Dataset Information

Copper-Coated Liquid-Crystalline Elastomer via Bioinspired Polydopamine Adhesion and Electroless Deposition.

ABSTRACT: This study explores the functionalization of main-chain nematic elastomers with a conductive metallic surface layer using a polydopamine binder. Using a two-stage thiol-acrylate reaction, a programmed monodomain is achieved for thermoreversible actuation. A copper layer (?155 nm) is deposited onto polymer samples using electroless deposition while the samples are in their elongated nematic state. Samples undergo 42% contraction when heated above the isotropic transition temperature. During the thermal cycle, buckling of the copper layer is seen in the direction perpendicular to contraction; however, transverse cracking occurs due to the large Poisson effect experienced during actuation. As a result, the electrical conductivity of the layer reduced quickly as a function of thermal cycling. However, samples do not show signs of delamination after 25 thermal cycles. These results demonstrate the ability to explore multifunctional liquid-crystalline composites using relatively facile synthesis, adhesion, and deposition techniques.

SUBMITTER: Frick CP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5169169 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Copper-Coated Liquid-Crystalline Elastomer via Bioinspired Polydopamine Adhesion and Electroless Deposition.

Frick Carl P CP Merkel Daniel R DR Laursen Christopher M CM Brinckmann Stephan A SA Yakacki Christopher M CM

Macromolecular rapid communications 20160926 23

This study explores the functionalization of main-chain nematic elastomers with a conductive metallic surface layer using a polydopamine binder. Using a two-stage thiol-acrylate reaction, a programmed monodomain is achieved for thermoreversible actuation. A copper layer (≈155 nm) is deposited onto polymer samples using electroless deposition while the samples are in their elongated nematic state. Samples undergo 42% contraction when heated above the isotropic transition temperature. During the t ...[more]

PMID: 27717085

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Project description:Preparation of inherently bioactive scaffolds has become a challenging issue owing to their complicated synthesis and nonrobust modified cell-actuating property. Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs), due to their combined specialties of liquid crystals and elastomers as well as their ability to respond to various kinds of stimuli, have reversibly led to the design of a new class of stimuli-responsive tissue-engineered scaffolds. In this line, in the first stage of this research work, synthesis and evaluation of acrylate-based LCE films (LCEfilm) encompassing mesogenic monomers are carried out. In the second step, the design of an affordable electrospinning technique for preparing LCE nanofibers (LCEfiber) as a problematic topic, thanks to the low molecular weight of the mesogenic chains of LCEs, is investigated. For this purpose, two approaches are considered, including (1) photo-cross-linking of electrospun LCEfiber and (2) blending LCE with poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) to produce morphologically stable nanofibers (PCL-LCEfiber). In the following, thermal, mechanical, and morphological evaluations show the optimized crosslinker (mol)/aliphatic spacer (mol) molar ratio of 50:50 for LCEfilm samples. On the other hand, for LCEfiber samples, the appropriate amounts of excessive mesogenic monomer and PCL/LCE (v/v) to fabricate the uniform nanofibers are determined to be 20% and 1:2, respectively. Eventually, PC12 cell compatibility and the impact of the liquid crystalline phase on the PC12 cell dynamic behavior of the samples are examined. The obtained results reveal that PC12 cells cultured on electrospun PCL-LCEfiber nanofibers with an average diameter of ∼659 nm per sample are alive and the scaffold has susceptibility for cell proliferation and actuation because of the rapid increase in cell density and number of singularity points formed in time-lapse cell imaging. Moreover, the PCL-LCEfiber nanofibrous scaffold exhibits a high performance for cell differentiation according to detailed biological evaluations such as gene expression level measurements. The time-lapse evaluation of PC12 cell flow fields confirms the significant influence of the reprogrammable liquid crystalline phase in the PCL-LCEfiber nanofibrous scaffold on topographical cue induction compared to the biodegradable PCL nanofibers.

Dataset Information

Copper-Coated Liquid-Crystalline Elastomer via Bioinspired Polydopamine Adhesion and Electroless Deposition.

Publications

Copper-Coated Liquid-Crystalline Elastomer via Bioinspired Polydopamine Adhesion and Electroless Deposition.

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