In: Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 2017, p. 640-652
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In: Chemistry of Materials, 2017, vol. 29, no. 14, p. 6145-6152
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In: Macromolecules, 2016, vol. 49, p. 2917–2927
Molecules comprising aliphatic azo moieties are widely used as radical polymerization initiators, but only a few studies have explored their usefulness as stimuli-responsive motifs in macromolecular constructs. The controlled degradation of azo-containing polymers has indeed remained largely unexplored. Here we present the syntheses of linear azo-containing polyamides and polyurethanes and...
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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...
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In: Macromolecules, 2011, vol. 44, no. 17, p. 6827–6835
New biomimetic, stimuli-responsive mechanically adaptive nanocomposites, which change their mechanical properties upon exposure to water and display a water-activated shape-memory effect, were investigated. These materials were produced by introducing rigid cotton cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) into a rubbery polyurethane (PU) matrix. A series of materials with CNW concentrations of 2–20% v/v...
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In: Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 2011, vol. 32, no. 17, p. 1367–1372
Attempts to create hierarchically structured, uniaxially oriented nanocomposites comprising cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs), which promise anisotropic mechanical properties, are exceedingly rare. We report here the fabrication of uniaxially-oriented arrays of microfibers based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and CNWs by electrospinning. Compared with the neat PEO fibers, the incorporation of CNWs...
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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...
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In: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2010, vol. 2, no. 4, p. 1073-1080
New nanocomposites composed of cellulose nanofibers or “whiskers” and an epoxy resin were prepared. Cellulose whiskers with aspect ratios of ∼10 and ∼84 were isolated from cotton and sea animals called tunicates, respectively. Suspensions of these whiskers in dimethylformamide were combined with an oligomeric difunctional diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A with an epoxide equivalent weight...
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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...
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In: Fibers, 2016, vol. 4, no. 3, p. 21
Cellulose nanocrystals exhibit an interesting combination of mechanical properties and physical characteristics, which make them potentially useful for a wide range of consumer applications. However, as the usage of these bio-based nanofibers increases, a greater understanding of human exposure addressing their potential health issues should be gained. The aim of this perspective is to...
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