Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Development Of High-Performance Hydrogels, Buddhabhushan Salunkhe

Doctoral Dissertations

Here, we present a systematic approach to design robust hydrogel compositions. The goal was to achieve excellent properties to open up new opportunities in especially two challenging applications not previously well-served by hydrogels.

The first part of this research will discuss the systematic screening of polymers for their hydrothermal stability under brine, acidic, neutral, and basic pH conditions followed by novel designs of hydrogel compositions. Certain hydrogel compositions withstand temperatures of up to 150 °C for more than 24 months in high salinity brines. This novel hydrogel composition fills a technology gap between the existing polyacrylamide-based preformed particle gels (PPGs) …

Functional Phosphorylcholine Polymers: Prodrugs And Biomaterials, Samantha B.M. Page

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis describes the synthesis and applications of multifunctional, hydrophilic polymers consisting of a methacrylate backbone and zwitterionic phosphorylcholine (PC) pendent groups, prepared by free radical polymerization of the zwitterionic monomer, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC). Advances in polymer chemistry, applied to PC polymers, allowed for the preparation of well-defined structures with controlled molecular weight, narrow polydispersity, and facile incorporation of functional comonomers, giving breadth to the range of materials accessible for different applications. Built-in functionality included fluorophores and reactive groups for post-polymerization transformations, such as drug conjugation or cross-linking. The ability to form well-defined structures based on the polyMPC backbone is …

Creasing Instability Of Hydrogels And Elastomers, Dayong Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

CREASING INSTABILITY OF HYDROGELS AND ELASTOMERS MAY 2014 DAYONG CHEN, B.S., TIANJIN UNIVERISTY M.S., TIANJIN UNIVERSITY M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Ryan C. Hayward Soft polymers placed under compressive stress can undergo an elastic creasing instability in which sharp folds spontaneously form on the free surfaces. This process may play an important role in contexts as diverse as brain morphogenesis, failure of tires, and electrical breakdown of soft polymer actuators. While the creasing instability has been used for collotype printing since as early as the 1850s, the scientific appreciation of this instability …