A5085968499- Polymer crystallization and properties
- biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
- Metal and Thin Film Mechanics
- Polymer Nanocomposites and Properties
- Ionic liquids properties and applications
- Advanced Polymer Synthesis and Characterization
- Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research
- Liquid Crystal Research Advancements
- Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials
- Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications
- nanoparticles nucleation surface interactions
- Advanced X-ray Imaging Techniques
- Conducting polymers and applications
- Fuel Cells and Related Materials
- Thermal and Kinetic Analysis
- Silk-based biomaterials and applications
- Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Advanced Materials and Mechanics
- Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
- Polymer Surface Interaction Studies
- Advanced materials and composites
- Polydiacetylene-based materials and applications
- Adhesion, Friction, and Surface Interactions
- X-ray Diffraction in Crystallography
- Metal Alloys Wear and Properties
KU Leuven
2023-2025
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
2016-2025
Institut de Sciences des Matériaux de Mulhouse
2009-2024
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
2008-2024
Sirius University of Science and Technology
2022
European Science Foundation
2017-2020
Elkhorn Slough Foundation
2017
CEA Grenoble
2017
Lomonosov Moscow State University
2013-2016
Moscow State University
2015
Active camouflage is widely recognized as a soft-tissue feature, and yet the ability to integrate adaptive coloration tissuelike mechanical properties into synthetic materials remains elusive. We provide solution this problem by uniting these functions in moldable elastomers through self-assembly of linear-bottlebrush-linear triblock copolymers. Microphase separation architecturally distinct blocks results physically cross-linked networks that display vibrant color, extreme softness, intense...
Abstract The next generation of soft electronics will expand to the third dimension. This require integration mechanically compliant 3D functional structures with stretchable materials. Here, omnidirectional direct ink writing (DIW) poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) aerogels tunable electrical and mechanical performance is demonstrated, which can be integrated substrates. Several PEDOT:PSS hydrogels are formulated for DIW freeze‐dried directly on substrates...
Radiation damage limits the accuracy of macromolecular structures in X-ray crystallography. Cryogenic (cryo-) cooling reduces global radiation rate and, therefore, became method choice over past decades. The recent advent serial crystallography, which spreads absorbed energy many crystals, thereby reducing damage, has rendered room temperature (RT) data collection more practical and also extendable to microcrystals, both enabling requiring study specific at RT. Here, we performed sequential...
3D mapping of crystal and nanostructure orientation shows that bone contains a mineral fraction not aligned with the nanostructure.
The microstructure of banded spherulites a typical semirigid-chain polymer, poly(trimethylene terephthalate), PTT, has been explored with microbeam X-ray diffraction. It is shown that during scans along the spherulite radius, different diffraction peaks exhibit oscillations same periodicity, which means lamellar twist strictly uniform and regular. twisted PTT crystals formed from melt at 170 °C reveal one-to-one correlation between handedness growth axis polarity. Thus, lamellae are...
A novel wedge-shaped amphiphilic molecule bearing a sulfonate group at the tip displays humidity-induced phase transitions from hexagonal columnar structure to bicontinuous cubic phase. The mesophases can be frozen by photopolymerization of acrylic end-groups resulting in free-standing membranes with different topology ionic nanochannels. obtained well-ordered channel hold promise for applications separation and catalysis. As service our authors readers, this journal provides supporting...
A microelectromechanical-systems-based calorimeter designed for use on a synchrotron nano-focused X-ray beamline is described. This instrument allows quantitative DC and AC calorimetric measurements over broad range of heating/cooling rates (≤100000 K s(-1)) temperature modulation frequencies (≤1 kHz). The was used high-resolution thermal imaging nanogram-sized samples subjected to X-ray-induced heating. For 46 ng indium particle, the measured rise reaches ∼0.2 K, directly correlated...
Spider major ampullate silk is often schematically represented as a two-phase material composed of crystalline nanodomains in an amorphous matrix. Here we are interested revealing its more complex nanoscale organization by probing Argiope bruennichi dragline-type fibers using scanning X-ray nanodiffraction. This allows resolving transversal structural features such about 1 μm skin layer around 100 nm diameter nanofibrils serving presumably elastic sheath. The core consists composite several...
