Stimuli-Responsive Nanodiamond–Polyelectrolyte Composite Films

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...

Wet-Spun Stimuli-Responsive Composite Fibers with Tunable Electrical Conductivity

Wet-spun stimuli-responsive composite fi bers made of covalently crosslinked alginate with a high concentration of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are electroconductive and sensitive to humidity, pH, and ionic strength, due to pH-tunable water absorbing properties of the covalently crosslinked alginate. The conductivity depends on the material swelling in humid atmosphere and aqueous so...

Multi-Layered Films Containing a Biomimetic Stimuli-Responsive Recombinant Protein

Electrostatic self-assembly was used to fabricate new smart multi-layer coatings, using a recombinant elastin-like polymer (ELP) and chitosan as the counterion macromolecule. The ELP was bioproduced, purified and its purity and expected molecular weight were assessed. Aggregate size measurements, obtained by light scattering of dissolved ELP, were performed as a function of temperature and pH t...

Mechanical Coating Technique for Composite Films and Composite Photocatalyst Films

Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Nanotube Arrays

Nanotube arrays, composed of materials such as carbon, titania, and zinc oxide, have shown potential as conductors, energy conversion devices, actuators, and adhesives. Such nanoscale constructs are particularly novel for their high area-to-volume and length-to-diameter aspect ratios that lead to physical and chemical properties more interesting than their bulk counterparts. However, the stimul...