KG model. In the scheme, the KG model, the monomer level CG model, and the FA model are successively constructed. The scheme is applied to polyethylene (PE), cis 1,4-polybutadiene (PB), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). As a validation, the structures of PE and PB constructed by the scheme were carefully checked through comparison with those obtained using long-time FA molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We found that both short- and long-range chain structures constructed by the scheme reproduced those obtained by the FA MD simulations. Then, as an interesting application, the scheme is applied to generate an entangled PMMA structure. The results showed that the scheme provides an efficient and easy way to construct amorphous structures of FA polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroya Nitta
- JSOL Corporation, KUDAN-KAIKAN TERRACE 1-6-5, Kudanminami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0074, Japan
| | - Taku Ozawa
- JSOL Corporation, KUDAN-KAIKAN TERRACE 1-6-5, Kudanminami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0074, Japan
| | - Kenji Yasuoka
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
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17
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Bhat MI, Sharma P, Sitharam TG, Murthy TG. Force transmission during repose of flexible granular chains. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:8493-8506. [PMID: 37723876 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00526g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
We study the mechanics of standing columns formed during the repose of flexible granular chains. It is one of the many intriguing behaviours exhibited by granular materials when links capable of transmitting tension exist between particles. We develop and calibrate a discrete element method contact model to simulate the mechanics of the macroscopic flexible granular chains and conduct simulations of the angle of repose experiments of these chains by extracting a chain-filled cylinder and allowing the material to flow out under gravity and repose. We evaluate various micro-mechanical, topological and macroscopic parameters to elucidate the mechanics of the repose behaviour of chain ensembles. It is the ability of the links connecting the individual particles to transmit tensile forces along the chain backbone that provides lateral stability to the column, enabling them to stand. In particular, the contact force rearrangement inside the columns generates a self-confining radial stress near the base of the columns, which provides an important stabilizing stress.
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18
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Polovnikov KE, Slavov B, Belan S, Imakaev M, Brandão HB, Mirny LA. Crumpled polymer with loops recapitulates key features of chromosome organization. PHYSICAL REVIEW. X 2023; 13:041029. [PMID: 38774252 PMCID: PMC11108028 DOI: 10.1103/physrevx.13.041029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Chromosomes are exceedingly long topologically-constrained polymers compacted in a cell nucleus. We recently suggested that chromosomes are organized into loops by an active process of loop extrusion. Yet loops remain elusive to direct observations in living cells; detection and characterization of myriads of such loops is a major challenge. The lack of a tractable physical model of a polymer folded into loops limits our ability to interpret experimental data and detect loops. Here, we introduce a new physical model - a polymer folded into a sequence of loops, and solve it analytically. Our model and a simple geometrical argument show how loops affect statistics of contacts in a polymer across different scales, explaining universally observed shapes of the contact probability. Moreover, we reveal that folding into loops reduces the density of topological entanglements, a novel phenomenon we refer as "the dilution of entanglements". Supported by simulations this finding suggests that up to ~ 1 - 2Mb chromosomes with loops are not topologically constrained, yet become crumpled at larger scales. Our theoretical framework allows inference of loop characteristics, draws a new picture of chromosome organization, and shows how folding into loops affects topological properties of crumpled polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill E. Polovnikov
- Current address: Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR3664, Paris, France
- Institute of Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | | | - Sergey Belan
- Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Russia
- National Research University Higher School of Economics, Faculty of Physics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim Imakaev
- Institute of Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Hugo B. Brandão
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Leonid A. Mirny
- Institute of Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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19
