Going with the Flow: Tunable Flow‐Induced Polymer Mechanochemistry

Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 30

Abstract

Abstract Mechanical forces can drive chemical transformations in polymers, directing reactions along otherwise inaccessible pathways, providing exciting possibilities for developing smart, responsive materials. The state‐of‐the‐art test for solution‐based polymer mechanochemistry development is ultrasonication. However, this does not accurately model the forces that will be applied during device fabrication using processes such as 3D printing or spray coating. Here, a step is taken toward predictably translating mechanochemistry from molecular design to manufacturing by demonstrating a highly controlled nozzle flow setup in which the shear forces being delivered are precisely tuned. The results show that solvent viscosity, fluid strain rate, and the nature of the breaking bond can be individually studied. Importantly, it is shown that the influence of each is different to that suggested by ultrasonication (altered quantity of chain breakage and critical polymer chain length). Significant development is presented in the understanding of polymer bond breakage during manufacturing flows to help guide design of active components that trigger on demand. Using an anthracene‐based mechanophore, the triggering of a fluorescence turn‐on is demonstrated through careful selection of the flow parameters. This work opens the avenue for programmed chemical transformations during inline manufacturing processes leading to tunable, heterogeneous final products from a single source material.

Authors 6

1. Niamh Willis‐Fox corresponding

   University of Cambridge

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Manufacturing Department of Engineering University of Cambridge 17 Charles Babbage Road Cambridge CB3 0FS UK

   Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 17 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB3 0FS UK

2. Etienne Rognin

   University of Cambridge

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Manufacturing Department of Engineering University of Cambridge 17 Charles Babbage Road Cambridge CB3 0FS UK

   Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 17 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB3 0FS UK

3. Christoph Baumann Aachen Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials

   DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   DWI ‐ Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials Forckenbeckstr. 50 Aachen 52056 Germany

   Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry RWTH Aachen University Worringerweg 1 Aachen 52074 Germany

   DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, Aachen, 52056 Germany

   Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, Aachen, 52074 Germany

4. Talal A. Aljohani

   King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Materials Science Institute National Centre for Corrosion Technology King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Riyadh 12371 Saudi Arabia

   Materials Science Institute, National Centre for Corrosion Technology, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, 12371 Saudi Arabia

5. Robert Göstl Aachen DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials

   DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials

   Affiliation as printed

   DWI ‐ Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials Forckenbeckstr. 50 Aachen 52056 Germany

   DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstr. 50, Aachen, 52056 Germany

6. Ronan Daly corresponding

   University of Cambridge

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Manufacturing Department of Engineering University of Cambridge 17 Charles Babbage Road Cambridge CB3 0FS UK

   Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 17 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge, CB3 0FS UK