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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Polymer microfilters with nanostructured surfaces for the culture of circulating cancer cells

There is a critical need to improve the accuracy of drug screening and testing through the development of in vitro culture systems that more effectively mimic the in vivo environment. Surface topographical features on the nanoscale level, in short nanotopography, effect the cell growth patterns, and hence affect cell function in culture. We report the preliminary results on the fabrication, and subsequent cellular growth, of nanoscale surface topography on polymer microfilters using cell lines as a precursor to circulating tumor cells (CTCs). To create various nanoscale features on the microfilter surface, we used reactive ion etching (RIE) with and without an etching mask. An anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane fabricated directly on the polymer surface served as an etching mask. Polymer filters with a variety of modified surfaces were used to compare the effects on the culture of cancer cell lines in blank culture wells, with untreated microfilters or with RIE-treated microfilters. We then report the differences of cell shape, phenotype and growth patterns of bladder and glioblastoma cancer cell lines after isolation on the various types of material modifications. Our data suggest that RIE modified polymer filters can isolate model cell lines while retaining ell viability, and that the RIE filter modification allows T24 monolayering cells to proliferate as a structured cluster. Copyright 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Makarova, Olga V.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Processing temperature control of a diketopyrrolopyrrole- alt -thieno[2,3- b ]thiophene polymer for high-mobility thin-film transistors and polymer solar cells with high open-circuit voltages

Here, we synthesized a planar pDPPTTi-OD polymer based on diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and thieno [2,3- b ] thiophene (TTi) and investigated the electrical properties of the pDPPTTi-OD polymer. pDPPTTi-OD films displayed a low optical bandgap of 1.57 eV, and HOMO and LUMO levels of –5.40 and –3.74 eV, respectively. The 150°C-annealed pDPPTTi-OD films showed a high hole mobility of 0.16 cm 2 V –1 s –1 in organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) devices. The photovoltaic properties of polymer solar cells (PSCs) incorporating the pDPPTTi-OD were also measured. A pDPPTTi-OD:PC 71 BM blend film was spin-coated at 25, 70 and 90 °C. High-temperature processing significantly improved the power conversion efficiency of PSCs by effectively reducing the PC 71 BM domain sizes, which improved the miscibility between pDPPTTi-OD and PC 71 BM. Furthermore, this work demonstrated that the TTi moiety is a useful donor building block for high-performance D–A type polymers in OTFTs and PSCs, and that processing temperatures should be controlled to fully realize the materials' beneficial intrinsic properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Polymorphism and Optoelectronic Properties in Crystalline Supramolecular Polymers

Supramolecular polymers can emulate some of the physical properties of covalent polymers but offer new opportunities given the possibility of designing monomers that will form highly ordered assemblies with defined shapes. Internally ordered supramolecular polymers formed through nucleation–elongation self-assembly are well-known but highly crystalline examples which exhibit important properties such as light harvesting, charge transport, and ferroelectricity are not common. We report here on a detailed study of supramolecular polymers formed in water by carboxylated naphtho-p-quinodimethane amphiphiles. We found that supramolecular polymerization of these amphiphiles in aqueous media yields crystalline assemblies with morphologies that included ribbons, helically rolled ribbons, and twisted filaments. This polymorphism was found to be controlled exclusively by repulsive electrostatic interactions controlled by the degree of protonation of the carboxylic head groups which also dictates the nature of supramolecular packing. Substoichiometric amounts of base lead to highly crystalline ribbons due to a decreased surface charge density and less electrostatic repulsion. Increasing deprotonation results in helically rolled ribbons with a different polymorph crystal lattice, whereas excessive deprotonation leads to twisted filaments with maximum surface charge density. Ribbons, helical rolled ribbons, and twisted filaments revealed an increasing red shift in their visible absorption maxima. These crystalline assemblies could be potential candidates for solar energy materials and photocatalytic systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Using Biomimetic Polymers in Place of Noncollagenous Proteins to Achieve Functional Remineralization of Dentin Tissues

In calcified tissues such as bones and teeth, mineralization is regulated by an extracellular matrix, which includes non-collagenous proteins (NCP). This natural process has been adapted or mimicked to restore tissues following physical damage or demineralization by using polyanionic acids in place of NCPs, but the remineralized tissues fail to fully recover their mechanical properties. Here we show that pre-treatment with certain amphiphilic peptoids, a class of peptide-like polymers consisting of N-substituted glycines that have defined monomer sequences, enhances ordering and mineralization of collagen and induces functional remineralization of dentin lesions in vitro. In the vicinity of dentin tubules, the newly formed apatite nano-crystals are co-aligned with the c-axis parallel to the tubular periphery and recovery of tissue ultrastructure is accompanied by development of high mechanical strength. The observed effects are highly sequence-dependent with alternating polar and non-polar groups leading to positive outcomes while diblock sequences have no effect. The observations suggest aromatic groups interact with the collagen while the hydrophilic side chains bind the mineralizing constituents and highlight the potential of synthetic sequence-defined biomimetic polymers to serve as NCP mimics in tissue remineralization.

