Emulsion templates can produce a wide range of unique microstructures via solidification of the continuous phase. Some of these structures result in unique, fluid-filled composites reminiscent of biological tissue when the templating droplets develop into closed-cell structures. However, the state-of-the-art falls short in replicating the mechanical and functional response of biological structures due to stiff, fragile, and bio-incompatible materials while lacking systematic processing parameters. This article describes the synthesis of high internal phase, closed-cell, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomeric foams which simultaneously achieve biocompatibility, mechanical robustness, flexibility, and selective permeability. Water-in-oil high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) stabilized by silica nano-particles (SNPs) provide the microstructural template, resulting in a >74% by volume aqueous phase (up to 82%). To overcome the prohibitive barrier to HIPE formation when using a mechanically-superior, but highly viscous commercial PDMS kit, we produce HIPE templates via centrifugation of low internal phase emulsions (LIPEs, <30% by volume dispersed phase). This oil phase crosslinks into an aqueous-filled (water + glycerol + NaCl) elastomeric composite. The composite's microstructural dependence on viscosity ratio, mixing speed, emulsifier concentration, and centrifugal force are systematically characterized. The resulting microstructured, fluid-filled elastomer composites exhibit mechanically robust and highly flexible behavior due to the excellent properties of the PDMS continuous phase.
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This content will become publicly available on July 19, 2025
Transparency-changing elastomers by controlling of the refractive index of liquid inclusions
Complex materials that change their optical properties in response to changes in environmental conditions can find applications in displays, smart windows, and optical sensors. Here a class of biphasic composites with stimuli-adaptive optical transmittance is introduced. The biphasic composites comprise aqueous droplets (a mixture of water, glycerol, and surfactant) embedded in an elastomeric matrix. The biphasic composites are tuned to be optically transparent through a careful match of the refractive indices between the aqueous droplets and the elastomeric matrix. We demonstrate that stimuli (e.g., salinity and temperature change) can trigger variations in the optical transmittance of the biphasic composite. The introduction of such transparency-changing soft matter with liquid inclusions offers a novel approach to designing advanced optical devices, optical sensors, and metamaterials.
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- PAR ID:
- 10540416
- Publisher / Repository:
- IOP Publishing
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
- Volume:
- 36
- Issue:
- 42
- ISSN:
- 0953-8984
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 425101
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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