We investigate the effects of swelling and deswelling on the mechanical properties of tetra-polyethylene glycol gels with the precisely tuned polymerization degree of network strand (Nc) and polymer volume fraction at preparation (ϕ0) by varying the fraction of interest (ϕm). The ϕm-dependence of the elastic modulus exhibits a crossover at ϕc due to large contraction of the network strands (supercoiling) accompanying deswelling. The Obukhov model successfully describes the ϕm-dependence of the elastic modulus. We estimate the fractal dimension of network strands (Df) by analyzing the stress-elongation relationships at high stretching using Pincus blob concept. In the supercoiling region, Df increases with an increase in ϕm, which suggests that the gyration radius of network strands decreases with deswelling in affine manner. The extensibility increases with an increase in ϕm because the deswelling reduces the distance between the neighboring junctions. These findings will help to understand the structure and formation mechanism of supercoiling.
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21 February 2014
Research Article|
February 20 2014
Mechanical properties of tetra-PEG gels with supercoiled network structure
Takuya Katashima;
Takuya Katashima
1Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering,
The University of Tokyo
, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
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Makoto Asai;
Makoto Asai
2Department of Chemical Engineering,
Columbia University
, New York, New York 10027, USA
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Kenji Urayama;
Kenji Urayama
3Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering,
Kyoto Institute of Technology
, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
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Ung-il Chung;
Ung-il Chung
1Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering,
The University of Tokyo
, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
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Takamasa Sakai
Takamasa Sakai
a)
1Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering,
The University of Tokyo
, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
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a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: sakai@tetrapod.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp. Tel.: +81-3-5841-1899.
J. Chem. Phys. 140, 074902 (2014)
Article history
Received:
October 21 2013
Accepted:
January 19 2014
Citation
Takuya Katashima, Makoto Asai, Kenji Urayama, Ung-il Chung, Takamasa Sakai; Mechanical properties of tetra-PEG gels with supercoiled network structure. J. Chem. Phys. 21 February 2014; 140 (7): 074902. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4863917
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