Related papers: Healing of polymer interfaces: Interfacial dynamic…
We present single contact friction experiments between a glassy polymer and smooth silica substrates grafted with alkylsilane layers of different coverage densities and morphologies. This allows us to adjust the polymer/substrate…
Diffusive transport of small molecules within the internal structures of biological and synthetic material systems is complex because the crowded environment presents chemical and physical barriers to mobility. We explored this mobility…
This feature article considers the analysis of the initial states of film growth on polymer substrates. The assembled results are based on the cooperation between research groups in the field of plasma physics, chemistry, electric as well…
The molecular mechanism of slip at the interface between polymer melts and weakly attractive smooth surfaces is investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. In agreement with our previous studies on slip flow of shear-thinning fluids,…
The entropic effects of anchored polymers on biomembranes are studied using simulations of a meshless membrane model combined with anchored linear polymer chains. The bending rigidity and spontaneous curvature are investigated for anchored…
Ring polymers remain a major challenge to our current understanding of polymer dynamics. Experimental results are difficult to interpret because of the uncertainty in the purity and dispersity of the sample. Using both equilibrium and…
The shear rate dependence of the slip length in thin polymer films confined between atomically flat surfaces is investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The polymer melt is described by the bead-spring model of linear flexible…
We study structural properties of a ring polymeric melt confined in a film in comparison to a linear counterpart using molecular dynamics simulations. Local structure orderings of ring and linear polymers in the vicinity of the surface are…
Solutions of semiflexible polymers confined by repulsive planar walls are studied by density functional theory and Molecular Dynamics simulations, to clarify the competition between the chain alignment favored by the wall and the depletion…
From understanding the sand on the beach to the foam on your beer, soft sphere simulations have been crucial to the study of the amorphous world around us. However, many of the materials we interact with on a daily basis aren't comprised of…
Temperature-responsive properties of surface-attached poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) network films with well-controlled chemistry are investigated. The synthesis consists of cross-linking and grafting preformed ene-reactive polymer…
We propose a continuum theory to model the Mullins effect, which is ubiquitously observed in polymer composites. In the theory, the softening of the materials during the stretching process is accounted for by considering the delamination of…
Spontaneous emulsification, resulting from the assembly and accumulation of surfactants at liquid-liquid interfaces, is an interfacial instability where microdroplets are generated and diffusively spread from the interface until complete…
Based on non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of entangled polymer melts, a recent Letter [Phys. Rev. Lett. $\textbf{121}$, 047801 (2018), arXiv:1806.09509] claims that the rising extensional stress is quantitatively consistent…
Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are viscoelastic polymers that can form fast and robust adhesion with various adherends under fingertip pressure. The rapidly expanding application domain of PSAs, such as healthcare, wearable…
The volume phase transition of microgels is one of the most paradigmatic examples of stimuli-responsiveness, enabling a collapse from a highly swollen microgel state into a densely coiled state by an external stimulus. Although well…
In large area micro hot embossing, the process temperature plays a critical role to both the local fidelity of microstructure formation and global uniformity. The significance of low temperature hot embossing is to improve global flatness…
Self-assembly of polymers at liquid interfaces using non-covalent interactions has emerged as a promising technique to reversibly produce self-healing membranes. Besides the assembly process, it is also crucial to control the mechanical…
Shearing transitions of multi-layer molecularly thin-film lubrication systems in variations of the film-substrate coupling strength and the load are studied by using a multiscale method. Three kinds of the interlayer slips found in…
Autonomic interfacial self-healing in elastomers enables their reprocessing and recycling, making them valuable for applications such as ballistic resistance, surface coatings, adhesives, and biomedical materials. This article prescribes a…