Spontaneous Patterning during Frontal Polymerization.

ABSTRACT: Complex patterns integral to the structure and function of biological materials arise spontaneously during morphogenesis. In contrast, functional patterns in synthetic materials are typically created through multistep manufacturing processes, limiting accessibility to spatially varying materials systems. Here, we harness rapid reaction-thermal transport during frontal polymerization to drive the emergence of spatially varying patterns during the synthesis of engineering polymers. Tuning of the reaction kinetics and thermal transport enables internal feedback control over thermal gradients to spontaneously pattern morphological, chemical, optical, and mechanical properties of structural materials. We achieve patterned regions with two orders of magnitude change in modulus in poly(cyclooctad

SUBMITTER: Lloyd EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8155460 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature