Viscoelastic Response in Hydrous Polymers: The Role of Hydrogen Bonds and Microstructure.

ABSTRACT: Water responsive polymers represent a remarkable group of soft materials, acting as a laboratory for diverse water responsive physical phenomena and cutting-edge biology-electronics interfaces. We report on peculiarly distinctive viscoelastic behaviors of the biobased water responsive polymer cellulose 10-undecenoyl ester, while biobased regenerated cellulose displays stronger hydroplastic behaviors. We discovered a novel hydrous deformation mechanism involving the stretching of hydrogen bonds mediated by hydroxyl groups and water molecules, serving as a crucial factor in accommodating deformations. In parallel, the microstructure of cellulose 10-undecenoyl ester with unique coexisting nanoparticles and a continuous phase of entangled chains is mechanically resilient in the anhydrous state

SUBMITTER: Chen W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10979449 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature