title: Learning from nature: synthesis and characterization of longitudinal polymer gradient materials inspired by mussel byssus threads.
abstract: Marine mussels use their threads for attachment to any substratum and these biopolymer gradient fibers show an excellent combination of stiff and soft mechanical properties. A straightforward approach for the preparation of macroscopic longitudinal polymer gradient materials on the centimeter scale based on a poly(dimethyl siloxane) system is presented. Compositional gradients are realized by using three syringe pumps feeding different prepolymers capable to undergo thermal cross-linking. Within the gradient samples, the stiffness between the hard and soft part can be varied up to a factor of four. The gradients are analyzed by UV-Vis spectroscopy as well as compressive and tensile modulus testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Macromolecular Chemistry I, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Kai U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Claussen
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giesa
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scheibel
authors.forename: Hans-Werner
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000737:chemistry*; D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008860:Microscopy, Ultraviolet; D012833:Siloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D020724:Elastomers; D012833:Siloxanes