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Now showing 1 - 10 of 44
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    Magneto-Mechanical Coupling in Magneto-Active Elastomers
    (Basel : MDPI, 2021) Metsch, Philipp; Romeis, Dirk; Kalina, Karl A.; Raßloff, Alexander; Saphiannikova, Marina; Kästner, Markus
    In the present work, the magneto-mechanical coupling in magneto-active elastomers is investigated from two different modeling perspectives: a micro-continuum and a particle–interaction approach. Since both strategies differ significantly in their basic assumptions and the resolution of the problem under investigation, they are introduced in a concise manner and their capabilities are illustrated by means of representative examples. To motivate the application of these strategies within a hybrid multiscale framework for magneto-active elastomers, their interchangeability is then examined in a systematic comparison of the model predictions with regard to the magneto-deformation of chain-like helical structures in an elastomer surrounding. The presented results show a remarkable agreement of both modeling approaches and help to provide an improved understanding of the interactions in magneto-active elastomers with chain-like microstructures.
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    Field-Induced Transversely Isotropic Shear Response of Ellipsoidal Magnetoactive Elastomers
    (Basel : MDPI, 2021) Chougale, Sanket; Romeis, Dirk; Saphiannikova, Marina
    Magnetoactive elastomers (MAEs) claim a vital place in the class of field-controllable materials due to their tunable stiffness and the ability to change their macroscopic shape in the presence of an external magnetic field. In the present work, three principal geometries of shear deformation were investigated with respect to the applied magnetic field. The physical model that considers dipole-dipole interactions between magnetized particles was used to study the stress-strain behavior of ellipsoidal MAEs. The magneto-rheological effect for different shapes of the MAE sample ranging from disc-like (highly oblate) to rod-like (highly prolate) samples was investigated along and transverse to the field direction. The rotation of the MAE during the shear deformation leads to a non-symmetric Cauchy stress tensor due to a field-induced magnetic torque. We show that the external magnetic field induces a mechanical anisotropy along the field direction by determining the distinct magneto-mechanical behavior of MAEs with respect to the orientation of the magnetic field to shear deformation.
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    Thermal annealing to influence the vapor sensing behavior of co-continuous poly(lactic acid)/polystyrene/multiwalled carbon nanotube composites
    (Amsterdam [u.a.] : Elsevier Science, 2020) Li, Yilong; Pionteck, Jürgen; Pötschke, Petra; Voit, Brigitte
    With the main purpose of being used as vapor leakage detector, the volatile organic compound (VOC) vapor sensing properties of conductive polymer blend composites were studied. Poly(lactic acid)/polystyrene/multi-walled carbon nanotube (PLA/PS/MWCNT) based conductive polymer composites (CPCs) in which the polymer components exhibit different interactions with the vapors, were prepared by melt mixing. CPCs with a blend composition of 50/50 wt% resulted in the finest co-continuous structure and selective MWCNT localization in PLA. Therefore, these composites were selected for sensor tests. Thermal annealing was applied aiming to maintain the blend structure but improving the sensing reversibility of CPC sensors towards high vapor concentrations. Different sensing protocols were applied using acetone (good solvent for PS and PLA) and cyclohexane (good solvent for PS but poor solvent for PLA) vapors. Increasing acetone vapor concentration resulted in increased relative resistance change (Rrel) of CPCs. Saturated cyclohexane vapor resulted in lower response than nearly saturated acetone vapor. The thermal annealing at 150 °C did not change the blend morphology but increased the PLA crystallinity, making the CPC sensors more resistant to vapor stimulation, resulting in lower Rrel but better reversibility after vapor exposure.
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    Dynamic Single-Fiber Pull-Out of Polypropylene Fibers Produced with Different Mechanical and Surface Properties for Concrete Reinforcement
    (Basel : MDPI, 2021) Wölfel, Enrico; Brünig, Harald; Curosu, Iurie; Mechtcherine, Viktor; Scheffler, Christina
    In strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCC), polypropylene (PP) fibers are often used to provide ductility through micro crack-bridging, in particular when subjected to high loading rates. For the purposeful material design of SHCC, fundamental research is required to understand the failure mechanisms depending on the mechanical properties of the fibers and the fiber–matrix interaction. Hence, PP fibers with diameters between 10 and 30 µm, differing tensile strength levels and Young’s moduli, but also circular and trilobal cross-sections were produced using melt-spinning equipment. The structural changes induced by the drawing parameters during the spinning process and surface modification by sizing were assessed in single-fiber tensile experiments and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of the fiber material. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measurements were applied to determine the topographical and wetting properties of the fiber surface. The fiber–matrix interaction under quasi-static and dynamic loading was studied in single-fiber pull-out experiments (SFPO). The main findings of microscale characterization showed that increased fiber tensile strength in combination with enhanced mechanical interlocking caused by high surface roughness led to improved energy absorption under dynamic loading. Further enhancement could be observed in the change from a circular to a trilobal fiber cross-section.
