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Journal ArticleDOI

"Flex-activated" mechanophores: using polymer mechanochemistry to direct bond bending activation.

23 May 2013-Journal of the American Chemical Society (American Chemical Society)-Vol. 135, Iss: 22, pp 8189-8192
TL;DR: Studies in mechanochemical transduction that probe the activation of bonds orthogonal to an elongated polymer main chain are described, a first step toward mechanophores capable of releasing side-chain functionalities without inherently compromising the overall macromolecular architecture.
Abstract: We describe studies in mechanochemical transduction that probe the activation of bonds orthogonal to an elongated polymer main chain. Compression of mechanophore-cross-linked materials resulted in the release of small molecules via cleavage of covalent bonds that were not integral components of the elongated polymer segments. The reactivity is proposed to arise from the distribution of force through the cross-linking units of the polymer network and subsequent bond bending motions that are consistent with the geometric changes in the overall reaction. This departure from contemporary polymer mechanochemistry, in which activation is achieved primarily by force-induced bond elongation, is a first step toward mechanophores capable of releasing side-chain functionalities without inherently compromising the overall macromolecular architecture.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This Account offers a first-hand perspective of the change-in-thinking in polymer mechanochemistry from "destructive" to "productive" and looks at future advances that will stimulate this growing field.
Abstract: ConspectusWhen one brings “polymeric materials” and “mechanical action” into the same conversation, the topic of this discussion might naturally focus on everyday circumstances such as failure of fibers, fatigue of composites, abrasion of coatings, etc. This intuitive viewpoint reflects the historic consensus in both academia and industry that mechanically induced chemical changes are destructive, leading to polymer degradation that limits materials lifetime on both macroscopic and molecular levels. In the 1930s, Staudinger observed mechanical degradation of polymers, and Melville later discovered that polymer chain scission caused the degradation. Inspired by these historical observations, we sought to redirect the destructive mechanical energy to a productive form that enables mechanoresponsive functions.In this Account, we provide a personal perspective on the origin, barriers, developments, and key advancements of polymer mechanochemistry. We revisit the seminal events that offered molecular-level ins...

423 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Embedding mechanophores into an elastomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) network allows for covalent bond activation under macroscopically reversible deformations, and it is shown that bond activation can be repeated over multiple cycles of tensile elongation with full shape recovery.
Abstract: Covalent mechanochemistry within bulk polymers typically occurs with irreversible deformation of the parent material. Here we show that embedding mechanophores into an elastomeric poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) network allows for covalent bond activation under macroscopically reversible deformations. Using the colorimetric mechanophore spiropyran, we show that bond activation can be repeated over multiple cycles of tensile elongation with full shape recovery. Further, localized compression can be used to pattern strain-induced chemistry. The platform enables the reversibility of a secondary strain-induced color change to be characterized. We also observe mechanical acceleration of a flex-activated retro-Diels–Alder reaction, allowing a chemical signal to be released in response to a fully reversible deformation.

287 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It was determined that the filament production and printing process did not degrade the spiropyran units or polymer chains and that the mechanical properties of the specimens prepared with the custom filament were in good agreement with those from commercial PCL filament.
Abstract: We describe the preparation and characterization of photo- and mechanochromic 3D-printed structures using a commercial fused filament fabrication printer. Three spiropyran-containing poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) polymers were each filamentized and used to print single- and multicomponent tensile testing specimens that would be difficult, if not impossible, to prepare using traditional manufacturing techniques. It was determined that the filament production and printing process did not degrade the spiropyran units or polymer chains and that the mechanical properties of the specimens prepared with the custom filament were in good agreement with those from commercial PCL filament. In addition to printing photochromic and dual photo- and mechanochromic PCL materials, we also prepare PCL containing a spiropyran unit that is selectively activated by mechanical impetus. Multicomponent specimens containing two different responsive spiropyrans enabled selective activation of different regions within the specimen dep...

232 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
04 Aug 2017-Science
TL;DR: A mechanochemically responsive nonconjugated polymer that converts to a conjugated polymer via an extensive rearrangement of the macromolecular structure in response to force is reported, based on the facile mechanochemical unzipping of polyladderene.
Abstract: Biological systems sense and respond to mechanical stimuli in a complex manner. In an effort to develop synthetic materials that transduce mechanical force into multifold changes in their intrinsic properties, we report on a mechanochemically responsive nonconjugated polymer that converts to a conjugated polymer via an extensive rearrangement of the macromolecular structure in response to force. Our design is based on the facile mechanochemical unzipping of polyladderene, a polymer inspired by a lipid natural product structure and prepared via direct metathesis polymerization. The resultant polyacetylene block copolymers exhibit long conjugation length and uniform trans-configuration and self-assemble into semiconducting nanowires. Calculations support a tandem unzipping mechanism of the ladderene units.

206 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Zhiyong Ma1, Zhijian Wang1, Mingjun Teng1, Zejun Xu1, Xinru Jia1 
TL;DR: This Minireview is focused on fluorescent materials that undergo mechanically induced multicolor changes, including mechanical control of either the supramolecular structures or the chemical structures, and mechanical Control of both the supramsolecular and chemical structures.
Abstract: Mechanofluorochromic or piezochromic fluorescence chemistry involves the switching and tuning of the luminescent properties of solid-state materials induced by exogenous forces, such as grinding, shearing, compression, tension, and so forth. Up until now, most reported mechanochromic systems, including liquid crystals, organic molecules, organometallic compounds, polymers, and dye-doped polymers, have displayed reversible two-color changes, which arise from either supramolecular or chemical structure transformations. However, fluorescent materials that undergo mechanically induced multicolor changes remain rare; this Minireview is focused on such materials. Topics are categorized according to the different applied forces that are required to induce the multicolor change, including mechanical control of either the supramolecular structures or the chemical structures, and mechanical control of both the supramolecular structures and chemical structures.

202 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
07 May 2009-Nature
TL;DR: It is found that pronounced changes in colour and fluorescence emerge with the accumulation of plastic deformation, indicating that in these polymeric materials the transduction of mechanical force into the ring-opening reaction is an activated process.
Abstract: Biology is replete with materials systems that actively and functionally respond to mechanical stimuli and thereby enable physiological processes such as the sense of touch, hearing or the growth of tissue and bone. In contrast, exposing polymers to large stresses tends to result in covalent bond rupture and hence damage or failure. Davis et al. now demonstrate that synthetic materials can be rationally designed to ensure that mechanical stress alters their properties in a useful manner. This is realized by incorporating a chemical group that responds to mechanical stress by changing its colour to red as it undergoes a ring-opening reaction, enabling the team to directly monitor the accumulation of plastic deformation. The principles underpinning this work should enable the development of other force-responsive chemical groups that could impart synthetic materials with desirable functionalities ranging from damage sensing to fully regenerative self-healing. Exposing synthetic materials to large stresses tends to result in simple failure, unlike many biological systems, which respond by enabling physiological processes such as hearing and balance. But by incorporating a chemical group that responds to mechanical stress by changing its colour, it is possible to monitor the accumulation of plastic deformation directly in a synthetic polymer. This principle could be used to design synthetic materials with desirable functionalities ranging from damage sensing to fully regenerative self-healing. Mechanochemical transduction enables an extraordinary range of physiological processes such as the sense of touch, hearing, balance, muscle contraction, and the growth and remodelling of tissue and bone1,2,3,4,5,6. Although biology is replete with materials systems that actively and functionally respond to mechanical stimuli, the default mechanochemical reaction of bulk polymers to large external stress is the unselective scission of covalent bonds, resulting in damage or failure7. An alternative to this degradation process is the rational molecular design of synthetic materials such that mechanical stress favourably alters material properties. A few mechanosensitive polymers with this property have been developed8,9,10,11,12,13,14; but their active response is mediated through non-covalent processes, which may limit the extent to which properties can be modified and the long-term stability in structural materials. Previously, we have shown with dissolved polymer strands incorporating mechanically sensitive chemical groups—so-called mechanophores—that the directional nature of mechanical forces can selectively break and re-form covalent bonds15,16. We now demonstrate that such force-induced covalent-bond activation can also be realized with mechanophore-linked elastomeric and glassy polymers, by using a mechanophore that changes colour as it undergoes a reversible electrocyclic ring-opening reaction under tensile stress and thus allows us to directly and locally visualize the mechanochemical reaction. We find that pronounced changes in colour and fluorescence emerge with the accumulation of plastic deformation, indicating that in these polymeric materials the transduction of mechanical force into the ring-opening reaction is an activated process. We anticipate that force activation of covalent bonds can serve as a general strategy for the development of new mechanophore building blocks that impart polymeric materials with desirable functionalities ranging from damage sensing to fully regenerative self-healing.

