High-Strength, Healable, Supramolecular Polymer Nanocomposites

High-strength, healable, supramolecular polymer nanocomposites.

A supramolecular polymer blend, formed via π-π interactions between a π-electron rich pyrenyl end-capped oligomer and a chain-folding oligomer containing pairs of π-electron poor naphthalene-diimide (NDI) units, has been reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to afford a healable nanocomposite material. Nanocomposites with varying weight percentage of CNCs (from 1.25 to 20.0 wt %) within...

Thin Films of Supramolecular Nanocomposites

Graphene-Based Polymer Nanocomposites

Materials science continues to occupy a central place in our lives primarily through the design and creation of new materials, and our quality of life has improved over time thanks to the discovery of new materials. Major milestones in the advancement of our society are intimately associated with materials throughout history: the stone age, bronze age, iron age, steel age (industrial revolution...

Dynamics in Polymer Nanocomposites

Polymer diffusion and matrix morphology are investigated in polymer nanocomposites (PNCs). Using elastic recoil detection, tracer diffusion coefficients (D) of dPS and dPMMA are measured in PNCs containing polystyrene (PS) with phenyl-capped (Ph) silica, and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with hydroxylterminated (OH) silica nanoparticles (NPs), respectively. As NP volume fraction increases or...

Healable thermoset polymer composite embedded with stimuli-responsive fibres.

Severe wounds in biological systems such as human skin cannot heal themselves, unless they are first stitched together. Healing of macroscopic damage in thermoset polymer composites faces a similar challenge. Stimuli-responsive shape-changing polymeric fibres with outstanding mechanical properties embedded in polymers may be able to close macro-cracks automatically upon stimulation such as heat...