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Yu B, Liang H, Nealey PF, Tirrell MV, Rumyantsev AM, de Pablo JJ. Structure and Dynamics of Hybrid Colloid-Polyelectrolyte Coacervates: Insights from Molecular Simulations. Macromolecules 2023; 56:7256-7270. [PMID: 37781214 PMCID: PMC10538443 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c01079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Electrostatic interactions in polymeric systems are responsible for a wide range of liquid-liquid phase transitions that are of importance for biology and materials science. Such transitions are referred to as complex coacervation, and recent studies have sought to understand the underlying physics and chemistry. Most theoretical and simulation efforts to date have focused on oppositely charged linear polyelectrolytes, which adopt nearly ideal-coil conformations in the condensed phase. However, when one of the coacervate components is a globular protein, a better model of complexation should replace one of the species with a spherical charged particle or colloid. In this work, we perform coarse-grained simulations of colloid-polyelectrolyte coacervation using a spherical model for the colloid. Simulation results indicate that the electroneutral cell of the resulting (hybrid) coacervates consists of a polyelectrolyte layer adsorbed on the colloid. Power laws for the structure and the density of the condensed phase, which are extracted from simulations, are found to be consistent with the adsorption-based scaling theory of hybrid coacervation. The coacervates remain amorphous (disordered) at a moderate colloid charge, Q, while an intra-coacervate colloidal crystal is formed above a certain threshold, at Q > Q*. In the disordered coacervate, if Q is sufficiently low, colloids diffuse as neutral nonsticky nanoparticles in the semidilute polymer solution. For higher Q, adsorption is strong and colloids become effectively sticky. Our findings are relevant for the coacervation of polyelectrolytes with proteins, spherical micelles of ionic surfactants, and solid organic or inorganic nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyuan Yu
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Heyi Liang
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Paul F. Nealey
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Center
for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National
Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Artem M. Rumyantsev
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7905, United States
| | - Juan J. de Pablo
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Center
for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National
Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
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20
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Schneider L, de Pablo JJ. Entanglements via Slip Springs with Soft, Coarse-Grained Models for Systems Having Explicit Liquid-Vapor Interfaces. Macromolecules 2023; 56:7445-7453. [PMID: 37781215 PMCID: PMC10538480 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00960] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in nano-rheology require that new techniques and models be developed to precisely describe the equilibrium and non-equilibrium characteristics of entangled polymeric materials and their interfaces at a molecular level. In this study, a slip-spring (SLSP) model is proposed to capture the dynamics of entangled polymers at interfaces, including those between liquids, liquids and vapors, and liquids and solids. The SLSP model employs a highly coarse-grained approach, which allows for comprehensive simulations of entire nano-rheological characterization systems using a particle-level description. The model relies on many-body dissipative particle dynamics (MDPD) non-bonded interactions, which permit explicit description of liquid-vapor interfaces; a compensating potential is introduced to ensure an unbiased representation of the shape of the liquid-vapor interface within the SLSP model. The usefulness of the proposed MDPD + SLSP approach is illustrated by simulating a capillary breakup rheometer (CaBR) experiment, in which a liquid droplet splits into two segments under the influence of capillary forces. We find that the predictions of the MDPD + SLSP model are consistent with experimental measurements and theoretical predictions. The proposed model is also verified by comparison to the results of explicit molecular dynamics simulations of an entangled polymer melt using a Kremer-Grest chain representation, both at equilibrium and far from equilibrium. Taken together, the model and methods presented in this study provide a reliable framework for molecular-level interpretation of high-polymer dynamics in the presence of interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludwig Schneider
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, 5740 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637-1403, United States
| | - Juan J. de Pablo
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, 5740 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637-1403, United States
- Argonne
National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Lemont, IL 60439, United States
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21
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Liu P, Hu J, Wang Q, Tan J, Wei J, Yang H, Tang S, Huang H, Zou Y, Huang Z. Physicochemical characterization and cosmetic application of kelp blanching water polysaccharides. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 248:125981. [PMID: 37499725 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Seaweeds account for half of global mariculture and have become a key player in bio-based industries. Seaweed process typically starts with hot water blanching that helps reduce postharvest quality deterioration but also generates large amounts of hydrothermal waste. This study aims to explore the feasibility of isolating water-soluble biopolymers from seaweed hydrothermal waste and their potential applications. Using Saccharina japonica (formerly Laminaria japonica) blanching water as example, 2.9 g/L of polymeric substances were efficiently isolated by ultrafiltration, implying biopolymer coproduction potential of ~5.8 kt from blanching wastewater of current kelp industry. Physicochemical characterizations revealed polysaccharidic nature of the biopolymers, with high contents of fucose, uronic acids and sulfate, showing distinct but also overlapping structural features with hot water-extracted kelp polysaccharides. The main fraction of the blanching water polymers after anion exchange chromatography was acidic polysaccharide, the