Microengineering of supramolecular soft materials by design of the crystalline fiber networks

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Li, Jing-Liang

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Microengineering of supramolecular soft materials by design of the crystalline fiber networks

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/88208

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Title: Microengineering of supramolecular soft materials by design of the crystalline fiber networks
Author(s): Li, Jing-Liang; Yuan, Bing; Liu, Xiang-Yang; Xu, Hong-Yao
Abstract: Crystalline spherulitic fiber networks are commonly observed in polymeric and supramolecular functional materials. The elasticity of materials with this type of network is low if interactions between the individual spherulites are weak (mutually exclusive). Improving the elasticity of these materials is necessary because of their important applications in many fields. In this work, the engineering of the microstructures and theological properties of this type of material is carried out. A small molecule organogel formed by the gelation of N-lauroyl-L-glutamic acid di-n-butylamide (GP-1) in propylene glycol (PG) is used as an example. The elasticity of this material is improved by controlling the thermodynamic driving force, the supersaturation of the gelator, and by using a selected copolymer additive to manipulate the primary nucleation of GP-1. Because of the weak interactions between the GP-1 spherulites, with the same fiber mass, the elasticity of GP-1/PG gel is less than half of those of the other two gels formed by GP-1 and 2-hydroxystearlic acid in solvent benzyl benzoate (BB), which are supported by interconnecting spherulitic fiber networks. This work develops a robust approach to the engineering of supramolecular functional materials especially those with mutually exclusive spherulite fiber networks.
Publication type: Journal article
Research centre: Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences. Centre for Micro-Photonics
Source: Crystal Growth & Design, Vol. 10, no. 6 (Jun 2010), pp. 2699-2706
Publication year: 2010
FOR Code(s): 0306 Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural); 0912 Materials Engineering
Keyword(s): Copolymers; Crystalline spherulitic fiber networks; Elasticity; Microengineering; Supersaturation; Supramolecular soft materials
Publisher: American Chemical Society
ISSN: 1528-7483
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/cg100188w
Additional information: The authors acknowledge support from Singapore ARC MOE funding (Project No. T13-0602-P10), the China NRF Grant (Project No. 50928301) and the China Chang Jiang Chair Professorship Program (Dong Hua University).
Peer reviewed