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    Giant extensional strain of magnetoactive elastomeric cylinders in uniform magnetic fields
    (Basel : MDPI, 2020) Saveliev, Dmitry V.; Belyaeva, Inna A.; Chashin, Dmitry V.; Fetisov, Leonid Y.; Romeis, Dirk; Kettl, Wolfgang; Kramarenko, Elena Yu.; Saphiannikova, Marina; Stepanov, Gennady V.; Shamonin, Mikhail
    Elongations of magnetoactive elastomers (MAEs) under ascending-descending uniform magnetic fields were studied experimentally using a laboratory apparatus specifically designed to measure large extensional strains (up to 20%) in compliant MAEs. In the literature, such a phenomenon is usually denoted as giant magnetostriction. The synthesized cylindrical MAE samples were based on polydimethylsiloxane matrices filled with micrometer-sized particles of carbonyl iron. The impact of both the macroscopic shape factor of the samples and their magneto-mechanical characteristics were evaluated. For this purpose, the aspect ratio of the MAE cylindrical samples, the concentration of magnetic particles in MAEs and the effective shear modulus were systematically varied. It was shown that the magnetically induced elongation of MAE cylinders in the maximum magnetic field of about 400 kA/m, applied along the cylinder axis, grew with the increasing aspect ratio. The effect of the sample composition is discussed in terms of magnetic filler rearrangements in magnetic fields and the observed experimental tendencies are rationalized by simple theoretical estimates. The obtained results can be used for the design of new smart materials with magnetic-field-controlled deformation properties, e.g., for soft robotics. © 2020 by the authors.
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    Corrigendum to "A Versatile Surface Bioengineering Strategy Based on Mussel-Inspired and Bioclickable Peptide Mimic"
    ([Beijing] : China Association for Science and Technology, 2021) Xiao, Yu; Wang, Wenxuan; Tian, Xiaohua; Tan, Xing; Yang, Tong; Gao, Peng; Xiong, Kaiqing; Tu, Qiufen; Wang, Miao; Maitz, Manfred F.; Huang, Nan; Pan, Guoqing; Yang, Zhilu
    [This corrects the article DOI: 10.34133/2020/7236946.].
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    A Comprehensive Study about the Role of Crosslink Density on the Tribological Behavior of DLC Coated Rubber
    (Basel : MDPI, 2020) Bayrak, Suleyman; Paulkowski, Dominik; Stöckelhuber, Klaus Werner; Staar, Benjamin; Mayer, Bernd
    The friction and wear behavior of coated rubber components is strongly dependent on the substrate properties. This work deals with the impact of the crosslink density, i.e., the hardness of the rubber substrate on the tribological performance of uncoated and coated rubber. The hardness of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) is varied altering the sulfur content. Both the uncoated and coated rubber samples are characterized in terms of surface and mechanical properties. Tribological tests comprise the examination of the macroscopic contact area and the temperature in the contact zone. It was found that the functional layer enhances the wear resistance significantly. Apparently, the wear and friction behavior of the coated rubber correlates with the hardness and the bulk properties of the substrate material.
