核-壳粒子增韧聚合物的研究进展

核-壳粒子增韧结合了弹性体增韧和刚性粒子增强的优点，将其用于聚合物共混体系中有可能得到比基体树脂更高韧性更好刚性的复合材料。本文综述了相关核-壳粒子的分类、形态、形成机制，以及它们对聚合物基体的增韧机理，并详细阐述了反应性和非反应性聚合物共混体系中原位形成的核-壳粒子形态演化规律及其对共混物力学性能的影响。     

无机纳米粒子在复合聚合物电解质中作用的研究进展

聚合物电解质材料已经成为当前锂离子电池研究领域的热点之一。复合化是有效提高聚合物电解质材料性能的有效手段。本文从纳米粒子掺杂的角度,综述了近年来无机纳米粒子对复合聚合物电解质(CPE)体系的离子电导率、锂离子迁移数的影响,并介绍了四种初步解释了无机纳米粒子在复合聚合物电解质中的作用的机理;讨论了无机纳米粒子对CPE体系/电极界面稳定及相容性的影响;提出了无机纳米粒子掺杂的复合聚合物电解质研究的三个热点方向。     

聚合物纳米粒子的结构和性能对胞吞和细胞功能的影响

随着纳米医学的发展,越来越多的聚合物纳米粒子被用作荧光探针和药物或基因的载体,在生物分析、检测以及药物传输和基因治疗等领域得到应用。细胞的胞吞是细胞将细胞外基质、病毒、微组织或纳米粒子运送到细胞内部的一个重要生理过程。研究细胞对纳米粒子的胞吞,有助于从细胞层次上理解生命现象,掌握细胞内治疗的机理。本文综述了近几年来细胞和聚合物纳米粒子之间相互作用的最新研究结果。首先介绍了用于胞吞研究的常用聚合物纳米粒子体系及其功能化方法,尤其是荧光探针的复合与表面修饰。进而介绍了细胞和聚合物纳米粒子之间相互作用的基本过程,包括聚合物纳米粒子在细胞转运过程中的驱动力、细胞内转运过程、在细胞中的分布及其细胞毒性。对影响聚合物纳米微粒胞吞的因素如纳米粒子浓度、共培养时间、纳米粒子性能（形状、粒径、电荷和PEG修饰）、细胞类型和培养条件等进行了总结。最后重点介绍了用于受体介导细胞胞吞的聚合物纳米粒子体系,指出了目前研究工作中的不足及未来发展方向。     

金纳米粒子和聚合物复合体系分子设计与组装过程的计算机模拟

金纳米粒子除了拥有纳米粒子的体积效应、表面效应、量子尺寸效应、宏观量子隧道效应等优异性能之外,还有一些特殊性能,如良好的稳定性、抗菌抑菌功能、表面吸收带效应、荧光效应等。量子化学计算方法提供了从分子水平上探究金团簇的催化和反应活性的影响因素,如金团簇的尺寸、形状、电子状态、活性位点的类型和结构等。分子动力学可以更好地模拟纳米粒子与配体和溶剂的相互作用方式,同时给出热力学和动力学行为。耗散粒子动力学等介观模拟方法则被应用到金纳米粒子和聚合物复合体系自组装过程的研究,并可以给出调控自组装结构的有效方案。以高分子与纳米粒子复合物为研究对象,明晰影响复合物结构和性质的主导因素,探索复合物调控机制,提出决定复合物功能的主控因素,进一步理解高分子与纳米粒子复合物的本质,可以为实验上制备、优化新型高分子与纳米粒子复合物材料提供可靠的理论帮助。     

聚合物及其碳纳米粒子复合体系微孔发泡与电磁屏蔽研究进展

结合作者课题组的工作,对近年来基于超临界CO_2的聚合物微孔发泡以及聚合物/碳纳米粒子复合体系的微孔发泡与电磁屏蔽进行了综述。首先对单一聚合物、多元聚合物和热固性聚合物的微孔发泡、泡孔结构和泡沫性能进行归纳总结,指出通过共混、共聚、结晶、交联网络与发泡工艺的调控可以获得泡孔尺寸更小、泡孔密度更高的聚合物微孔泡沫。随后,对热塑性聚合物/碳纳米粒子复合体系、热固性聚合物/碳纳米粒子复合体系的微孔发泡进行了综述,着重介绍了碳纳米粒子与泡孔结构之间的相互作用,指出借助于微孔发泡过程可以诱导碳纳米粒子在泡壁中富集、聚并、相互连接形成导电通道,从而制备出具有优异导电性和电磁屏蔽效应的轻质聚合物微孔材料。最后,对聚合物微孔材料以及聚合物微孔复合材料的未来发展提出了一些自己的看法。     

