Tunable temperature‐ and shear‐responsive hydrogels based on poly(alkyl glycidyl ether)s

We describe the synthesis, characterization and direct‐write 3D printing of triblock copolymer hydrogels that have a tunable response to temperature and shear stress. In aqueous solutions, these polymers utilize the temperature‐dependent self‐association of poly(alkyl glycidyl ether) ‘A’ blocks and a central poly(ethylene oxide) segment to create a physically crosslinked three‐dimensional network. The temperature response of these hydrogels was dependent upon composition, chain length and concentration of the ‘A’ block in the copolymer. Rheological experiments confirmed the existence of sol–gel transitions and the shear‐thinning behavior of the hydrogels. The temperature‐ and shear‐responsive properties enabled direct‐write 3D printing of complex objects with high fidelity. Hydrogel cytocompatibility was also confirmed by incorporating HeLa cells into select hydrogels resulting in high viabilities over 24 h. The tunable temperature response and innate shear‐thinning properties of these hydrogels, coupled with encouraging cell viability results, present an attractive opportunity for additive manufacturing and tissue engineering applications. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Chemically Tailored Multifunctional Asymmetric Isoporous Triblock Terpolymer Membranes for Selective Transport

Membrane-based separation of organic molecules with 1–2 nm lateral dimensions is a demanding but rather underdeveloped technology. The major challenge is to fabricate membranes having distinct nanochannels with desired functionality. Here, a bottom-up strategy to produce such a membrane using a tailor-made triblock terpolymer featuring miscible end blocks with two different functional groups is demonstrated. A scalable multifunctional integral asymmetric isoporous membrane is fabricated by the solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly of the block copolymer combined with nonsolvent-induced phase separation. The membrane nanopores are readily functionalized using positively and negatively charged moieties by two straightforward gas–solid reactions. The pores of the post-functionalized membranes act as target-specific functional soft nanochannels due to swelling of the polyelectrolyte blocks in a hydrated state. The membranes show unprecedented separation selectivity of small molecules based on size and/or charge which demonstrates the potential of the proposed strategy to prepare next-generation nanofiltration membranes.     

Carborane and cyanine conjugated galactose targeted amphiphilic copolymers for potential near infrared imaging-guided boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT)

Near infrared fluorescent galactose targeted glycopolymer containing m-carborane has been synthesized through ring open and atom transfer radical polymerization, followed by post-functionalization with a cyanine NIR dye. The copolymer could self-assemble into micelles which work as a potential agent for imaging-guided boron neutron capture therapy. The NIR micelles revealed no cytotoxicity for HepG2 cells. An enhanced and fast endocytosis due to the specific interaction between the HepG2 cells and the glycopolymer could be traced by fluorescence microscopy, and the bioimaging makes it possible to trace the nanoparticles and provides information where and when the neutron irradiation should be triggered.     

Design of energy‐efficient train speed profiles considering fixed‐block signaling system

In dense traffic railway networks, trains may often slow down or stop between stations owing to previous train delays. If preceding train trajectory can be predicted, energy‐efficient driving can be achieved by suppressing unnecessary speed changes. In this paper, we propose an algorithm to find energy‐efficient driving considering fixed‐block signaling (FBS) system by using dynamic programming (DP). DP is suitable for use because it can optimize the control inputs with discrete and state constraints. In this paper, we discuss energy‐efficient driving by considering a FBS system using some case studies of simulation. In the simulation, we examine a technique to drive an express train in an energy‐efficient way when the preceding local train is running toward the station with passing loops. The results show that the proposed method can derive complex speed profiles for energy‐efficient driving and the train can be operated with a maximum reduced energy consumption of 8.3%.     

Crystallization-Directed Anisotropic Electroactuation in Selectively Solvated Olefinic Thermoplastic Elastomers: A Thermal and (Electro)Mechanical Property Study

Dielectric elastomers (DEs), a class of soft electroactive polymers that change size upon exposure to an external electric field, constitute an increasingly important class of stimuli-responsive polymers due primarily to their large actuation strains, facile and low-cost fabrication, scalability, and mechanical robustness. Unless purposefully constrained, most DEs exhibit isotropic actuation wherein size changes are the same in all actuation directions. Previous studies of DEs containing oriented, stiff fibers have demonstrated, however, that anisotropic actuation along a designated direction is more electromechanically efficient since this design eliminates energy expended in nonessential directions. To identify an alternative, supramolecular-level route to anisotropic electroactuation, we investigate the thermal and mechanical properties of novel thermoplastic elastomer gels composed of a selectively solvated olefinic block copolymer that not only microphase-separates but also crystallizes upon cooling from the solution state. While these materials possess remarkable mechanical attributes (e.g., giant strains in excess of 4000%), their ability to be strain-conditioned enables huge anisotropic actuation levels, measured to be greater than 30 from the ratio of orthogonal actuation strains. This work establishes that crystallization-induced anisotropic actuation can be achieved with these DEs.     