major backbone residues of which were (1-4) linked mannopyranose, (1-4) linked gulopyranose and (1-2) linked fucopyranose while the branched residues were primarily 1,3,4-, 1,2,4- and 1,4,6-linked hexoses but also 1,3,4-fucopyranose. Furthermore, the polysaccharides were found to have a good compatibility in cosmetic creams with added cohesiveness and freshness, demonstrating the application potential of such natural biopolymers from currently underexplored seaweed blanching water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peihua Liu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biocosmetics, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Jingjing Hu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biocosmetics, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Qiangqiang Wang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biocosmetics, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Jianhua Tan
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biocosmetics, Guangzhou 510641, China; Guangzhou Quality Supervision and Testing Institute, Guangzhou 511447, China
| | - Jian Wei
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biocosmetics, Guangzhou 510641, China; Guangzhou Quality Supervision and Testing Institute, Guangzhou 511447, China
| | - Hongbo Yang
- Instrumental Analysis Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shuping Tang
- Guangzhou Siyan Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hongliang Huang
- School of Biosciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yongdong Zou
- Instrumental Analysis Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Zebo Huang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Biocosmetics, Guangzhou 510641, China.
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22
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Pensalfini M, Golde T, Trepat X, Arroyo M. Nonaffine Mechanics of Entangled Networks Inspired by Intermediate Filaments. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:058101. [PMID: 37595243 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.058101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by massive intermediate filament (IF) reorganization in superstretched epithelia, we examine computationally the principles controlling the mechanics of a set of entangled filaments whose ends slide on the cell boundary. We identify an entanglement metric and threshold beyond which random loose networks respond nonaffinely and nonlinearly to stretch by self-organizing into structurally optimal star-shaped configurations. A simple model connecting cellular and filament strains links emergent mechanics to cell geometry, network topology, and filament mechanics. We identify a safety net mechanism in IF networks and provide a framework to harness entanglement in soft fibrous materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pensalfini
- Laboratori de Càlcul Numeric (LaCàN), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tom Golde
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Trepat
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marino Arroyo
- Laboratori de Càlcul Numeric (LaCàN), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Centre Internacional de Mètodes Numèrics en Enginyeria (CIMNE), 08034 Barcelona, Spain
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23
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Xiong H, Yue T, Wu Q, Zhang L, Xie Z, Liu J, Zhang L, Wu J. Self-healing bottlebrush polymer networks enabled via a side-chain interlocking design. MATERIALS HORIZONS 2023; 10:2128-2138. [PMID: 36946355 DOI: 10.1039/d3mh00274h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Exploring novel healing mechanisms is a constant impetus for the development of self-healing materials. Herein, we find that side-chain interlocking of bottlebrush polymers can form a dynamic network and thereby serve as a driving force for the self-healing process of the materials. Molecular dynamics simulation indicates that the interlocking is formed by the interpenetration between the long side chains of adjacent molecules and stabilized by van der Waals interactions and molecular entanglements of side chains. The interlocking can be tailored by changing the length and density of the side chains through atom transfer radical polymerization. As a result, the optimized bottlebrush polymer shows a healing efficiency of up to 100%. Unlike chemical interactions, side-chain interlocking eliminates the introduction of specific chemical groups. Therefore, bottlebrush polymers can even self-heal under harsh aqueous conditions, including acid and alkali solutions. Moreover, the highly dynamic side-chain interlocking enables bottlebrush polymers to efficiently dissipate vibration energy, and thus they can be used as damping materials. Collectively, side-chain interlocking expands the scope of physical interactions in self-healing materials and hews out a versatile way for polymers to accomplish self-healing capability in various environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065, P. R. China.
| | - Tongkui Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology Interdisciplinary Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
| | - Qi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065, P. R. China.
| | - Linjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065, P. R. China.
| | - Zhengtian Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065, P. R. China.
| | - Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology Interdisciplinary Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
| | - Liqun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology Interdisciplinary Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, Beijing University of Chemical Technology Beijing 100029, P. R. China.
| | - Jinrong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065, P. R. China.
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24
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Ubertini MA, Rosa A. Topological Analysis and Recovery of Entanglements in Polymer Melts. Macromolecules 2023; 56:3354-3362. [PMID: 37181245 PMCID: PMC10173697 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The viscous flow of polymer chains in dense melts is dominated by topological constraints whenever the single-chain contour length, N, becomes larger than the characteristic scale Ne, defining comprehensively the macroscopic rheological properties of the highly entangled polymer systems. Even though they are naturally connected to the presence of hard constraints like knots and links within the polymer chains, the difficulty of integrating the rigorous language of mathematical topology with the physics of polymer melts has limited somehow a genuine topological approach to the problem of classifying these constraints and to how they are related to the rheological entanglements. In this work, we tackle this problem by studying the occurrence of knots and links in lattice melts of randomly knotted and randomly concatenated ring polymers with various bending stiffness values. Specifically, by introducing an algorithm that shrinks the chains to their minimal shapes that do not violate topological constraints and by analyzing those in terms of suitable topological invariants, we provide a detailed characterization of the topological properties at the intrachain level (knots) and of links between pairs and triplets of distinct chains. Then, by employing the Z1 algorithm on the minimal conformations to extract the entanglement length Ne, we show that the ratio N/Ne, the number of entanglements per chain, can be remarkably well reconstructed in terms of only two-chain links.
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25
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Patil VP, Tuazon H, Kaufman E, Chakrabortty T, Qin D, Dunkel J, Bhamla MS. Ultrafast reversible self-assembly of living tangled matter. Science 2023; 380:392-398. [PMID: 37104611 PMCID: PMC11194538 DOI: 10.1126/science.ade7759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Tangled active filaments are ubiquitous in nature, from chromosomal DNA and cilia carpets to root networks and worm collectives. How activity and elasticity facilitate collective topological transformations in living tangled matter is not well understood. We studied California blackworms (Lumbriculus variegatus), which slowly form tangles in minutes but can untangle in milliseconds. Combining ultrasound imaging, theoretical analysis, and simulations, we developed and validated a mechanistic model that explains how the kinematics of individual active filaments determines their emergent collective topological dynamics. The model reveals that resonantly alternating helical waves enable both tangle formation and ultrafast untangling. By identifying generic dynamical principles of topological self-transformations, our results can provide guidance for designing classes of topologically tunable active materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal P. Patil
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 475 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Harry Tuazon
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
| | - Emily Kaufman
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
| | - Tuhin Chakrabortty
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
| | - David Qin
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Jörn Dunkel
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - M. Saad Bhamla
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, USA
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26
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Panagiotou E. Following the entangled state of filaments. Science 2023; 380:340-341. [PMID: 37104575 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh4055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
California blackworms serve as a template for the topological design of active matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Panagiotou
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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27
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Zhao Y, Liang Y, Yao Y, Wang H, Lin T, Gao Y, Wang X, Xue G. Chain Dynamics of Partially Disentangled UHMWPE around Melting Point Characterized by 1H Low-Field Solid-State NMR. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15081910. [PMID: 37112057 PMCID: PMC10142606 DOI: 10.3390/polym15081910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Melts of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) entangled significantly, suffering processing difficulty. In this work, we prepared partially disentangled UHMWPE by freeze-extracting, exploring the corresponding enchantment of chain mobility. Fully refocused 1H free induction decay (FID) was used to capture the difference in chain segmental mobility during the melting of UHMWPE with different degrees of entanglement by low-field solid-state NMR. The longer the polyethylene (PE) chain is in a less-entangled state, the harder the process of merging into mobile parts after detaching from crystalline lamella during melting. 1H double quantum (DQ) NMR was further used to obtain information caused by residual dipolar interaction. Before melting, the DQ peak appeared earlier in intramolecular-nucleated PE than in intermolecular-nucleated PE because of the strong constraints of crystals in the former one. During melting, less-entangled UHMWPE could keep disentangled while less-entangled high density polyethylene (HDPE) could not. Unfortunately, no noticeable difference was found in DQ experiments between PE melts with different degrees of entanglement after melting. It was ascribed to the small contribution of entanglements compared with total residual dipolar interaction in melts. Overall, less-entangled UHMWPE could reserve its disentangled state around the melting point long enough to achieve a better way of processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of High-Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuling Liang