Chien, Yung-Ching↗
DOE OSTI2017

Core–Shell Structure and Aggregation Number of Micelles Composed of Amphiphilic Block Copolymers and Amphiphilic Heterografted Polymer Brushes Determined by Small-Angle X-ray Scattering

A large group of functional nanomaterials employed in biomedical applications, including targeted drug delivery, relies on amphiphilic polymers to encapsulate therapeutic payloads via self-assembly processes. Knowledge of the micelle structures will provide critical insights into design of polymeric drug delivery systems. Core–shell micelles composed of linear diblock copolymers poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL), poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(lactic acid) (PEG-b-PLA), as well as a heterografted brush consisting of a poly(glycidyl methacrylate) backbone with PEG and PLA branches (PGMA-g-PEG/PLA) were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements to gain structural information regarding the particle morphology, core–shell size, and aggregation number. The structural information at this quasi-equilibrium state can also be used as a reference when studying the kinetics of polymer micellization.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Tuning crystallization pathways through sequence engineering of biomimetic polymers

Two-step nucleation pathways in which disordered, amorphous, or dense liquid states precede the appearance of crystalline phases have been reported for a wide range of materials, but the dynamics of such pathways are poorly understood. Moreover, whether these pathways are general features of crystallizing systems or a consequence of system-specific structural details that select for direct versus two-step processes is unknown. Using atomic force microscopy to directly observe crystallization of sequence-defined polymers, we show that crystallization pathways are indeed sequence dependent. When a short hydrophobic region is added to a sequence that directly forms crystalline particles, crystallization instead follows a two-step pathway that begins with the creation of disordered clusters of 10–20 molecules and is characterized by highly non-linear crystallization kinetics in which clusters transform into ordered structures that then enter the growth phase. The results shed new light on non-classical crystallization mechanisms and have implications for the design of self-assembling polymer systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Sonocrystallization of conjugated polymers with ultrasound fields

Ultrasound acoustic waves are demonstrated to assemble poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) chains into nanofibers after they are fully dissolved in what are commonly considered to be ‘good’ solvents. In the absence of ultrasound, the polymer remains fully dissolved and does not selfassemble for weeks. UV-vis spectroscopy, ultra-small angle x-ray scattering (USAXS) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) are used to characterize the induced assembly process and to quantify the fraction of polymer that forms nanofibers. It is determined that the solvent type, insonation time, and aging periods are all important factors affecting the structure and final concentration of fibers. The effect of changing polymer regio-regularity, alkyl chain length, and side chain to thiophene ratio are also explored. High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) fields of variable intensity are utilized to reveal the physical mechanisms leading to nanofiber formation, which is strongly correlated to cavitation events in the solvent. This in-situ HIFU cell, which is designed for simultaneous scattering analysis, is also used to probe for structural changes occurring over multiple length scales using USAXS and SANS. The proposed acoustic assembly mechanism suggests that, even when dispersed in ‘good’ solvents such as bromobenzene, dichlorobenzene and chloroform, P3HT chains are still not in a thermodynamically stable state. Instead, they are stabilized by local energy barriers that slow down and effectively prevent crystallization. Ultrasound fields are found to provide enough mechanical energy to overcome these barriers, triggering the formation of small crystalline nuclei that subsequently seed the growth of larger nanofibers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Biocompatible and totally disintegrable semiconducting polymer for ultrathin and ultralightweight transient electronics

Significance Organic electronics, particularly polymers, can be synthesized and processed with low temperatures and, more importantly, have the potential to be environmentally benign candidates for electronic applications. However, there has been no report of totally decomposable polymer semiconductors. Their availability will enable low-cost and fully disintegrable transient electronics. We have developed an innovative concept based on imine chemistry that allows totally disintegrable and biocompatible semiconducting polymers. Using an ultrathin biodegradable substrate, we successfully fabricated polymer transistors and logic circuits that show high performance and are ultralightweight, but they can be fully disintegrable. Our work significantly advances organic materials to enable environmentally friendly and biointegrated electronic applications.

