Inventors:
- CHICAGO IL, US
Oleksiy (Alexey) Snezhko - Naperville IL, US
Maksim Sapozhnikov - Nizhny Novgorod, RU
Nicholas G. Becker - Chicago IL, US
Thomas Proslier - Woodridge IL, US
Igor S. Aronson - Darien IL, US
International Classification:
B29C 67/00
Abstract:
Self-assembled tunable networks of microscopic polymer fibers ranging from wavy colloidal “fur” to highly interconnected networks are created from polymer systems and an applied electric field. The networks emerge via dynamic self-assembly in an alternating (ac) electric field from a non-aqueous suspension of “sticky” polymeric colloidal particles with a controlled degree of polymerization. The resulting architectures are tuned by the frequency and amplitude of the electric field and surface properties of the particles.