Premium
Mesoscopic Network Structure of a Semi‐Rigid Polyion Complex Nested in a Polycationic Hydrogel
Author(s) -
Wu Zi Liang,
Furukawa Hidemitsu,
Yang Wei,
Gong Jian Ping
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.200900933
Subject(s) - materials science , polymerization , micrometer , monomer , cationic polymerization , network structure , dopant , viscoelasticity , mesoscopic physics , phase (matter) , polymer chemistry , nanometre , chemical engineering , polymer science , nanotechnology , polymer , composite material , doping , organic chemistry , chemistry , optics , physics , optoelectronics , quantum mechanics , machine learning , computer science , engineering
A dual network gel , consisting of a micrometer‐scaled network‐like structure of a semi‐rigid polyion complex nested in a nanometer‐scaled polycationic network, has been developed by polymerization of a cationic monomer in the presence of a small amount of semi‐rigid polyanion as dopant. Self‐assembly and viscoelastic phase separation (see figure) compete with each other during the polymerization and render the micrometer‐scaled network structure, which is permanently frozen by the subsequent gelation.