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Yingjie Yao
- Key Laboratory of High-Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hao Wang
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Tong Lin
- Key Laboratory of High-Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yun Gao
- Key Laboratory of High-Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xiaoliang Wang
- Key Laboratory of High-Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Gi Xue
- Key Laboratory of High-Performance Polymer Materials and Technology of Ministry of Education, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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28
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Jiang N, van Ruymbeke E. Variation of Spring Stiffness, Monomeric Friction, and Brownian Intensity in the Simulation System of Unentangled Melt under Steady Flow. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nuofei Jiang
- Bio and Soft Matter, Institute on Condensed Matter and Nano-science, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve 1348, Belgium
| | - Evelyne van Ruymbeke
- Bio and Soft Matter, Institute on Condensed Matter and Nano-science, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve 1348, Belgium
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29
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Zhang J, Lei J, Tian W, Zhang G, Floudas G, Zhou J. Capillary Filling of Polymer Chains in Nanopores. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02157] [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)
- Jianwei Zhang
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Jinyu Lei
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Wenzhang Tian
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Guangzhao Zhang
- Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - George Floudas
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
- Institute of Materials Science and Computing, University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Jiajia Zhou
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, School of Emergent Soft Matter, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
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30
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Sorichetti V, Ninarello A, Ruiz-Franco J, Hugouvieux V, Zaccarelli E, Micheletti C, Kob W, Rovigatti L. Structure and elasticity of model disordered, polydisperse, and defect-free polymer networks. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:074905. [PMID: 36813705 DOI: 10.1063/5.0134271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The elasticity of disordered and polydisperse polymer networks is a fundamental problem of soft matter physics that is still open. Here, we self-assemble polymer networks via simulations of a mixture of bivalent and tri- or tetravalent patchy particles, which result in an exponential strand length distribution analogous to that of experimental randomly cross-linked systems. After assembly, the network connectivity and topology are frozen and the resulting system is characterized. We find that the fractal structure of the network depends on the number density at which the assembly has been carried out, but that systems with the same mean valence and same assembly density have the same structural properties. Moreover, we compute the long-time limit of the mean-squared displacement, also known as the (squared) localization length, of the cross-links and of the middle monomers of the strands, showing that the dynamics of long strands is well described by the tube model. Finally, we find a relation connecting these two localization lengths at high density and connect the cross-link localization length to the shear modulus of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Sorichetti
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, F-34095 Montpellier, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Cristian Micheletti
- SISSA-Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Walter Kob
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, F-34095 Montpellier, France
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31
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Svaneborg C, Everaers R. Multiscale equilibration of highly entangled isotropic model polymer melts. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:054903. [PMID: 36754791 DOI: 10.1063/5.0123431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a computationally efficient multiscale method for preparing equilibrated, isotropic long-chain model polymer melts. As an application, we generate Kremer-Grest melts of 1000 chains with 200 entanglements and 25 000-2000 beads/chain, which cover the experimentally relevant bending rigidities up to and beyond the limit of the isotropic-nematic transition. In the first step, we employ Monte Carlo simulations of a lattice model to equilibrate the large-scale chain structure above the tube scale while ensuring a spatially homogeneous density distribution. We then use theoretical insight from a constrained mode tube model to introduce the bead degrees of freedom together with random walk conformational statistics all the way down to the Kuhn scale of the chains. This is followed by a sequence of simulations with carefully parameterized force-capped bead-spring models, which slowly introduce the local bead packing while reproducing the larger-scale chain statistics of the target Kremer-Grest system at all levels of force-capping. Finally, we can switch to the full Kremer-Grest model without perturbing the structure. The resulting chain statistics is in excellent agreement with literature results on all length scales accessible in brute-force simulations of shorter chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Svaneborg
- University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Ralf Everaers
- ENSL, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique and Centre Blaise Pascal de l'École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, F-69342 Lyon, France
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32
