Liquid Letters |
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| Authors: | Shaowei Shi Xubo Liu Yanan Li Xuefei Wu Dong Wang Joe Forth Thomas P. Russell |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China;2. State Key Laboratory of Organic–Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China;3. Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA;4. Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA |
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| Abstract: | Using the interfacial jamming of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) surfactants, a new concept, termed all‐liquid molding, is introduced to produce all‐liquid objects that retain the shape and details of the mold with high fidelity, yet remain all liquid and are responsive to external stimuli. This simple process, where the viscosity of the CNC dispersion can range from that of water to a crosslinked gel, opens tremendous opportunities for encapsulation, delivery systems, and unique microfluidic devices. The process described is generally applicable to any functionalized nanoparticles dispersed in one liquid and polymer ligands having complementary functionality dissolved in a second immiscible liquid. Such sculpted liquids retain all the characteristics of the liquids but retain shape indefinitely, very much like a solid, and provide a new platform for next‐generation soft materials. |
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| Keywords: | all‐liquid molding cellulose nanocrystals jamming structured liquids surfactants |
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