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    Endothelium-Mimicking Multifunctional Coating Modified Cardiovascular Stents via a Stepwise Metal-Catechol-(Amine) Surface Engineering Strategy
    (Washington, DC [u.a.] : American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2020) Yang, Ying; Gao, Peng; Wang, Juan; Tu, Qiufen; Bai, Long; Xiong, Kaiqin; Qiu, Hua; Zhao, Xin; Maitz, Manfred F.; Wang, Huaiyu; Li, Xiangyang; Zhao, Qiang; Xiao, Yin; Huang, Nan; Yang, Zhilu
    Stenting is currently the major therapeutic treatment for cardiovascular diseases. However, the nonbiogenic metal stents are inclined to trigger a cascade of cellular and molecular events including inflammatory response, thrombogenic reactions, smooth muscle cell hyperproliferation accompanied by the delayed arterial healing, and poor reendothelialization, thus leading to restenosis along with late stent thrombosis. To address prevalence critical problems, we present an endothelium-mimicking coating capable of rapid regeneration of a competently functioning new endothelial layer on stents through a stepwise metal (copper)-catechol-(amine) (MCA) surface chemistry strategy, leading to combinatorial endothelium-like functions with glutathione peroxidase-like catalytic activity and surface heparinization. Apart from the stable nitric oxide (NO) generating rate at the physiological level (2:2 × 10a'10 mol/cm2/min lasting for 60 days), this proposed strategy could also generate abundant amine groups for allowing a high heparin conjugation efficacy up to ∼1 μg/cm2, which is considerably higher than most of the conventional heparinized surfaces. The resultant coating could create an ideal microenvironment for bringing in enhanced antithrombogenicity, anti-inflammation, anti-proliferation of smooth muscle cells, re-endothelialization by regulating relevant gene expressions, hence preventing restenosis in vivo. We envision that the stepwise MCA coating strategy would facilitate the surface endothelium-mimicking engineering of vascular stents and be therefore helpful in the clinic to reduce complications associated with stenosis. © 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved.
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    Platelet Membrane-Coated Nanocarriers Targeting Plaques to Deliver Anti-CD47 Antibody for Atherosclerotic Therapy
    ([Beijing] : China Association for Science and Technology, 2022) Chen, Liang; Zhou, Zhongyi; Hu, Cheng; Maitz, Manfred F.; Yang, Li; Luo, Rifang; Wang, Yunbing
    Atherosclerosis, the principle cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide, is mainly characterized by the pathological accumulation of diseased vascular cells and apoptotic cellular debris. Atherogenesis is associated with the upregulation of CD47, a key antiphagocytic molecule that is known to render malignant cells resistant to programmed cell removal, or "efferocytosis." Here, we have developed platelet membrane-coated mesoporous silicon nanoparticles (PMSN) as a drug delivery system to target atherosclerotic plaques with the delivery of an anti-CD47 antibody. Briefly, the cell membrane coat prolonged the circulation of the particles by evading the immune recognition and provided an affinity to plaques and atherosclerotic sites. The anti-CD47 antibody then normalized the clearance of diseased vascular tissue and further ameliorated atherosclerosis by blocking CD47. In an atherosclerosis model established in ApoE-/- mice, PMSN encapsulating anti-CD47 antibody delivery significantly promoted the efferocytosis of necrotic cells in plaques. Clearing the necrotic cells greatly reduced the atherosclerotic plaque area and stabilized the plaques reducing the risk of plaque rupture and advanced thrombosis. Overall, this study demonstrated the therapeutic advantages of PMSN encapsulating anti-CD47 antibodies for atherosclerosis therapy, which holds considerable promise as a new targeted drug delivery platform for efficient therapy of atherosclerosis.
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    Universal size ratios of Gaussian polymers with complex architecture: radius of gyration vs hydrodynamic radius
    ([London] : Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, 2020) Haydukivska, Khristine; Blavatska, Viktoria; Paturej, Jarosław
    We study the impact of arm architecture of polymers with a single branch point on their structure in solvents. Many physical properties of polymer liquids strongly dependent on the size and shape measures of individual macromolecules, which in turn are determined by their topology. Here, we use combination of analytical theory, based on path integration method, and molecular dynamics simulations to study structural properties of complex Gaussian polymers containing fc linear branches and fr closed loops grafted to the central core. We determine size measures such as the gyration radius Rg and the hydrodynamic radii RH, and obtain the estimates for the size ratio Rg/RH with its dependence on the functionality f=fc+fr of grafted polymers. In particular, we obtain the quantitative estimate of the degree of compactification of these polymers with increasing number of closed loops fr as compared to linear or star-shape molecules of the same total molecular weight. Numerical simulations corroborate theoretical prediction that Rg/RH decreases towards unity with increasing f. These findings provide qualitative description of polymers with complex architecture in θ solvents.