隧道洞口上方危岩崩塌块石运动规律及其对隧道的危害

为揭示危岩崩塌块石的运动规律及其对下方隧道洞口的危害,以都香高速昭通段乐红隧道洞口高陡边坡危岩区崩塌体为研究对象,运用理论计算与Rockfall数值计算2种形式对危岩区崩塌体失稳后块石的运动特征进行预测,运用Abaqus有限元软件模拟不同初速度、不同冲击落点下块石冲击隧道结构的动力响应,揭示不同因素对块石冲击隧道结构的影响程度.结果 显示:理论计算与Rockfall数值计算结果吻合,崩塌块石经坠落、碰撞、滚动最终会与隧道引洞段上表面发生碰撞;与冲击落点相比,块石初速度对隧道结构的动力响应特性影响更大;块石冲击落点位于隧道圆拱圆心正上方位置时对隧道结构的损伤最大;不同冲击落点对碰撞回弹后块石的速度影响不大.     

Tailoring the hydrophilic and hydrophobic reaction fields of the electrode interface on single crystal Pt electrodes for hydrogen evolution/oxidation reactions

Interfacial hydrophobic/hydrophilic reaction fields significantly affect various reactions at the electrode surface. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) have been investigated on single crystal Pt electrodes modified with hydrophobic/hydrophilic cations and anion-exchange copolymers in alkaline solutions. In alkali metal hydroxide solutions, Pt (110) exhibits the highest HER/HOR activity in the low-index planes of Pt. On the low-index planes of Pt, the hydrophilicity of the alkali metal cation in the supporting electrolyte activates the HER/HOR depending on its hydration energy. Hydrophilic cations at the interface facilitate the extraction of hydrogen from the hydrated water. The modification of anion-exchange copolymers with a hydrophobic skeleton on Pt (110) further enhanced the HER/HOR activity. The hydrogen bonding network formed around the hydrophobic species facilitated the mobility of water molecules and the OH⁻ as the reactant/product of the HER/HOR. Appropriately forming hydrophilic and hydrophobic reaction fields at the interface improved the HER/HOR activity.     

基于ISIGHT的安全气囊盖板结构优化设计方法研究

选取某款弱化沟槽呈“H”形的聚碳酸酯/丙烯腈?丁二烯?苯乙烯共聚物(PC/ABS)合金材质安全气囊盖板为研究对象，并构建了其有限元仿真模型，对比有限元力学仿真分析结果与理论计算值验证了该有限元仿真模型的可靠性；通过ISIGHT软件集成Catia和ANSYS，选取安全气囊盖板弱化沟槽的横向长度、深度，纵向长度、深度4个参数作为设计变量，选取弱化沟槽横向最大应力与纵向最大应力作为响应变量，分析了设计变量对响应变量的贡献度分布特征并采用NSGA遗传算法对响应变量多目标优化。结果表明,横向长度、纵向深度对横向最大应力为负贡献度，横向深度、纵向长度为正贡献度；横向深度、纵向长度对纵向最大应力为负贡献度，横向长度、纵向深度为正贡献度；在合理范围内，4个参数值的优化设计，实现了横向最大应力提高和纵向最大应力降低的多目标优化，有效减少了安全气囊盖板爆破时产生的碎屑量，提升了产品的安全性能。     

偶联剂对PLA/PBAT/WF复合材料3D打印性能的影响

以聚乳酸（PLA）和聚己二酸/对苯二甲酸丁二酯（PBAT）为基体，杨木粉（WF）为填充增强材料，使用混炼机熔融共混制备PLA/PBAT/WF复合材料，采用熔融沉积成型（FDM）技术制备标准实验试样，通过扫描电子显微镜、红外光谱分析、旋转流变测试以及力学试验等方法，研究不同含量的硅烷偶联剂KH550对PLA/PBAT共混物以及PLA/PBAT/WF的相容性、流变性及力学性能的影响。结果表明，在偶联剂用量为3 %（质量分数，下同）时，拉伸强度提高了136 %；偶联剂KH550与 PLA和PBAT共价键偶联生成接枝聚合物，二者相容性得到提高；同时偶联剂与WF表面羟基发生缩聚反应有效的改善了其与PLA/PBAT的基体相容性，PLA/PBAT/WF复合材料的FDM的制件力学性能得到较大提升；复合材料的黏度随偶联剂含量的增加呈下降的趋势，含量为3 %时线材的综合打印性能及制品质量最佳。     

MAPP/EAA处理对聚丙烯/小麦秸秆粉复合材料性能的影响

研究了马来酸酐接枝聚丙烯（MAPP）、乙烯丙烯酸共聚物（EAA）处理对聚丙烯（PP） /小麦秸秆粉（WSP）复合材料性能的影响。结果表明，随着体系中MAPP质量份数的增加，PP/WSP的拉伸强度和弯曲强度均逐渐增大，但冲击强度却先增加后减小，复合材料达到塑化峰的时间逐渐延长；使用EAA后，无论体系中是否已经使用了MAPP，PP/WSP的拉伸、弯曲和冲击强度均可得以提高，特别对于未使用MAPP的体系，效果更加明显，可分别提高65.04 %、45.42 %和6.75 %，储能模量增加，表面疏水性增强，平衡扭矩从13.9 N·m降至11.8 N·m，吸水尺寸变化率及吸水率下降，吸水平衡时间缩短；使用EAA可改善PP/WSP中WSP与PP间的界面结合，改善PP/WSP力学性能、热稳定性能、表面疏水性能、尺寸稳定性能和加工性能，降低其吸水率。