Coil-globule transitions drive discontinuous volume conserving deformation in locally restrained gels

Composite polymer gels with embedded nanosheets deform discontinuously without volume expansion during temperature changes, but the reason behind it is unknown. Here the authors predict theoretically that the deformation results from restrictions which the nanosheets set on the polymer gel.

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tetsuya Yamamoto, Yuichi Masubuchi, Masao Doi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2018-05-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04533-w