In: MRS Bulletin, 2012, vol. 37, no. 6, p. 581-589
|
In: Journal of Neural Engineering, 2011, vol. 8, no. 4, p. 046010
We recently introduced a series of stimuli-responsive, mechanically adaptive polymer nanocomposites. Here, we report the first application of these bio-inspired materials as substrates for intracortical microelectrodes. Our hypothesis is that the ideal electrode should be initially stiff to facilitate minimal trauma during insertion into the cortex, yet become mechanically compliant to match the...
|
In: Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 2011, vol. 21, no. 5, p. 054009
This paper reports the development of micromachining processes and mechanical evaluation of a stimuli-responsive, mechanically dynamic polymer nanocomposite for biomedical microsystems. This nanocomposite consists of a cellulose nanofiber network encased in a polyvinyl acetate matrix. Micromachined tensile testing structures fabricated from the nanocomposite displayed a reversible and switchable...
|
In: Progress in Polymer Science, 2010, vol. 35, no. 1-2, p. 212–222
The development of a new class of mechanically adaptive nanocomposites has been inspired by biological creatures such as sea cucumbers, which have the ability to reversibly change the stiffness of their dermis. Several recent studies have related this dynamic mechanical behaviour to the distinctive nanocomposite architecture of the collagenous tissue, in which interactions among rigid collagen...
|
In: Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2010, vol. 20, p. 180-186
A new series of biomimetic, stimuli-responsive nanocomposites, which change their mechanical properties upon exposure to physiological conditions, was investigated. The materials were produced by introducing percolating networks of cellulose whiskers isolated from cotton into poly(vinyl acetate). Below the glass-transition temperature (Tg∼ 63 °C), the tensile storage moduli...
|
In: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2009, vol. 2, no. 1, p. 165–174
A new series of biomimetic stimuli-responsive nanocomposites, which change their mechanical properties upon exposure to physiological conditions, was prepared and investigated. The materials were produced by introducing percolating networks of cellulose nanofibers or “whiskers” derived from tunicates into poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA), and blends of these...
|