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Published on: August 28, 2014
Chemical and Electrochemical Manipulation of Mechanical Properties in Stimuli-Responsive Copper-Cross-Linked
Rachel D Harris1, Jeffrey T Auletta2, S Amin Mohaghegh Motlagh3
1Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, and §Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States.
Abstract:
Inspiration for the design of new synthetic polymers can be found in the natural world, where materials often exhibit complex properties that change depending on external stimuli. A new synthetic electroplastic elastomer hydrogel (EPEH) that undergoes changes in mechanical properties in response to both chemical and electrochemical stimuli has been prepared based on these precedents. In addition to having the capability to switch between hard and soft states, the presence of both permanent covalent and dynamic copper-based cross links also allows this stimuli-responsive material to exhibit a striking shape memory capability. The density of temporary cross links and the mechanical properties are controlled by reversible switching between the +1 and +2 oxidation states.
