Role of mechanical factors in applications of stimuli-responsive polymer gels – Status and prosp

Published Date
28 September 2016, Vol.101:415–449, doi:10.1016/j.polymer.2016.08.068

Author 

Alexander V. Goponenko

Yuris A. Dzenis ^,

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0526, USA

Received 23 March 2016. Revised 18 August 2016. Accepted 21 August 2016. Available online 24 August 2016.

Highlights

• Stimuli responsive gels are versatile, rapidly developing class of materials.
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  Mechanical aspects of gels are important but have not been sufficiently studied.
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  Low response rate and poor mechanical robustness remain critical issues for applications.
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  New ways to enhance gel response speed and robustness need to be developed.
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  Nanofilamentary materials that combine speed of nanogels with macroscopic size represent one possible solution.

Abstract

Due to their unique characteristics such as multifold change of volume in response to minute change in the environment, resemblance of soft biological tissues, ability to operate in wet environments, and chemical tailorability, stimuli-responsive gels represent a versatile and very promising class of materials for sensors, muscle-type actuators, biomedical applications, and autonomous intelligent structures. Success of these materials in practical applications largely depends on their ability to fulfill application-specific mechanical requirements. This article provides an overview of recent application-driven development of covalent polymer gels with special emphasis on the relevant mechanical factors and properties. A short account of mechanisms of gel swelling and mechanical characteristics of importance to stimuli-responsive gels is presented. The review highlights major barriers for wider application of these materials and discusses latest advances and potential future directions toward overcoming these barriers, including interpenetrating networks, homogeneous networks, nanocomposites, and nanofilamentary gels.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

• Hydrogels
• Stimuli-responsive gels
• Mechanical properties
• Swelling
• Sensors
• Actuators

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Abbreviations

4VP

4-vinylpyridine

AAc

acrylic acid

AAm

acrylamide

AFP

α-fetoprotein (tumor-specific marker glycoprotein)

AMERAH

arm-wrestling match between an EAP actuated robotic arm and a human

AMP

adenosine 5′-monophosphate

AMPS

2-acrylamido-2′-methylpropanesulfonic acid

APTAC

(3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride

ATP

adenosine triphosphate

BZ

Belousov–Zhabotinsky (reaction)

CMP

cytidine 5′-monophosphate

ConA

concanavalin A

DETA

diethylene triamide

DMAEM

2-dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate

DMAPAAm

N-(3-dimethylamino propyl) acrylamide

EAP

electroactive polymer

GMP

guanosine 5′-monophosphate

GOx

glucose oxidase

HEMA

2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate

iOA

iso-octyl acrylate

LCST

low critical solution temperature

MAAc

methacrylic acid

NEAAm

N-ethylacrylamide

NIPAM

N-isopropylacrylamide

P4VP

poly(4-vinylpyridine)

PAAc

poly(acrylic acid)

PAAm

poly(acrylamide)

PAMPS

poly(2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid)

PAN

poly(acrylonitrile)

PCCA

polymerized colloidal crystalline arrays

PDGI

poly(dodecyl glyceryl itaconate)

PEDOT

poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)

PEG

poly(ethylene glycol)

PMAAc

poly(methacrylic acid)

PMMA

poly(methyl methacrylate)

PNIPAM

poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

PSS

poly(styrenesulfonate)

PVA

poly(vinyl alcohol)

QCM

quartz crystal microbalance

Ru(bpy)₃

ruthenium tris(2,2′-bipyridine)

SRG

stimuli-responsive gel

TE

tissue engineering

TFMPA

trifluoromethyl propenoic acid

UCST

upper critical solution temperature

UMP

uridine 5′-monophosphate

VI

vinyl imidazole

α-CD

α-cyclodextrin

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 Table 1

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 Table 2

Table 2.

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Fig. 28.

• PPTX (1.5M)

Vitae

Alexander Goponenko received his M.S. in Materials Science from Lomonosov Moscow State University (1997) and Ph.D. in Macromolecular Chemistry from Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry (2000). After working as a postdoc at University of Pittsburgh (2001–2004) and at University of Nebraska Medical Center (2005–2006), he has been employed as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at University of Nebraska–Lincoln. His research interests include polymer gels and nanostructured materials.

Yuris Dzenis is a McBroom Professor of Engineering at UNL. He has earned his PhD in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas-Arlington, PhD in Physics and Mechanics of Polymers from Latvian Academy of Sciences, and MS in Physics (Electrodynamics of Continua) from Latvian University. His research interests are in design, manufacturing, modeling, and characterization of advanced nanomaterials and composites. He has introduced and developed several nanomanufacturing and hybrid manufacturing technologies to produce advanced nanomaterials. He has pioneered development of cost-effective delamination resistant structural composites with nanoreinforced interfaces. Most recent advances include the discovery and explanation of simultaneously high strength and toughness of ultrafine continuous polymer nanofibers.

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  Corresponding author.
  
  

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