刺激响应型生物医用聚合物纳米粒子研究进展

近十几年来, 纳米科学的发展极大地推动了纳米材料在生物医用领域的应用. 聚合物纳米粒子由于其独特的性能在药物传递、医学成像等医用领域备受关注. 其中, 刺激响应型聚合物纳米粒子是一类可以在外界信号刺激下(包括pH、温度、磁场、光等)发生结构、形状、性能改变的纳米粒子. 利用这种刺激响应性可调节纳米粒子的某种宏观行为, 故而刺激响应型聚合物纳米粒子也被称为智能纳米粒子. 因为其特有的“智能性”, 刺激响应型聚合物纳米粒子的研究已成为当前生物材料领域的研究热点. 本文综述了几类重要的生物医用刺激响应型聚合物纳米粒子, 侧重介绍双重及多重刺激响应型聚合物纳米粒子的制备及其生物医学应用.     

纳米粒子与细胞相互作用的力学-化学偶联研究进展

纳米粒子在生物医学和大气环境领域的广泛研究使得其生物安全性越来越受到重视。目前已经有许多研究关注纳米粒子与细胞的相互作用及细胞毒性问题。本综述从细胞力学-化学偶联的角度总结了近五年来有关纳米粒子与细胞相互作用的研究进展。首先介绍了与细胞力学-化学偶联性质相关的分子基础以及目前检测细胞机械性质的纳米技术,然后重点讨论了纳米粒子对细胞粘附、骨架、刚度和迁移性质的影响。在此基础上,进一步指出了纳米生物力学-化学偶联的挑战与展望。     

聚合物负载金属纳米粒子型核壳结构催化剂的研究

核壳结构聚合物负载型催化剂因其载体材料独特的结构、形貌和性质而具有优异的催化活性,成为了催化化学领域研究的热点。本文综述了聚合物负载金属纳米粒子型核壳结构催化剂,包括球形聚合物刷负载金属纳米粒子、聚合物中空微球负载金属纳米粒子、聚合物实心微球表面包覆金属纳米粒子等类型催化剂的制备及其相应的催化性能,强调了各类载体的组成和结构特点对催化活性及其稳定性的影响。最后总结了该类催化材料的优势和不足,并对其性能和应用进行了展望。     

聚合物与表面活性剂相互作用的分子模拟研究进展

聚合物与表面活性剂复配体系已广泛应用于医药、生物、石油石化等领域。从微观上认识其相互作用机理对指导其生产实际有着重要作用,因而此方面的研究倍受关注。随着分子模拟技术的发展,聚合物与表面活性剂在分子水平上的相互作用机理研究已经被广泛开展,并获得了大量有用的信息。本文综述了耗散粒子动力学(DPD)和粗粒度分子动力学(CG-MD)在聚合物与表面活性剂相互作用方面的应用,分别对中性聚合物与离子型表面活性剂,以及带相反电荷的聚电解质和表面活性剂在溶液相和界面相的相互作用进行了阐述,并揭示了聚合物/表面活性剂聚集体结构形态的变化规律。     

各类多组分聚合物中的特殊相互作用

本文以作者实验室的新结果为主,评述了关于向各类多组分聚合物中引入特殊相互作用及其对相客性的影响以及该领域的发展趋势.所讨论的多组分聚合物包括简单共混物、嵌段共混物、互穿网络聚合物、共聚物和均聚物的共混物、离聚物的共混物以及无机粒子和聚合物的复合物等.     

Nanoparticle dispersion and aggregation in polymer nanocomposites: insights from molecular dynamics simulation

It is a great challenge to fully understand the microscopic dispersion and aggregation of nanoparticles (NPs) in polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) through experimental techniques. Here, coarse-grained molecular dynamics is adopted to study the dispersion and aggregation mechanisms of spherical NPs in polymer melts. By tuning the polymer-filler interaction in a wide range at both low and high filler loadings, we qualitatively sketch the phase behavior of the PNCs and structural spatial organization of the fillers mediated by the polymers, which emphasize that a homogeneous filler dispersion exists just at the intermediate interfacial interaction, in contrast with traditional viewpoints. The conclusion is in good agreement with the theoretically predicted results from Schweizer et al. Besides, to mimick the experimental coarsening process of NPs in polymer matrixes (ACS Nano 2008, 2, 1305), by grafting polymer chains on the filler surface, we obtain a good filler dispersion with a large interparticle distance. Considering the PNC system without the presence of chemical bonding between the NPs and the grafted polymer chains, the resulting good dispersion state is further used to investigate the effects of the temperature, polymer-filler interaction, and filler size on the filler aggregation process. It is found that the coarsening or aggregation process of the NPs is sensitive to the temperature, and the aggregation extent reaches the minimum in the case of moderate polymer-filler interaction, because in this case a good dispersion is obtained. That is to say, once the filler achieves a good dispersion in a polymer matrix, the properties of the PNCs will be improved significantly, because the coarsening process of the NPs will be delayed and the aging of the PNCs will be slowed.     