Lei, Ting↗
DOE OSTI2024

Towards Polymer-Free, Femto-Second Laser-Welded Glass/Glass Solar Modules

This project explores the use of femto-second (fs) lasers to form glass-to-glass welds for hermetically sealed, polymer-free solar modules. Low iron solar glass coupons were welded together without the use of glass filler using a fs laser with dedicated optics to elongate the focal plane parallel to the incident beam. The resulting welds were then stress tested to failure to reveal the critical stress intensity factor, KIc. These values were used in a structural mechanics model of a 1 m by 2 m glass/glass module under a simulated static load test. The results show that the fs laser welds are strong enough for a suitably framed module to pass the IEC 61215 static load test with a load of 5400 Pa. Key to this finding is that the module must be framed and braced, and the glass must be ribbed to allow pockets for the cells and welds inside the border of the module. The result is a module design that is completely polymer-free, hermetically sealed, has improved thermal properties, and is easily recycled.

femto-second laser welded↗
DOE OSTI2026

Associative polymers with controlled sticker placement: How reversible bond distribution and density govern polymer dynamics

Associative polymers with precisely arranged stickers offer opportunities to program material properties with molecular precision. Yet, it remains unclear how the placement and fraction of stickers dictate structure, dynamics, and macroscopic properties. By developing a model unentangled polymer system with hydrogen-bonding stickers, we show that randomly distributed stickers neither form clusters nor change flow properties, whereas stickers placed at chain ends drive nanocluster formation even at low concentrations. Adding more end stickers produces a rubbery plateau spanning eight decades in frequency with two distinct relaxation timescales, in contrast to the single plateau predicted by the classic sticky Rouse model. These results demonstrate that sticker distribution dictates whether associative polymers undergo nanocluster formation or microphase separation, while substantial alterations in dynamics and viscoelasticity require both sticker aggregation and thermomechanical stability of associated domains. Our findings resolve a longstanding debate on associative polymer dynamics and provide molecular design rules for programmable soft materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane comprising a porous support and a solid polymer electrolyte including a dispersed reduced noble metal or noble metal oxide

A solid polymer electrolyte composite membrane and method of manufacturing the same. According to one embodiment, the composite membrane comprises a thin, rigid, dimensionally-stable, non-electrically-conducting support, the support having a plurality of cylindrical, straight-through pores extending perpendicularly between opposing top and bottom surfaces of the support. The pores are unevenly distributed, with some or no pores located along the periphery and more pores located centrally. The pores are completely filled with a solid polymer electrolyte, the solid polymer electrolyte including a dispersed reduced noble metal or noble metal oxide. The solid polymer electrolyte may also be deposited over the top and/or bottom surfaces of the support.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Polymer-hybrid electro-optic devices and method of fabricating polymer-hybrid electro-optic devices

A polymer-hybrid electro-optic device is fabricated by providing a semiconductor substrate, depositing a metal electrode layer on the semiconductor substrate, depositing a dielectric barrier core layer within a gap of the metal electrode layer, patterning a polymer layer to cover the dielectric barrier core layer and partially covering the metal electrode layer, infiltrating the polymer layer with an inorganic component to form a hybrid oxide-polymer layer, and removing excess inorganic component from the semiconductor substrate and metal electrode layer.

Ocola, Leonidas E.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Network Polymer Properties Engineered Through Polymer Backbone Dispersity and Structure

Abstract Dispersity ( Ð or M w /M n ) is an important parameter in material design and as such can significantly impact the properties of polymers. Here, polymer networks with independent control over the molecular weight and dispersity of the linear chains that form the material are developed. Using a RAFT polymerization approach, a library of polymers with dispersity ranging from 1.2—1.9 for backbone chain‐length (DP) 100, and 1.4—3.1 for backbone chain‐length 200 were developed and transformed to networks through post‐polymerization crosslinking to form disulfide linkers. The tensile, swelling, and adhesive properties were explored, finding that both at DP 100 and DP 200 the swelling ratio, tensile strength, and extensibility were superior at intermediate dispersity (1.3—1.5 for DP 100 and 1.6—2.1 for DP 200) compared to materials with either substantially higher or lower dispersity. Furthermore, adhesive properties for materials with chains of intermediate dispersity at DP 200 revealed enhanced performance compared to the very low or high dispersity chains.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