Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T19:05:59.492Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Mechanical properties of polymer gels with bimodal distribution in strand length

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2014

Shinji Kondo
Affiliation:
Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
Ung-il Chung
Affiliation:
Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
Takamasa Sakai
Affiliation:
Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
Get access

Abstract

The understanding of the physical properties of hydrogels has been controversial because hydrogels inherently have a substantial amount of heterogeneities in their structures. In this study, we focused on one of the simplest heterogeneities, heterogeneous distribution of strand length, and investigated its influence on physical properties. We prepared Tetra-PEG gels with bimodal distribution in strand length (Tetra-PEG bimodal gels) by combining Tetra-PEG prepolymers with different molecular weights and measured the physical properties including elastic modulus and ultimate deformation ratio. The physical properties of Tetra-PEG bimodal gels were well described by the models for conventional Tetra-PEG gels with the average polymerization degrees between cross-links. We conclude that the mechanical properties of hydrogels that have heterogeneous distribution in strand length can be predicted from those of hydrogels with the average strand length in the range tested in this study.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Sakai, T.; Matsunaga, T.; Yamamoto, Y.; Ito, C.; Yoshida, R.; Suzuki, S.; Sasaki, N.; Shibayama, M.; Chung, U. I. Macromolecules 2008, 41, (14), 53795384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sakai, T.; Kurakazu, M.; Akagi, Y.; Shibayama, M.; Chung, U. Soft Matter 2012, 8, (9), 27302736.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akagi, Y.; Gong, J. P.; Chung, U.; Sakai, T. Macromolecules 2013, 46, (3), 10351040.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akagi, Y.; Katashima, T.; Sakurai, H.; Chung, U.-i.; Sakai, T. RSC Advances 2013.Google Scholar
Sakai, T. Reactive & Functional Polymers 2013, 73, 898903.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akagi, Y.; Sakurai, H.; Gong, J. P.; Chung, U.-i.; Sakai, T. The Journal of Chemical Physics 2013, 139, (14), -.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ikkai, F.; Shibayama, M. Journal of Polymer Science Part B-Polymer Physics 2005, 43, (6), 617628.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shibayama, M. Macromol. Chem. Phys. 1998, 199, (1), 130.3.0.CO;2-M>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akagi, Y.; Katashima, T.; Katsumoto, Y.; Fujii, K.; Matsunaga, T.; Chung, U.; Shibayama, M.; Sakai, T. Macromolecules 2011, 44, (14), 58175821.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Katashima, T.; Urayama, K.; Chung, U. I.; Sakai, T. Soft Matter 2012, 8, (31), 82178222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar