(413e) Photodirected Assembly and Self-Rupture of Polyelectrolyte-Based Soft Materials
AIChE Annual Meeting
2017
2017 Annual Meeting
Materials Engineering and Sciences Division
Charged and Ion-Containing Polymers
Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - 4:30pm to 4:45pm
Besides demonstrating the preparation and properties of PECs formed through photodirected assembly, we will describe how polyelectrolyte gels with self-rupturing properties (i.e., the ability to break into fragments after a predetermined delay) can be prepared by synthesizing them to have highly non-uniform crosslink densities. This self-rupture is caused by highly-differential swelling, which generates stresses strong enough to overcome covalent bonds. The time required for these polyelectrolyte gels to rupture can be tubed by varying their: (1) crosslink content/uniformity; (2) size and internal morphology; and (3) ambient pH and ionic strength. In addition to their ability to self-destruct, these self-rupturing gels also can be prepared to contain liquid-filled payload compartments, which enable them to potentially serve as timed/delayed release devices.