Fracture and Self-Healing in a Well-Defined Self-Assembled Polymer Network

P.J. Skrzeszewska; J.H.B. Sprakel; F.A. de Wolf; R.G. Fokkink; M.A. Cohen Stuart; J. van der Gucht

doi:10.1021/ma1000173

Fracture and Self-Healing in a Well-Defined Self-Assembled Polymer Network

P.J. Skrzeszewska, J.H.B. Sprakel, F.A. de Wolf, R.G. Fokkink, M.A. Cohen Stuart, J. van der Gucht

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

118 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We studied shear-induced fracture and self-healing of well-defined transient polymer networks formed by telechelic polypeptides, with nodes formed by collagen-like triple helices. When these gels are sheared at a rate that is higher than the inverse relaxation time of the nodes, fracture occurs at a critical stress which increases logarithmically with increasing shear rate. When a constant stress is applied, fracture occurs after a delay time that decreases exponentially with increasing stress. These observations indicate that fracture in these systems is due to stress-activated rupture of triple-helical junctions. After rupture, the physical gels heal completely.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3542-3548
Journal	Macromolecules
Volume	43
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/ma1000173
Publication status	Published - 2010

Keywords

hydrogels
rheology
strength
gels

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10.1021/ma1000173

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title = "Fracture and Self-Healing in a Well-Defined Self-Assembled Polymer Network",

abstract = "We studied shear-induced fracture and self-healing of well-defined transient polymer networks formed by telechelic polypeptides, with nodes formed by collagen-like triple helices. When these gels are sheared at a rate that is higher than the inverse relaxation time of the nodes, fracture occurs at a critical stress which increases logarithmically with increasing shear rate. When a constant stress is applied, fracture occurs after a delay time that decreases exponentially with increasing stress. These observations indicate that fracture in these systems is due to stress-activated rupture of triple-helical junctions. After rupture, the physical gels heal completely.",

keywords = "hydrogels, rheology, strength, gels",

author = "P.J. Skrzeszewska and J.H.B. Sprakel and {de Wolf}, F.A. and R.G. Fokkink and {Cohen Stuart}, M.A. and {van der Gucht}, J.",

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T1 - Fracture and Self-Healing in a Well-Defined Self-Assembled Polymer Network

AU - Skrzeszewska, P.J.

AU - Sprakel, J.H.B.

AU - de Wolf, F.A.

AU - Fokkink, R.G.

AU - Cohen Stuart, M.A.

AU - van der Gucht, J.

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - We studied shear-induced fracture and self-healing of well-defined transient polymer networks formed by telechelic polypeptides, with nodes formed by collagen-like triple helices. When these gels are sheared at a rate that is higher than the inverse relaxation time of the nodes, fracture occurs at a critical stress which increases logarithmically with increasing shear rate. When a constant stress is applied, fracture occurs after a delay time that decreases exponentially with increasing stress. These observations indicate that fracture in these systems is due to stress-activated rupture of triple-helical junctions. After rupture, the physical gels heal completely.

AB - We studied shear-induced fracture and self-healing of well-defined transient polymer networks formed by telechelic polypeptides, with nodes formed by collagen-like triple helices. When these gels are sheared at a rate that is higher than the inverse relaxation time of the nodes, fracture occurs at a critical stress which increases logarithmically with increasing shear rate. When a constant stress is applied, fracture occurs after a delay time that decreases exponentially with increasing stress. These observations indicate that fracture in these systems is due to stress-activated rupture of triple-helical junctions. After rupture, the physical gels heal completely.

KW - hydrogels

KW - rheology

KW - strength

KW - gels

U2 - 10.1021/ma1000173

DO - 10.1021/ma1000173

M3 - Article

SN - 0024-9297

VL - 43

SP - 3542

EP - 3548

JO - Macromolecules

JF - Macromolecules

IS - 7

ER -

Fracture and Self-Healing in a Well-Defined Self-Assembled Polymer Network

Abstract

Keywords

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