1,367 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The purpose of this review is to broadly survey the mechanical to chemical relationships between synthetic polymers, and to consider the I-O relationship as an energy transduction process for designing stimuli-responsive materials.
Abstract: Engineering applications of synthetic polymers are widespread due to their availability, processability, low density, and diversity of mechanical properties (Figure 1a). Despite their ubiquitous nature, modern polymers are evolving into multifunctional systems with highly sophisticated behavior. These emergent functions are commonly described as “smart” characteristics whereby “intelligence” is rooted in a specific response elicited from a particular stimulus. Materials that exhibit stimuli-responsive functions thus achieve a desired output (O, the response) upon being subjected to a specific input (I, the stimulus). Given that mechanical loading is inevitable, coupled with the wide range of mechanical properties for synthetic polymers, it is not surprising that mechanoresponsive polymers are an especially attractive class of smart materials. To design materials with stimuli-responsive functions, it is helpful to consider the I-O relationship as an energy transduction process. Achieving the desired I-O linkage thus becomes a problem in finding how to transform energy from the stimulus into energy that executes the desired response. The underlying mechanism that forms this I-O coupling need not be a direct, one-step transduction event; rather, the overall process may proceed through a sequence of energy transduction steps. In this regard, the network of energy transduction pathways is a useful roadmap for designing stimuli-responsive materials (Figure 1b). It is the purpose of this review to broadly survey the mechanical to chemical * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone: 217-244-4024. Fax: 217-244-8024. E-mail: jsmoore@illinois.edu. † Department of Chemistry and Beckman Institute. ‡ Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Beckman Institute. § Department of Aerospace Engineering and Beckman Institute. Chem. Rev. XXXX, xxx, 000–000 A

1,081 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A survey of the classical works in mechanochemistry is given and the key mechanochemical phenomena into perspective with recent results from atomic force microscopy and quantum molecular dynamics simulations are put into perspective.
Abstract: Regarding the activation of chemical reactions, today’s chemist is used to thinking in terms of thermochemistry, electrochemistry, and photochemistry, which is reflected in the organization and content of the standard physical chemistry textbooks. The fourth way of chemical activation, mechanochemistry, is usually less well-known. The purpose of the present review is to give a survey of the classical works in mechanochemistry and put the key mechanochemical phenomena into perspective with recent results from atomic force microscopy and quantum molecular dynamics simulations. A detailed historical account on the development of mechanochemistry, with an emphasis on the mechanochemistry of solids, was recently given by Boldyrev and Tkáčová.1 The first written document of a mechanochemical reaction is found in a book by Theophrastus of Ephesus (371-286 B.C.), a student of Aristotle, “De Lapidibus” or “On stones”. If native cinnabar is rubbed in a brass mortar with a brass pestle in the presence of vinegar, metallic mercury is obtained. The mechanochemical reduction probably follows the reaction:1-3 * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Telephone: ++49-89-289-13417. Fax: ++49-89-289-13416. E-mail: martin.beyer@ch.tum.de (M.K.B.); Telephone: ++49-89-12651417. Fax: ++49-89-1265-1480. E-mail: clausen-schaumann@ fhm.edu (H.C.-S.). † Technische Universität München. ‡ Institut für Strahlenschutz. § Current address: Munich University of Applied Sciences. HgS + Cu f Hg + CuS (1) Volume 105, Number 8

1,062 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Work in the laboratory led to the development of two bioorthogonal transformations that exploit the azide as a small, abiotic, and bioinert reaction partner: the Staudinger ligation and strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition.
Abstract: Bioorthogonal reactions are chemical reactions that neither interact with nor interfere with a biological system. The participating functional groups must be inert to biological moieties, must selectively reactive with each other under biocompatible conditions, and, for in vivo applications, must be nontoxic to cells and organisms. Additionally, it is helpful if one reactive group is small and therefore minimally perturbing of a biomolecule into which it has been introduced either chemically or biosynthetically. Examples from the past decade suggest that a promising strategy for bioorthogonal reaction development begins with an analysis of functional group and reactivity space outside those defined by Nature. Issues such as stability of reactants and products (particularly in water), kinetics, and unwanted side reactivity with biofunctionalities must be addressed, ideally guided by detailed mechanistic studies. Finally, the reaction must be tested in a variety of environments, escalating from aqueous medi...

842 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review provides the conceptual framework to understand the role of mechanical force in biochemistry.
Abstract: f Abstract Mechanical processes are involved in nearly every facet of the cell cycle. Mechanical forces are generated in the cell during processes as diverse as chromosomal segregation, replication, transcription, translation, translocation of proteins across membranes, cell locomotion, and catalyzed protein and nucleic acid folding and unfolding, among others. Because force is a product of all these reactions, biochemists are beginning to directly apply external forces to these processes to alter the extent or even the fate of these reactions hoping to reveal their underlying molecular mechanisms. This review provides the conceptual framework to understand the role of mechanical force in biochemistry.

745 citations