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Fosado YAG, Howard J, Weir S, Noy A, Leake MC, Michieletto D. Fluidification of Entanglements by a DNA Bending Protein. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:058203. [PMID: 36800460 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.058203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In spite of the nanoscale and single-molecule insights into nucleoid associated proteins (NAPs), their role in modulating the mesoscale viscoelasticity of entangled DNA has been overlooked so far. By combining microrheology and molecular dynamics simulation, we find that the abundant NAP "integration host factor" (IHF) lowers the viscosity of entangled λDNA 20-fold at physiological concentrations and stoichiometries. Our results suggest that IHF may play a previously unappreciated role in resolving DNA entanglements and in turn may be acting as a "genomic fluidizer" for bacterial genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yair A G Fosado
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Jamieson Howard
- School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Weir
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Agnes Noy
- School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Mark C Leake
- School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Davide Michieletto
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
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33
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Cui X, Jiang N, Shao J, Zhang H, Yang Y, Tang P. Linear and Nonlinear Viscoelasticities of Dissociative and Associative Covalent Adaptable Networks: Discrepancies and Limits. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, China
| | - Nuofei Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, China
| | - Jingyu Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, China
| | - Hongdong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, China
| | - Yuliang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, China
| | - Ping Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai200433, China
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34
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Li J, Zhang B, Li Y. Glass Formation in Mechanically Interlocked Ring Polymers: The Role of Induced Chain Stiffness. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- Department of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Heze University, Heze274015, China
| | - Bokai Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing400715, China
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou310018, China
| | - Yushan Li
- Department of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Heze University, Heze274015, China
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35
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Tejedor AR, Carracedo R, Ramírez J. Molecular dynamics simulations of active entangled polymers reptating through a passive mesh. POLYMER 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2023.125677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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36
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Multilayered nature in crystallization of polymer droplets studied by MD simulations: Orientation and entanglement. POLYMER 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2023.125696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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37
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Zheng Y, Tsige M, Wang SQ. Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Entangled Melts at High Rates: Identifying Entanglement Lockup Mechanism Leading to True Strain Hardening. Macromol Rapid Commun 2023; 44:e2200159. [PMID: 35881534 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200159] [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: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In the present work, molecular dynamics simulations are carried out based on the bead-spring model to indicate how the entanglement lockup manifests in the late stage of fast Rouse-Weissnberg number (WiR >>1) uniaxial melt stretching of entangled polymer melts. At high strains, distinct features show up to reveal the emergence of an increasingly tightened entanglement network. Chain tension can build up, peaking at the middle of the chain, to a level for chain scission, through accumulated interchain interactions, as if there is a tug-of-war ongoing for each load-bearing chain. Thanks to the interchain uncrossability, network junctions form by the pairing of two or more hairpins. It is hypothesized that the interchain entanglement at junctions can lockup through prevailing twist-like interchain couplings as long as WiR > 9. In this limit, a significant fraction of chains act like cyclic chains to form a network held by interchain uncrossability, and appreciable chain tension emerges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yexin Zheng
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, OH, 44325, USA
| | - Mesfin Tsige
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, OH, 44325, USA
| | - Shi-Qing Wang
- School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, OH, 44325, USA
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38
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Tagliabue A, Micheletti C, Mella M. Tuning Knotted Copolyelectrolyte Conformations via Solution Properties. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Tagliabue
- Dipartimento di Scienza ed Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100Como, Italy
- SISSA (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati), via Bonomea 265, 34136Trieste, Italy
| | - Cristian Micheletti
- SISSA (Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati), via Bonomea 265, 34136Trieste, Italy
| | - Massimo Mella
- Dipartimento di Scienza ed Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100Como, Italy
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39
