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Title: Cavitation-Induced Stiffness Reductions in Quantum Dot–Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract

The elastic stiffness of two polymer nanocomposite systems is investigated. The nanoscale fillers comprise cadmium selenide (CdSe, ~4 nm) and cadmium selenide/cadmium sulfide (CdSe/CdS, ~13 nm) quantum dots (QDs). The QDs are embedded within an electrospun structural block copolymer, poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) (SEBS). Tensile testing shows a monotonic decrease in the tensile Young's modulus with increasing partially phase-separated QD concentration; this is to be compared to corresponding nanocomposites reinforced with nanorod (NR) and tetrapod (TP)-SEBS nanocomposites which show a monotonic increase with particle loading. While most studies to date emphasize the increase in Young's modulus in polymer nanocomposites at higher reinforcement loadings, few focus on the tunability of the modulus from reductions in stiffness. The present work reveals up to an ~80% reduction in tensile Young's modulus with the addition of 5 vol % of QDs to electrospun SEBS. In this study, we sought mechanistic insight into this reduction in composite stiffness using a 2D lattice spring model. Simulation results reveal that the stiffness decrease with the addition of QD reinforcements is likely due to cavitation in the polymer in the vicinity of the QD aggregates arising from polymer debonding under tension. We anticipate that this study, performed with a commonly usedmore » structural rubber, may find use in designing polymer-matrix nanocomposite fibers with specific Young's moduli for applications requiring a tunable lower stiffness material.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [1];  [3]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Sciences Division; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Sciences Division; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Kavli Energy NanoScience Inst., Berkeley, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1532185
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Chemistry of Materials
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 28; Journal Issue: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 0897-4756
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Citation Formats

Raja, Shilpa N., Luong, Andrew J., Zhang, Wencong, Lin, Liwei, Ritchie, Robert O., and Alivisatos, A. Paul. Cavitation-Induced Stiffness Reductions in Quantum Dot–Polymer Nanocomposites. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.5b04165.
Raja, Shilpa N., Luong, Andrew J., Zhang, Wencong, Lin, Liwei, Ritchie, Robert O., & Alivisatos, A. Paul. Cavitation-Induced Stiffness Reductions in Quantum Dot–Polymer Nanocomposites. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.5b04165
Raja, Shilpa N., Luong, Andrew J., Zhang, Wencong, Lin, Liwei, Ritchie, Robert O., and Alivisatos, A. Paul. Tue . "Cavitation-Induced Stiffness Reductions in Quantum Dot–Polymer Nanocomposites". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.5b04165. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1532185.
@article{osti_1532185,
title = {Cavitation-Induced Stiffness Reductions in Quantum Dot–Polymer Nanocomposites},
author = {Raja, Shilpa N. and Luong, Andrew J. and Zhang, Wencong and Lin, Liwei and Ritchie, Robert O. and Alivisatos, A. Paul},
abstractNote = {The elastic stiffness of two polymer nanocomposite systems is investigated. The nanoscale fillers comprise cadmium selenide (CdSe, ~4 nm) and cadmium selenide/cadmium sulfide (CdSe/CdS, ~13 nm) quantum dots (QDs). The QDs are embedded within an electrospun structural block copolymer, poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) (SEBS). Tensile testing shows a monotonic decrease in the tensile Young's modulus with increasing partially phase-separated QD concentration; this is to be compared to corresponding nanocomposites reinforced with nanorod (NR) and tetrapod (TP)-SEBS nanocomposites which show a monotonic increase with particle loading. While most studies to date emphasize the increase in Young's modulus in polymer nanocomposites at higher reinforcement loadings, few focus on the tunability of the modulus from reductions in stiffness. The present work reveals up to an ~80% reduction in tensile Young's modulus with the addition of 5 vol % of QDs to electrospun SEBS. In this study, we sought mechanistic insight into this reduction in composite stiffness using a 2D lattice spring model. Simulation results reveal that the stiffness decrease with the addition of QD reinforcements is likely due to cavitation in the polymer in the vicinity of the QD aggregates arising from polymer debonding under tension. We anticipate that this study, performed with a commonly used structural rubber, may find use in designing polymer-matrix nanocomposite fibers with specific Young's moduli for applications requiring a tunable lower stiffness material.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.chemmater.5b04165},
journal = {Chemistry of Materials},
number = 8,
volume = 28,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Tue Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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