2023-03-10 ノースカロライナ州立大学(NCState)
この技術は、ポリマー化学の代わりに構造を単純に制御することにより、新しいポリマーの機能性を得ることができるため、幅広い種類のポリマーおよびバイオポリマーに使用できる。研究者たちは、この技術が、より良いバッテリーの設計に使用されるナノシートや、環境浄化技術や新しい軽量メタ材料の作成に使用される枝状のポリマー繊維の分岐ネットワークであるデンドリコロイドに使用されることを示した。
研究者たちは、この技術が容易に拡大できるため、実用的な製造にも適していると述べている。
＜関連情報＞
- https://news.ncsu.edu/2023/03/fluid-mixing-polymer-morphologies/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202211438
多様なモルフォロジーを持つ高分子ソフトマターの流体テンプレート化 Fluid Flow Templating of Polymeric Soft Matter with Diverse Morphologies
Rachel S. Bang, Sangchul Roh, Austin H. Williams, Simeon D. Stoyanov, Orlin D. Velev
Advanced Materials Published: 25 February 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202211438
Abstract
It is challenging to find a conventional nanofabrication technique that can consistently produce soft polymeric matter of high surface area and nanoscale morphology in a way that is scalable, versatile, and easily tunable. Here, the capabilities of a universal method for fabricating diverse nano- and micro-scale morphologies based on polymer precipitation templated by the fluid streamlines in multiphasic flow are explored. It is shown that while the procedure is operationally simple, various combinations of its intertwined mechanisms can controllably and reproducibly lead to the formation of an extraordinary wide range of colloidal morphologies. By systematically investigating the process conditions, 12 distinct classes of polymer micro- and nano-structures including particles, rods, ribbons, nanosheets, and soft dendritic colloids (dendricolloids) are identified. The outcomes are interpreted by delineating the physical processes into three stages: hydrodynamic shear, capillary and mechanical breakup, and polymer precipitation rate. The insights into the underlying fundamental mechanisms provide guidance toward developing a versatile and scalable nanofabrication platform. It is verified that the liquid shear-based technique is versatile and works well with many chemically diverse polymers and biopolymers, showing potential as a universal tool for simple and scalable nanofabrication of many morphologically distinct soft matter classes.
