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Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are a class of shape‐changing polymers with exceptional mechanical properties and potential as artificial muscles/polymer actuators. In this study, multifunctional LCE actuators with strain sensing and joule heating responsivity are developed. LCEs are successfully synthesized using the thiol‐ene two‐staged michael addition polymerization (TMAP) method. The LCE films are further functionalized via sequential polydopamine (PDA) and silver electroless coating. It is found that the PDA coating enabled the anchoring of the Ag particles to the LCE, thereby enabling the electrical conductivity of the Ag‐LCEs (<0.1 Ω cm−1). The studies confirm that the Ag/PDA coated LCEs can sense up to ≈30% strain, sense their own actuation strokes, and actuate at a rate of 1.83% s−1 while lifting a weight ≈50 times its mass in response to a 12 V 2A DC current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acacia caesia (L.) Willd (soap bark) fiber is an abundant natural resource, that is rich in cellulose. The study reports the effective utilization of underutilized Acacia caesia fiber for the isolation of nanocellulose whiskers. The nanocellulose whiskers were isolated successfully from Acacia caesia fibers by following alkali, bleaching, and sulfuric acid treatment. The obtained nanocellulose whiskers were carefully investigated for its chemical composition, structure, morphology, crystallinity, and thermal stability. The chemical composition and Fourier transform infrared spectra of nanocellulose whiskers showed the elimination of the non‐cellulosic parts present in the raw Acacia caesia fibers. The X‐ray diffraction analysis showed an upsurge in the crystallinity of the cellulose fibers after the chemical treatments. The isolation of nanocellulose whiskers from Acacia caesia raw fiber was confirmed by electron microscopy analysis. The thermogravimetric analysis showed remarkably high char residue for the nanocellulose whiskers compared to raw fibers. Based on the properties of nanocellulose whiskers, it can be concluded that the nanocellulose whiskers produced from Acacia caesia raw fibers are potential reinforcing material for developing high‐performance green composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of microphase separation induced by competitive hydrogen bonding in A-b-B/C diblock copolymer/homopolymer complexes where the diblock copolymer A-b-B is immiscible and the homopolymer C can interact unequally with both A and B blocks through hydrogen bonding. A model system containing poly(2-vinyl pyridine)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (P2VP-b-PMMA) and poly(4-vinyl phenol) (PVPh) in tetrahydrofuran was investigated. In these self-assembled complexes, microphase separation takes place due to the disparity in intermolecular interactions. Specifically, PVPh and P2VP blocks interact strongly to form complex, whereas PVPh and PMMA blocks interact weakly. The hydrogen bonding interactions were revealed by infrared spectroscopy and analyzed in terms of the difference in interassociation constants (K), i.e., interaction parameters of each blocks of the block copolymer to the homopolymer and according to the random phase approximation. The phase behavior of the complexes was investigated with small-angle x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. A series of morphologies including lamellae, hexagonal cylinders, wormlike microdomains, and hierarchical structures was documented as a function of the copolymer concentration. Moreover, we outlined how hydrogen bonding determines the self-assembly and causes morphological transitions in different A-b-B/C diblock copolymer/homopolymer systems with respect to the K values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocomposites comprising carbon nanofibers (CNF) were prepared and evaluated in terms of morphology, mechanical performance, thermal stability and crystallization properties. It was found that addition of CNF reinforced polypropylene (PP) matrix by marginally increasing the strength and modulus, but at the expense of toughness and ductility. To improve the toughness of the composites, polystyrene- block-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)- block-polystyrene (SEBS) was used. Presence of SEBS remarkably improved the toughness and ductility of the composites. The optimum level of reinforcement was observed at 0.1 wt% of CNF in the composites. Phase morphology studies revealed that at this concentration, CNF were well dispersed in polymer phases and beyond it, agglomeration occurred. PP/SEBS/CNF (0.1 wt%) nanocomposites exhibited good strength, excellent toughness and decent modulus, which make them suitable for cost effective, light-weight, tough and stiff material for engineering applications. It was observed that thermal stability of composites is only marginally improved whereas crystallinity of PP drastically reduced by the addition of CNF. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:2440-2449, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]