Open AccessRole of tunable polymer flexibility in controlling wetting behavior and thermal properties of poly(1,3‐cyclohexadiene)‐silica nanocomposites
Author(s) -
Bornani Kamlesh,
Shah Priyank,
Barkakaty Balaka,
Chen Jihua,
Lokitz Bradley,
Mays Jimmy,
Kilbey S. Michael
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
spe polymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2690-3857
DOI - 10.1002/pls2.10060
Subject(s) - wetting , materials science , polymer , flexibility (engineering) , nanocomposite , dispersion (optics) , chemical engineering , thermal , composite material , thermodynamics , statistics , physics , mathematics , optics , engineering
We present how altering the chain flexibility affects the nanoscale organization of polymer‐grafted nanoparticles (PGNPs) and its ultimate impact on macroscale thermal properties. To isolate the role of chain flexibility on wetting behavior in athermal polymer nanocomposites (PNC), the graft and matrix chemistry is kept identical by utilizing 1,3‐cyclohexadiene‐based polymer materials. Increasing the rigidity and molecular weight of both the graft and matrix is found to favor mixing of poly(1,3‐cyclohexadiene) PCHD‐grafted silica NPs with the matrix, supported by a concomitant increase in glass transition temperatures of the PNCs. Further, the associated entropic factors that drive wetting behavior and dispersion of PGNPs are discussed, emphasizing the dominant role‐played by chain flexibility. Alterations in graft flexibility had the strongest impact on dispersion and T g values of the PNC, while molecular weight (MW) plays a secondary role. This investigation is a unique demonstration of how chain flexibility alteration in athermal semiflexible systems can be used to alter NP organization by altering filler‐matrix wettability which also impacts thermal properties.