Assessment of nanoparticle loading and dispersion in polymeric materials using optical coherence tomography

The inclusion of small concentrations of nanoparticles can significantly enhance the thermal and electrical properties, and to a lesser degree the mechanical performance, of polymers. Dispersion of nanoparticles during mixing is problematic, with poor mixing resulting in particle agglomeration (i.e. particle clustering), which subsequently limits the potential for property enhancement. Achieving good dispersion is considered key to large-scale production and commercialization of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), and a measurement technique capable of quantitatively characterizing particle loading and dispersion would significantly enhance product development. This paper presents the results of a study using a static light scattering technique, Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT), for discriminating between different particle loadings and levels of dispersion. The technique has been applied to a range of PNCs including epoxy resins reinforced with nanoclay platelets, silica microspheres or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and zinc oxide and lithium aluminate reinforced polypropylene.     

Assessment of nanoparticle loading and dispersion in polymeric materials using oscillatory photon correlation spectroscopy

The inclusion of small concentrations of nanoparticles in polymeric materials (≤5 wt. %) can significantly enhance material properties and functionality. However, poor or non-uniform particle dispersion resulting in particle clustering (agglomeration) in polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) limits the potential for property enhancement in these materials. Achieving good dispersion is considered essential for successful commercialization of PNCs. Hence, reliable and accurate measurement techniques for characterizing particle loading and dispersion would significantly contribute towards understanding and optimizing the material performance of PNCs, and consequently play a pivotal role in product development. This paper, the last of three papers on optical techniques, presents the results of a study using a dynamic light scattering technique, oscillatory photon correlation spectroscopy (Os-PCS), for discriminating between different particle loadings and levels of dispersion. The technique has been applied to two epoxy-based resin systems reinforced with either nanoclay platelets or silica microspheres.     

Revisiting the dispersion mechanism of grafted nanoparticles in polymer matrix: a detailed molecular dynamics simulation

By focusing on the grafted nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in polymer melts, a detailed coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation is adopted to investigate the effects of the grafting density, the length of the matrix and grafted chains on the dispersion of the NPs. We have employed visualization snapshots, radial distribution functions (RDFs), the interaction energy between NPs, the number of neighbor NPs, and the conformation of the brush chains to clearly analyze the dispersion state of the grafted NPs. Our simulated results generally indicate that the dispersion of the NPs is controlled by both the excluded volume of the grafted NPs and the interface between the brushes and the matrix. It is found that increasing grafting density or grafted chain length leads to better dispersion, owing to larger excluded volume; however, increasing the length of the matrix chains leads to aggregation of NPs, attributed to both a progressive loss of the interface between the brushes and the matrix and the overlap between brushes of different NPs, intrinsically driven by entropy. Meanwhile, it is found that there exists an optimum grafting density (σ(c)) for the dispersion of the NPs, which roughly obeys the following mathematical relation: σ(c) is proportional to N(m)(K)/N(g)(L), where K, L > 0 and N(m) and N(g) represent the length of the matrix and grafted chain length, respectively. Considering the practical situation that the grafted brushes and the matrix polymer are mostly not chemically identical, we also studied the effect of the compatibility between the brushes and the matrix polymer by taking into account the attraction between the grafted chains and the matrix chains. In general, our comprehensive simulation results are believed to guide the design and preparation of high-performance polymer nanocomposites with good or even tailored dispersion of NPs.     

