Design of Soft Materials from Liquid Triblock Co-Oligomers and Metal Nanoparticles

Title data

Pletsch, Holger ; Schnepf, Max J. ; Agarwal, Seema:
Design of Soft Materials from Liquid Triblock Co-Oligomers and Metal Nanoparticles.
In: Chemistry of Materials. Vol. 26 (2014) Issue 16 . - pp. 4805-4811.
ISSN 1520-5002
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/cm502322g

Project information

Abstract in another language

Thermally processable soft material networks with adjustable mechanical properties made from very low molar mass α,ω-dithiol functionalized ABA triblock co-oligomers (α,ω-dithiol oligo(isoprene-b-styrene-b-isoprene) (TISIT)) using AgNP as thermally reversible cross-linking points are highlighted in the present work. Liquid TISIT oligomers were synthesized by sequential anionic polymerization and subsequently cross-linked with AgNP. Low molar masses (4200–4800 g mol–1) were engaged, assuring disordered microstructures and therefore, low viscosities at elevated temperatures. Smooth films with homogeneous nanoparticle distributions of the resulting quasi-segmented soft material networks (TISIT@AgNP) were made by heat pressing. The interplay of styrene and AgNP as the structure-supplying portions in TISIT@AgNP samples facilitates access to materials with tensile strengths up to 5.58 MPa, toughness up to 13.3 MN mm–2, and tensile moduli up to 80.1 MPa at room temperature and strongly decreased elasticity and viscosity at elevated temperatures, even below the glass transition temperature of polystyrene.