Architecture of fiber network: from understanding to engineering of molecular gels.
A new approach of engineering of molecular gels was established on the basis of a nucleation-initiated network formation mechanism. A variety of gel network structures can be obtained by regulating the starting temperature of the sol-gel transition. This enables us to tune the network from the spherulitic domains pattern to the extensively interconnected fibrillar network. As the consequence of fibrous network structure turning, desirable rheological and other in-use properties of the materials can be obtained accordingly. This approach of micro-/nanostructural fabrication may open up a new route for micro-/nanofunctional materials engineering in general.
Wang
Rong-Yao
RY
Department of Applied Physics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
Liu
Xiang-Yang
XY
Narayanan
Janaky
J
Xiong
Jun-Ying
JY
Li
Jing-Liang
JL
D003461:Crystallography; D005782:Gels; D013816:Thermodynamics
D005782:Gels