Electrospinning applications in mechanochemistry and multi-functional hydrogel materials

Mechanochemistry;spiropyran;electrospinning;Hydrogel

Pickett, Austin ; Braun ; Paul V.

关键词: Mechanochemistry;    spiropyran;    electrospinning;    Hydrogel;   

Others  :  https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/31218/Pickett_Austin.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

美国|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

Mechanochemistry is the use of mechanical force to perform chemical reactions and hasthe potential to bring self-healing functionality to the molecular level. The mechanically inducedreactions can become productive when stress-sensitive molecules, or mechanophores, areincorporated into materials. One mechanophore that has been heavily investigated is spiropyran,a molecule that exhibits a color change when activated, although large strains are required toachieve this activation in elastomeric materials. In addition to color change, the activation ofnonpolar spiropyran also results in the formation of a polar species.Electrospinning, a process used to produce very small fibers, has the potential to be usedin a number of applications in mechanochemistry. These very small fibers have been shown topossess high molecular orientation, which is a result of the high longitudinal strains imparted tothe fibers during their formation.This thesis investigated if low-strain activation of spiropyran could be achieved with thehigh degree of molecular orientation in electrospun nanofibers. It was also determined whetherthe high strains during electrospinning could be used to activate gem-dibromocyclopropane, anirreversible mechanophore. Finally, it was explored if the nonpolar-to-polar transition ofspiropyran could be used to induce swelling in hydrogels.