Assessment of nanoparticle loading and dispersion in polymeric materials using optical wavefront correlation

Small concentrations (≤5 wt. %) of nanoparticles in polymeric materials can potentially result in improvements in material properties and functionality. However, poor or non-uniform particle dispersion resulting in clustering (agglomeration) in polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) limits the potential for property enhancement. Achieving good dispersion is considered essential for large-scale production and commercialization of PNCs. New and effective measurement techniques capable of quantitatively characterizing particle loading and dispersion would significantly contribute towards understanding and optimizing the material performance of PNCs and, consequently, play a pivotal role in product development. This paper presents the results of a study using a static light scattering technique, optical wavefront correlation (OWC), for discriminating between different particle loadings and levels of dispersion. The technique has been applied to a range of PNCs, including epoxy resins reinforced with nanoclay platelets or silica microspheres, and zinc oxide and lithium aluminate reinforced polypropylene.     

Preparation of waterborne polyurethane nanocomposites: Polymerization from functionalized hydroxyapatite

We report the preparation and characterization of waterborne polyurethane (WBPU)/hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanocomposites through in situ polymerization from functionalized HAp. The HAp nanoparticles (HAp NPs) were urethanated with 3-isocyanatemethyl-3,5,5-trimethyl-cyclohexylisocyanate (isophorone diisocyanate) to obtain grafted HAp NPs containing isocyanate groups (HAp-g-NCO) as crosslinkers and then the HAp-g-NCO is further polymerized with WBPU monomers to form the WBPU/HAp nanocomposites. The HAp NPs were homogeneously dispersed in the polyurethane matrix at low loading levels (?2.0 wt%), thus the mechanical strength and the elongation at break of the WBPU/HAp nanocomposites were significantly improved. Thermal stability and water resistance of the WBPU/HAp nanocomposites are also enhanced. These results suggest that the WBPU/HAp nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerization hold the potential as new materials with improved mechanical properties, thermal stability and water resistance.     

Facile and green methodology for surface‐grafted Al2O3 nanoparticles with biocompatible molecules: preparation of the poly(vinyl alcohol)@poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) nanocomposites

The present work describes preparation of modified alumina with biocompatible, water soluble, and treating agents such as citric acid and ascorbic acid. Also, the influence of the modified nanoparticles (NPs) into the blend of poly(vinyl alcohol)@poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (50/50) matrix was studied. At first, citric acid and ascorbic acid as environmental friendly agents were grafted on the surface of Al₂O₃ NPs. Then, nanocomposites (NCs) with different amounts of modified Al₂O₃ NPs were prepared via a simple ultrasonic method. The characterizations of the molecular structure of the NCs specified that chemical and physical interactions happened between inorganic and organic counterparts. The mutual effect of modified NPs into the polymer matrix was investigated on the structural, interfacial interaction, thermal stability, and optical properties. The results from morphological characterization confirmed changes in morphology of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) after loading NPs. Uniform dispersion of modified spherical Al₂O₃ NPs powders into the matrix of 50/50 polymers was detected by field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy‐dispersive X‐ray. Adding M‐NPs into the polymer matrix expressively improved the thermal stability of NCs. Peaks in ultraviolet–visible spectra were shifted to the higher absorption. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tuning the mechanical properties in model nanocomposites: Influence of the polymer‐filler interfacial interactions

This article presents a study of the polymer‐filler interfacial effects on filler dispersion and mechanical reinforcement in Polystyrene (PS)/silica nanocomposites by direct comparison of two model systems: ungrafted and PS‐grafted silica dispersed in PS matrix. The structure of nanoparticles has been investigated by combining small angle neutron scattering measurements and transmission electronic microscopic images. The mechanical properties were studied over a wide range of deformation by plate–plate rheology and uni‐axial stretching. At low silica volume fraction, the particles arrange, for both systems, in small finite size nonconnected aggregates and the materials exhibit a solid‐like behavior independent of the local polymer‐fillers interactions suggesting that reinforcement is dominated by additional long range effects. At high silica volume fraction, a continuous connected network is created leading to a fast increase of reinforcement whose amplitude is then directly dependent on the strength of the local particle–particle interactions and lower with grafting likely due to deformation of grafted polymer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Effect of carbon nanotubes on mechanical and electrical properties of polyimide/carbon nanotubes nanocomposites

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) reinforced polyimide nanocomposites were synthesized by in situ polymerization using 4,4′-oxydianilline, MWNTs, and pyromellitic dianhydride followed by casting, evaporation and thermal imidization. A homogeneous dispersion of chemically modified MWNTs was achieved in polyimide matrix as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The incorporation of the modified MWNTs enhanced the mechanical properties of the polyimide due to the presence of strong interfacial interaction between the polymer matrix and the nanotubes in polymer composites. The resultant polyimide/MWNTs nanocomposites were electrically conductive with significant conductivity enhancement at 3 wt% MWNTs, which is favorable for many practical uses.