TY - JOUR A1 - Balk, Maria A1 - Behl, Marc A1 - Lendlein, Andreas T1 - Actuators based on oligo[(epsilon-caprolactone)-co-glycolide] with accelerated hydrolytic degradation JF - MRS advances : a journal of the Materials Research Society (MRS) N2 - Polyester-based shape-memory polymer actuators are multifunctional materials providing reversible macroscopic shape shifts as well as hydrolytic degradability. Here, the function-function interdependencies (between shape shifts and degradation behaviour) will determine actuation performance and its life time. In this work, glycolide units were incorporated in poly(epsilon-caprolactone) based actuator materials in order to achieve an accelerated hydrolytic degradation and to explore the function-function relationship. Three different oligo[(epsilon-caprolactone)-co-glycolide] copolymers (OCGs) with similar molecular weights (10.5 +/- 0.5 kg center dot mol(-1)) including a glycolide content of 8, 16, and 26 mol% (ratio 1:1:1 wt%) terminated with methacrylated moieties were crosslinked. The obtained actuators provided a broad melting transition in the range from 27 to 44 degrees C. The hydrolytic degradation of programmed OCG actuators (200% of elongation) resulted in a reduction of sample mass to 51 wt% within 21 days at pH = 7.4 and 40 degrees C. Degradation results in a decrease of T-m associated to the actuating units and increasing T-m associated to the skeleton forming units. The actuation capability decreased almost linear as function of time. After 11 days of hydrolytic degradation the shape-memory functionality was lost. Accordingly, a fast degradation behaviour as required, e.g., for actuator materials intended as implant material can be realized. KW - actuation KW - shape memory KW - polymer KW - crystalline Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2019.447 SN - 2059-8521 VL - 5 IS - 12-13 SP - 655 EP - 666 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - New York, NY ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Abbasi, Ali A1 - Xu, Yaolin A1 - Khezri, Ramin A1 - Etesami, Mohammad A1 - Lin, C. A1 - Kheawhom, Soorathep A1 - Lu, Yan T1 - Advances in characteristics improvement of polymeric membranes/separators for zinc-air batteries JF - Materials Today Sustainability N2 - Zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are gaining popularity for a wide range of applications due to their high energy density, excellent safety, and environmental friendliness. A membrane/separator is a critical component of ZABs, with substantial implications for battery performance and stability, particularly in the case of a battery in solid state format, which has captured increased attention in recent years. In this review, recent advances as well as insight into the architecture of polymeric membrane/separators for ZABs including porous polymer separators (PPSs), gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs), solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) and anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are discussed. The paper puts forward strategies to enhance stability, ionic conductivity, ionic selectivity, electrolyte storage capacity and mechanical properties for each type of polymeric membrane. In addition, the remaining major obstacles as well as the most potential avenues for future research are examined in detail. KW - Ionic selectivity KW - Ionic conductivity KW - Gel polymer KW - Ion exchange KW - Porous KW - polymer Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtsust.2022.100126 SN - 2589-2347 VL - 18 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Behl, Marc A1 - Zhao, Qian A1 - Lendlein, Andreas T1 - Glucose-responsive shape-memory cryogels JF - Journal of materials research : JMR N2 - Boronic ester bonds can be reversibly formed between phenylboronic acid (PBA) and triol moieties. Here, we aim at a glucose-induced shape-memory effect by implementing such bonds as temporary netpoints, which are cleavable by glucose and by minimizing the volume change upon stimulation by a porous cryogel structure. The polymer system consisted of a semi-interpenetrating network (semi-IPN) architecture, in which the triol moieties were part of the permanent network and the PBA moieties were located in the linear polymer diffused into the semi-IPN. In an alkaline medium (pH = 10), the swelling ratio was approximately 35, independent of C-glu varied between 0 and 300 mg/dL. In bending experiments, shape fixity R-f approximate to 80% and shape recovery R-r approximate to 100% from five programming/recovery cycles could be determined. R-r was a function of C-glu in the range from 0 to 300 mg/dL, which accords with the fluctuation range of C-glu in human blood. In this way, the shape-memory hydrogels could play a role in future diabetes treatment options. KW - shape memory KW - polymer KW - porosity Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2020.204 SN - 0884-2914 SN - 2044-5326 VL - 35 IS - 18 SP - 2396 EP - 2404 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tentschert, Jutta A1 - Jungnickel, Harald A1 - Reichardt, Philipp A1 - Leube, Peter A1 - Kretzschmar, Bernd A1 - Taubert, Andreas A1 - Luch, A. T1 - Identification of nano clay in composite polymers JF - Surface and interface analysis : an international journal devoted to the development and application of techniques for the analysis surfaces, interfaces and thin films N2 - Industrialized food production is in urgent search for alternative packaging materials, which can serve the requirements of a globalized world in terms of longer product shelf lives, reduced freight weight to decrease transport costs, and better barrier functionality to preserve its freshness. Polymer materials containing organically modified nano clay particles as additives are one example for a new generation of packaging materials with specific barrier functionality to actually hit the market. Clay types used for these applications are aluminosilicates, which belong to the mineral group of phyllosilicates. These consist of nano-scaled thin platelets, which are organically modified with quaternary ammonium compounds acting as spacers between the different clay layers, thereby increasing the hydrophobicity of the mineral additive. A variety of different organically modified clays are already available, and the use as additive for food packaging materials is one important application. To ensure valid risk assessments of emerging nano composite polymers used in the food packaging industry, exact analytical characterization of the organically modified clay within the polymer matrix is of paramount importance. Time-of-flight SIMS in combination with multivariate statistical analysis was used to differentiate modified clay reference materials from another. Time-of-flight SIMS spectra of a reference polymer plate, which contained one specific nano clay composite, were acquired. For each modified clay additive, a set of characteristic diagnostic ions could be identified, which then was used to successfully assign unknown clay additives to the corresponding reference material. Thus, the described methodology could be used to define and characterize nano clay within polymer matrices. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KW - ToF-SIMS KW - nanoparticles KW - nano clay KW - polymer KW - food contact material Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/sia.5546 SN - 0142-2421 SN - 1096-9918 VL - 46 SP - 334 EP - 336 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Izraylit, Victor A1 - Gould, Oliver E. C. A1 - Kratz, Karl A1 - Lendlein, Andreas T1 - Investigating the phase-morphology of PLLA-PCL multiblock copolymer/PDLA blends cross-linked using stereocomplexation JF - MRS advances N2 - The macroscale function of multicomponent polymeric materials is dependent on their phase-morphology. Here, we investigate the morphological structure of a multiblock copolymer consisting of poly(L-lactide) and poly(epsilon-caprolactone) segments (PLLA-PCL), physically cross-linked by stereocomplexation with a low molecular weight poly(D-lactide) oligomer (PDLA). The effects of blend composition and PLLA-PCL molecular structure on the morphology are elucidated by AFM, TEM and SAXS. We identify the formation of a lattice pattern, composed of PLA domains within a PCL matrix, with an average domain spacing d0 = 12 - 19 nm. The size of the PLA domains were found to be proportional to the block length of the PCL segment of the copolymer and inversely proportional to the PDLA content of the blend. Changing the PLLA-PCL / PDLA ratio caused a shift in the melt transition Tm attributed to the PLA stereocomplex crystallites, indicating partial amorphous phase dilution of the PLA and PCL components within the semicrystalline material. By elucidating the phase structure and thermal character of multifunctional PLLA-PCL / PDLA blends, we illustrate how composition affects the internal structure and thermal properties of multicomponent polymeric materials. This study should facilitate the more effective incorporation of a variety of polymeric structural units capable of stimuli responsive phase transitions, where an understanding the phase-morphology of each component will enable the production of multifunctional soft-actuators with enhanced performance. KW - polymer KW - blend KW - nanostructure KW - morphology Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2019.465 SN - 2059-8521 VL - 5 IS - 14-15 SP - 699 EP - 707 PB - Cambridge Univ. Press CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Behl, Marc A1 - Balk, Maria A1 - Mansfeld, Ulrich A1 - Lendlein, Andreas T1 - Phase morphology of multiblock copolymers differing in sequence of blocks JF - Macromolecular materials and engineering N2 - The chemical nature, the number length of integrated building blocks, as well as their sequence structure impact the phase morphology of multiblock copolymers (MBC) consisting of two non-miscible block types. It is hypothesized that a strictly alternating sequence should impact phase segregation. A library of well-defined MBC obtained by coupling oligo(epsilon-caprolactone) (OCL) of different molecular weights (2, 4, and 8 kDa) with oligotetrahydrofuran (OTHF, 2.9 kDa) via Steglich esterification results in strictly alternating (MBCalt) or random (MBCran) MBC. The three different series has a weight average molecular weight (M-w) of 65 000, 165 000, and 168 000 g mol(-1) for MBCalt and 80 500, 100 000, and 147 600 g mol(-1) for MBCran. When the chain length of OCL building blocks is increased, the tendency for phase segregation is facilitated, which is attributed to the decrease in chain mobility within the MBC. Furthermore, it is found that the phase segregation disturbs the crystallization by causing heterogeneities in the semi-crystalline alignment, which is attributed to an increase of the disorder of the OCL semi-crystalline alignment. KW - electron microscopy KW - multiblock copolymers KW - phase morphology KW - polymer KW - libraries KW - sequence structures KW - wide angle x‐ ray scattering Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/mame.202000672 SN - 1439-2054 VL - 306 IS - 3 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lützow, Karola A1 - Weigel, Thomas A1 - Lendlein, Andreas T1 - Solvent-based fabrication method for magnetic, shape-memory nanocomposite foams JF - MRS advances N2 - This paper presents shape-memory foams that can be temporarily fixed in their compressed state and be expanded on demand. Highly porous, nanocomposite foams were prepared from a solution of polyetherurethane with suspended nanoparticles (mean aggregate size 90 nm) which have an iron(III) oxide core with a silica shell. The polymer solution with suspended nanoparticles was cooled down to -20 degrees C in a two-stage process, which was followed by freeze-drying. The average pore size increases with decreasing concentration of nanoparticles from 158 mu m to 230 mu m while the foam porosity remained constant. After fixation of a temporary form of the nanocomposite foams, shape recovery can be triggered either by heat or by exposure to an alternating magnetic field. Compressed foams showed a recovery rate of up to 76 +/- 4% in a thermochamber at 80 degrees C, and a slightly lower recovery rate of up to 65 +/- 4% in a magnetic field. KW - composite KW - foam KW - polymer KW - magnetic KW - shape memory Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2019.422 SN - 2059-8521 VL - 5 IS - 14-15 SP - 785 EP - 795 PB - Cambridge Univ. Press CY - Cambridge ER -