Saloplastic Polyelectrolyte Complexes: Properties and Processing

技术概述：聚电解质复合物是正负电荷大分子的分子混合物，通常被认为是难处理的。本项目将探索一种以盐水为塑化剂生产大规模、致密聚电解质复合物的新工艺。这些材料坚固耐用，高度交联，在物理和生物医学领域有许多预计的应用。需要解决几个基本和实际的问题。首先要探讨的是盐浓度和温度是影响聚电解质配合物力学性能的等效参数。这种假设是众所周知的粘弹性材料的时间/温度叠加原理的延伸。其次，将研究使用低聚（聚乙二醇）或聚合物（磺化三嵌段橡胶共聚物）材料增韧干聚电解质复合物的方法。最后，配合物中高水平的盐过饱和表示无机材料与有机聚合物的混合程度异常完全。将对混合相的稳定性进行长期评估。该项目采用易于访问的组件，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的国际合作。佛罗里达州立大学（Florida State University）将创业学和化学专业的学生聚集在一起的教育计划将得到支持，同时也将扩展到附近的奥尔巴尼州立学院（Albany State College）。这个项目利用了一个加工聚合物的新概念：用盐水代替热来软化和形成塑料。这些材料是无毒水溶性聚合物的混合物，其中许多是在个人护理产品中发现的。这些“saloplastics”代表了一类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揭示盐塑料对盐水的机械反应。将探索用非常规增塑剂增韧盐塑料的方法，以使其广泛应用。Saloplastics将作为一个平台，扩展由PI发起的一项独特的教育计划，将佛罗里达州立大学（Florida State University）的创业学和化学专业学生配对，并为附近奥尔巴尼州立大学（Albany State University）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.