Refreshing Rubbers as Customized Photothermal Conversion Materials through Post-Darkening Modeling Production

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Photothermal Conversion

Background:

• Organic conjugated polymers are promising near-infrared (NIR) photothermal materials.
• These polymers often have high phase transition temperatures, limiting low-temperature processing.
• Conventional methods struggle with thermal processing below 100°C.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for creating efficient photothermal conversion materials from thermoplastic non-conjugated trans-polyisoprene (TPI).
• To enable low-temperature processing and customizable shaping of photothermal devices.
• To explore the extension of this method to 3D printing for personalized applications.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of a post-darkening modeling production (p-DMP) concept.
• Customizable shaping of TPI at low temperatures.
• Iodine vapor-tailored "darkening" process.
• Characterization techniques and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand the "darkening" mechanism.

Main Results:

• Trans-polyisoprene (TPI) was successfully converted into a photothermal material with high light use efficiency.
• The p-DMP method allows for easy fabrication of photothermal devices with desired topologies.
• The "darkening" process of TPI in iodine vapor was explained through characterizations and DFT calculations.
• Successful extension of p-DMP to 3D printing for personalized photothermal products.

Conclusions:

• The p-DMP method offers a facile route to low-temperature processable photothermal materials.
• This approach enables the fabrication of customized photothermal devices, including 3D printed applications.
• The developed technology has potential applications in areas like sunlight-directed physiotherapy for articular tissues.