INS7-0094
Tailorable Nanoparticle-based Bonds for Designing Polymer Networks
Topic
S7. Innovations in Polymeric Composites: From Design and Processing to Industrial Applications
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
15:00 - 15:25
Room 107
Session Chairs
Sung Woo HONG
Presenter(s)
S. Eileen Seo (Arizona State University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Biological systems are exquisitely adapted to respond to their environments, with important functions regulated by diffusion, chemical reactions, and self-assembly. Translating these principles into synthetic materials that can coherently manage multiple complex properties is critical for advancing the versatility, resilience, and energy efficiency of modern materials. Inspired by these biological strategies, we design self-repairing, reprocessable materials that modulate their equilibrium states in response to external stimuli. In this talk, I will present tailorable nanoparticle-based bonds that act as multivalent crosslinks to drive the self-assembly (process) and self-repairing of polymer networks (property). These nanoparticle-based bonds enable NIR-activated self-assembly-driven microlithography (towards 3D printing) and provide precise control over material properties, including rapid self-repair at room temperature, glass transition temperatures exceeding 120 °C, a fast stress-relaxation rate, and modulus in the GPa range. Finally, I will discuss how these materials enable energy-efficient recycling through reversible assembly and disassembly processes.