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Ubertini MA, Smrek J, Rosa A. Entanglement Length Scale Separates Threading from Branching of Unknotted and Non-concatenated Ring Polymers in Melts. Macromolecules 2022; 55:10723-10736. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Alberto Ubertini
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136Trieste, Italy
| | - Jan Smrek
- Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelo Rosa
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Via Bonomea 265, 34136Trieste, Italy
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40
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Initial Crystallization Effects in Coarse-Grained Polyethylene Systems After Uni- and Biaxial Stretching in Blow-Molding Cooling Scenarios. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14235144. [PMID: 36501539 PMCID: PMC9740480 DOI: 10.3390/polym14235144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the initial stage of the thermo-mechanical crystallization behavior for uni- and biaxially stretched polyethylene. The models are based on a mesoscale molecular dynamics approach. We take constraints that occur in real-life polymer processing into account, especially with respect to the blowing stage of the extrusion blow-molding process. For this purpose, we deform our systems using a wide range of stretching levels before they are quenched. We discuss the effects of the stretching procedures on the micro-mechanical state of the systems, characterized by entanglement behavior and nematic ordering of chain segments. For the cooling stage, we use two different approaches which allow for free or hindered shrinkage, respectively. During cooling, crystallization kinetics are monitored: We precisely evaluate how the interplay of chain length, temperature, local entanglements and orientation of chain segments influence crystallization behavior. Our models reveal that the main stretching direction dominates microscopic states of the different systems. We are able to show that crystallization mainly depends on the (dis-)entanglement behavior. Nematic ordering plays a secondary role.
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41
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Schmid F. Understanding and Modeling Polymers: The Challenge of Multiple Scales. ACS POLYMERS AU 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acspolymersau.2c00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Schmid
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 9, 55128Mainz, Germany
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42
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Yu B, Liang H, Rumyantsev AM, de Pablo JJ. Isotropic-to-Nematic Transition in Salt-Free Polyelectrolyte Coacervates from Coarse-Grained Simulations. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01674] [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)
- Boyuan Yu
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois60637, United States
| | - Heyi Liang
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois60637, United States
| | - Artem M. Rumyantsev
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois60637, United States
| | - Juan J. de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois60637, United States
- Center for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois60439, United States
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43
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Liu J, Guo H, Gao Q, Li H, An Z, Zhang W. Coil–Globule Transition of a Water-Soluble Polymer. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jianyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Huazhang Guo
- Institute of Nanochemistry and Nanobiology, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Qingjie Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Hongbin Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Zesheng An
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Wenke Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
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44
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Tzourtzouklis I, Hahn C, Frey H, Floudas G. Molecular Dynamics and Viscoelastic Properties of the Biobased 1,4-Polymyrcene. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01507] [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)
| | - Christoph Hahn
- Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Mainz 55099, Germany
- Max Planck Graduate Center Mainz, Mainz 55128, Germany
| | - Holger Frey
- Department of Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Mainz 55099, Germany
| | - George Floudas
- Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece
- University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI) - Institute of Materials Science and Computing, Ioannina 45110, Greece
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45
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Lu H, Chen R, He MW, Liu H, Xue YH. A possible strategy for generating polymer chains with an entanglement-free structure. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:6888-6898. [PMID: 36043893 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00897a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We propose a possible strategy that may experimentally generate long polymeric chains with an entanglement-free structure. The basic idea is designing the conditions to restrict polymer chains from growing along the surface with an obviously concave curvature. This strategy is proved to effectively reduce the chance of forming both inter- and intra-molecular entanglements, which is quite similar to the self-avoiding random walking of chains on a two dimensional plane. We believe that this kind of chain growth strategy may supply a kind of possible explanation on the formation of the entanglement-free structure of chromosomes, which also have tremendously large molecular weight. Besides, this study also guides experimentalists on synthesizing specific entanglement-free functional polymeric or biological materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Lu
- Information Science School, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Guangzhou 510320, China.
