@article{HoffmannMachatschekLendlein2022,
  author    = {Hoffmann, Falk and Machatschek, Rainhard Gabriel and Lendlein, Andreas},
  title     = {Analytical model and Monte Carlo simulations of polymer degradation with improved chain cut statistics},
  series = {Journal of materials research : JMR},
  volume    = {37},
  journal   = {Journal of materials research : JMR},
  number    = {5},
  publisher = {Springer},
  address   = {Heidelberg},
  issn      = {0884-2914},
  doi       = {10.1557/s43578-022-00495-4},
  pages     = {1093 -- 1101},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {The degradation of polymers is described by mathematical models based on bond cleavage statistics including the decreasing probability of chain cuts with decreasing average chain length. We derive equations for the degradation of chains under a random chain cut and a chain end cut mechanism, which are compared to existing models. The results are used to predict the influence of internal molecular parameters. It is shown that both chain cut mechanisms lead to a similar shape of the mass or molecular mass loss curve. A characteristic time is derived, which can be used to extract the maximum length of soluble fragments l of the polymer. We show that the complete description is needed to extract the degradation rate constant k from the molecular mass loss curve and that l can be used to design polymers that lose less mechanical stability before entering the mass loss phase.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{IzraylitLiuTarazonaetal.2021,
  author    = {Izraylit, Victor and Liu, Yue and Tarazona, Natalia A. and Machatschek, Rainhard Gabriel and Lendlein, Andreas},
  title     = {Crystallization and degradation behaviour of multiblock copolyester blends in Langmuir monolayers},
  series = {MRS communications / a publication of the Materials Research Society},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {MRS communications / a publication of the Materials Research Society},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {Springer},
  address   = {Berlin},
  issn      = {2159-6859},
  doi       = {10.1557/s43579-021-00107-y},
  pages     = {850 -- 855},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Supporting the wound healing of soft tissues requires fixation devices becoming more elastic while degrading. To address this unmet need, we designed a blend of degradable multiblock copolymers, which is cross-linked by PLA stereocomplexation combining two soft segments differing substantially in their hydrolytic degradation rate. The degradation path and concomitant structural changes are predicted by Langmuir monolayer technique. The fast hydrolysis of one soft segment leads to a decrease of the total polymer mass at constant physical cross-linking density. The corresponding increase of the average spacing between the network nodes suggests the targeted increase of the blend's flexibility.},
  language  = {en}
}