Saloplastic Polyelectrolyte Complexes: Properties and Processing

技术总结聚电解质络合物是正负大分子的分子混合物，通常被认为是难以处理的。该项目将探索一种新的加工技术，通过使用盐水作为塑化剂来生产大规模、致密的聚电解质复合物。这些材料坚固耐用，高度交联，预计在物理和生物医学领域有许多应用。有几个基本的和实际的问题需要解决。首先要探讨的是，盐浓度和温度是影响聚电解质复合体机械性能的等效参数。这种假设是著名的粘弹性材料时间/温度叠加原理的推广。其次，将研究使用齐聚物(聚乙二醇)或聚合物(磺化三嵌段橡胶共聚物)材料增韧干式聚电解质复合体的方法。最后，复合体中高水平的盐过饱和度代表了无机材料与有机聚合物的异常完整的混合程度。将长期评估混合相的稳定性。该项目采用了易于访问的组件，包括与斯特拉斯堡大学和法国政府研究实验室的研究人员进行国际合作。将支持佛罗里达州立大学将创业精神和化学专业的学生聚集在一起的教育活动，以及与附近的奥尔巴尼州立学院的接触。非技术总结这个项目采用了一种处理聚合物的新概念：将使用盐水代替热量来软化和成型塑料。这些材料是无毒的水溶性聚合物的混合物，其中许多存在于个人护理产品中。这些“食盐塑料”代表了一种新的环保可回收材料，可用于许多物理和生物医学应用。与法国斯特拉斯堡大学的国际合作将有助于解开盐类塑料对咸水的机械反应。将探索用非传统增塑剂增韧盐类塑料的方法，以努力使它们得到广泛应用。SaloPlatform将被用作一个平台，以扩大一项独特的教育倡议，该倡议由PI发起，将佛罗里达州立大学的企业家精神和化学专业的学生配对，并为附近奥尔巴尼州立大学的少数族裔本科生提供参与支持。

TECHNICAL SUMMARYPolyelectrolyte complexes, molecular blends of positive and negative macromolecules, are generally believed be intractable. This project will explore a new processing technique for producing large-scale, dense polyelectrolyte complexes by employing salt water as a plasticizing agent. The materials are rugged and highly crosslinked with numerous projected applications in the physical and biomedical fields. Several fundamental and practical questions are to be addressed. First to be explored is the idea that salt concentration and temperature are equivalent parameters for influencing the mechanical properties of polyelectrolyte complexes. Such a hypothesis is an extension of the well-known time/temperature superposition principle for viscoelastic materials. Second, methods for toughening dry polyelectrolyte complexes using oligomeric (polyethylene glycol) or polymeric (sulfonated triblock rubbery copolymers) materials will be studied. Finally, the high level of salt supersaturation in the complexes represents an unusually complete degree of mixing of an inorganic material with an organic polymer. The stability of the mixed phases will be evaluated over the long term. The project, employing easily-accessed components, includes international collaborations with researchers at the University of Strasbourg and French government research laboratories. Educational initiatives at Florida State University bringing together Entrepreneurship and Chemistry students will be supported, as will outreach to nearby Albany State College. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis project exploits a new concept in processing polymers: salt water will be used instead of heat to soften and form plastics. The materials are blends of nontoxic water-soluble polymers, many of them found in personal-care products. These "saloplastics" represent a new class of environmentally friendly recyclable materials that can be used in numerous physical and biomedical applications. International collaborations with the University of Strasbourg, France, will help to unravel the mechanical response of saloplastics to salt water. Methods to toughen saloplastics with unconventional plasticizers will be explored in an effort to make them broadly useful. Saloplastics will be used as a platform to expand a unique educational initiative, started by the PI, pairing Entrepreneurship and Chemistry students at Florida State University, with participation support provided to minority undergraduates from nearby Albany State University.