It is widely accepted that achiral polymers crystallize in lamella helicoids of both handedness, whereas chiral are known to form only one handedness. By employing nanofocus X-ray diffraction, we show the situation more complex and can be fact hybrid, i.e., containing a left- right-handed part. Moreover, our data demonstrate poly(trimethylene terephthalate) lamellae invert chirality at certain crystallization temperature. The correlates with growth axis polarity (i.e., versus −a) handedness...
Synchrotron microbeam X-ray diffraction was employed to investigate the local-scale structure and solid-state phase transformation within individual spherulites of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). In thin, non-oriented films, PVDF crystallizes into α γ-phases, forming distinct spherulitic morphologies: large, banded α-spherulites smaller, irregular “mixed” dominated by γ-phase. For samples crystallized at high undercooling (160 °C), mixed primarily consisted γ-phase, with only a minor...
Organic semiconductor materials are interesting due to their application in various organic electronics devices. [1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (BTBT) is a widely used building block for the creation of such materials. In this work, three novel solution-processable regioisomeric derivatives BTBT—2,7-bis(3-octylthiophene-2-yl)BTBT (1), 2,7-bis(4-octylthiophene-2-yl)BTBT (2), and 2,7-bis(5-octylthiophene-2-yl)BTBT (3)—were synthesized investigated. Their optoelectronic properties were...
A simple and robust high-pressure cell designed for in situ transmission X-ray crystallization studies is presented. The performance of the small/wide-angle scattering experiments microscopy imaging demonstrated zeolite from highly alkaline hydrated silicate ionic liquids at 500 K 150 bar N 2 pressure. design combination with commercial finger-tight connections allows convenient sample loading powders, gases. can be used dead-end or flow-through mode pressurized gases via standard...
Abstract The integrity of structural materials is oftentimes defined by their resistance against catastrophic failure through dissipative plastic processes at the crack tip, commonly quantified J -integral concept. However, to date experimental stress and strain fields necessary quantify associated with local propagation in its original integral form were inaccessible. Here, we present a multi-method nanoscale strain- stress-mapping surrounding growing tip two identical miniaturized fracture...
Brush printing is a promising meniscus-guided technique to facilitate the transition from optimized organic thermoelectric materials functional printed generators (TEGs) due its dual advantage: (1) precise control of solvent evaporation tune film morphology for enhanced charge transport and (2) patterning capabilities. This study systematically investigates relationship between brush-induced performance in PEDOT:PSS films. We observed molecular chain extension, anisotropic alignment,...
Polymeric onions: A concept of vesicle fabrication based on nonstoichiometric complexation a polybase with an amphiphilic ligand bearing sulfonic acid group is developed (see picture). In contrast to conventional polymersomes, the polymer backbones are oriented mainly parallel walls. The vesicles can collapse under UV irradiation because UV-triggered trans–cis isomerization azo-group-containing ligand.
The synthesis, morphology, and properties of segmented poly(ether amide)s based on flexible PTHF segments (Mn = 1.1 × 103 g mol–1) uniform rigid oxalamide were investigated. amount groups in the hard segment spacer length bisoxalamide-based hydrogen bonded arrays varied systematically. amide) with single connecting polyether blocks was a sticky solid melting temperature ∼25 °C. Incorporation consisting two interconnected units provided highly phase-separated thermoplastic elastomers broad...
ABA triblock copolymers composed of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) bottlebrush central block and linear poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) terminal blocks self-assemble into physical network PDMS strands connected by PMMA spherical domains. A combination small- ultrasmall-angle X-ray scattering techniques was used to concurrently examine dimensions domains both in the bulk at PMMA-PDMS interface. In agreement with scaling model predictions, degrees polymerization backbone (nbb) (nA) correlate...
Abstract Cyt1Aa is the one of four crystalline protoxins produced by mosquitocidal bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis ( Bti ) that has been shown to delay evolution insect resistance in field. Limiting our understanding efficacy and path improved toxicity spectrum ignorance how crystallizes vivo its mechanism toxicity. Here, we use serial femtosecond crystallography determine protoxin structure from sub-micron-sized crystals . Structures determined under various pH/redox conditions...
Chemists aim to meet modern sustainability, health, and safety requirements by replacing conventional solvents with deep eutectic (DESs). Through large melting point depressions, DESs may incorporate renewable solids in task-specific liquids. Yet, DES design is complicated complex molecular interactions a lack of comprehensive property databases. Even measuring pure component properties can be challenging, due decomposition before melting. Here we overcame the quintessential constituent,...