Article (Scientific journals)
Immense elastic nonlinearities at the demixing transition of aqueous PNIPAM solutions
Philipp, Martine; Müller, Ulrich; Aleksandrova, Ralitsa et al.
2013In Soft Matter, 9, p. 5034-5041
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
 

Files


Full Text
soft2013_9.pdf
Publisher postprint (491 kB)
Download

All documents in ORBilu are protected by a user license.

Send to



Details



Abstract :
[en] Elastic nonlinearities are particularly relevant for soft materials because of their inherently small linear elasticity. Nonlinear elastic properties may even take over the leading role for the transformation at mechanical instabilities accompanying many phase transitions in soft matter. Because of inherent experimental difficulties, only little is known about third order (nonlinear) elastic constants within liquids, gels and polymers. Here we show that a key concept to access third order elasticity in soft materials is the determination of mode Gr¨uneisen parameters. We report the first direct observation of third order elastic constants across mechanical instabilities accompanying the liquid–liquid demixing transition of semi-dilute aqueous poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) solutions. Immense elastic nonlinearities, leading to a strong strain-softening in the phase-separating PNIPAM solutions, are observed. Molecular mechanisms, which may be responsible for these immense elastic nonlinearities, are discussed. The importance of third order elastic constants in comparison to second order (linear) elastic constants in the demixing PNIPAM solutions evidences the need to focus more on the general role played by nonlinear elasticity at phase transitions within synthetic and biological liquids and gels.
Disciplines :
Physics
Author, co-author :
Philipp, Martine ;  Technische Universität München - TUM
Müller, Ulrich ;  University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication (FSTC) > Physics and Materials Science Research Unit
Aleksandrova, Ralitsa ;  University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication (FSTC) > Physics and Materials Science Research Unit
Sanctuary, Roland ;  University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication (FSTC) > Physics and Materials Science Research Unit
Müller-Buschbaum, P.;  Technische Universität München - TUM
Krüger, Jan-Kristian ;  University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Science, Technology and Communication (FSTC) > Physics and Materials Science Research Unit
Language :
English
Title :
Immense elastic nonlinearities at the demixing transition of aqueous PNIPAM solutions
Publication date :
2013
Journal title :
Soft Matter
ISSN :
1744-6848
Publisher :
Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Volume :
9
Pages :
5034-5041
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Additional URL :
Available on ORBilu :
since 30 December 2013

Statistics


Number of views
105 (8 by Unilu)
Number of downloads
211 (3 by Unilu)

Scopus citations®
 
13
Scopus citations®
without self-citations
6
OpenCitations
 
13
WoS citations
 
13

Bibliography


Similar publications



Contact ORBilu