IONIC POLYDIMETHYLSILOXANE-SILICA NANOCOMPOSITES: FROM SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION TO SELF-HEALING PROPERTY

Auteurs

Mugemana C., Moghimikheirabad A., Arl D., Addiego F., Schmidt D.F., Kröger M., Karatrantos A.V.

Référence

ECCM 2022 - Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Composite Materials: Composites Meet Sustainability, vol. 1, pp. 1010-1017, 2022

Description

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based nanocomposites have attracted increasing attention due to their inherent outstanding properties. Nevertheless, the realization of high levels of dispersion of nanosilicas in PDMS represents a challenge arising from the poor compatibility between the two components. Herein, we explore the use of ionic interactions located at the interface between silica and PDMS matrix by combining anionic sulfonate-functionalized silica and cationic ammonium-functionalized PDMS. A library of ionic PDMS nanocomposites was synthesized and characterized to highlight the impact of charge location, density, and molecular weight of ionic PDMS polymers on the dispersion of nanosilicas and the resulting mechanical reinforcement. The use of reversible ionic interactions at the interface of nanoparticles-polymer matrix enables the healing of scratches applied to the surface of the nanocomposites. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to estimate the survival probability of ionic crosslinks between nanoparticles and the polymer matrix, revealing a dependence on polymer charge density.