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ran Chen
- College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130023, China
| | - Min-Wei He
- Information Science School, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Guangzhou 510320, China.
| | - Hong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yao-Hong Xue
- Information Science School, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, Guangzhou 510320, China.
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46
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Guo F, Wu J, Yang Z, Li K, Zhang L. Penetration of linear chains into semiflexible knotted rings in linear-ring blends. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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47
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Chen Q, Huang W, Duan P, Yue T, Zhang L, Wu X, Liu J. Manipulating the mechanical properties of cis-polyisoprene nanocomposites via molecular dynamics simulation. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2022.125233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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48
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Furuya T, Koga T. Effects of Primary Structure of Reactive Polymers on Network Structure and Mechanical Properties of Gels. MACROMOL THEOR SIMUL 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/mats.202200044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Furuya
- Department of Polymer Chemistry Graduate School of Engineering Kyoto University Katsura Kyoto 615‐8510 Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Koga
- Department of Polymer Chemistry Graduate School of Engineering Kyoto University Katsura Kyoto 615‐8510 Japan
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49
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Hollborn KU, Schneider L, Müller M. Effect of Slip-Spring Parameters on the Dynamics and Rheology of Soft, Coarse-Grained Polymer Models. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:6725-6739. [PMID: 36037428 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c03983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Highly coarse-grained (hCG) linear polymer models allow for accessing long time and length scales by dissipative particle dynamics (DPD). This top-down strategy exploits the universal equilibrium behavior of long, flexible macromolecules by accounting only for the relevant interactions, such as molecular connectivity, and by parametrizing their strength via coarse-grained invariants, such as the mean-squared end-to-end distance. The description of the dynamics of long, entangled polymers, however, poses a challenge because (i) the noncrossability of the molecular backbones is not enforced by the soft interactions of an hCG model and (ii) the rheology involves multiple time and length scales, such as the Rouse-like dynamics on short scales and the reptation dynamics on long scales. One popular technique to effectively mimic the effect of entanglements in linear polymer melts via hCG models is slip-springs, and quantitative agreement with simulations that explicitly account for the noncrossability of molecular contours, experiments, and theoretical predictions has been achieved by identifying the time, length, and energy scales of the hCG model and adjusting the number of slip-springs per macromolecule. In the present work, we study how the spatial extent and the mobility of slip-springs affect the dynamics and discuss their implications in the choice of the degree of coarse-graining in computationally efficient hCG models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Uwe Hollborn
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ludwig Schneider
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Marcus Müller
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August Universität Göttingen, Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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50
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Nicholson DA, Andreev M, Kearns KL, Chyasnavichyus M, Monaenkova D, Moore J, den Doelder J, Rutledge GC. Experiments and Modeling of Flow-Enhanced Nucleation in LLDPE. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:6529-6535. [PMID: 35998645 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c03460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A computational and experimental framework for quantifying flow-enhanced nucleation (FEN) in polymers is presented and demonstrated for an industrial-grade linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). Experimentally, kinetic measurements of isothermal crystallization were performed by using fast-scanning calorimetry (FSC) for melts that were presheared at various strain rates. The effect of shear on the average conformation tensor of the melt was modeled with the discrete slip-link model (DSM). The conformation tensor was then related to the acceleration in nucleation kinetics by using an expression previously validated with nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD). The expression is based on the nematic order tensor of Kuhn segments, which can be obtained from the conformation tensor of entanglement strands. The single adjustable parameter of the model was determined by fitting to the experimental FSC data. This expression accurately describes FEN for the LLDPE, representing a significant advancement toward the development of a fully integrated processing model for crystallizable polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Nicholson
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Marat Andreev
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Kenneth L Kearns
- The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan 48642, United States
| | | | - Daria Monaenkova
- The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan 48642, United States
| | - Jonathan Moore
- The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan 48642, United States
| | - Jaap den Doelder
- Dow Benelux BV, 4530 AA Terneuzen, The Netherlands.,Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612 AZ Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Gregory C Rutledge
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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