Incorporation of reversible crosslinks into polymers is an effective approach for tailoring their mechanical properties and to realizing behavior like self-healing, shape memory, and pH sensitivity. Among various reversible crosslink types, ionic bonds are particularly interesting because of their biocompatibility, saloplasticity, and relevance for energy conversion technologies. Understanding the structure-function relationship of such polymers is important for future development of advanced materials. In our latest paper, led by PhD candidate Hongyi Cai, we address this question by designing and characterizing a series of highly stretchable elastomers inspired by polyelectrolyte complexes. We demonstrate how ionic bonds formed among polymer chains strengthen the elastomers and also help them recover.

MMD lab graduate Michael Buche just published work started in his PhD thesis in Physical Review E. “Freely jointed chain models with extensible links” presents how to derive asymptotically correct analytical expressions for the force-stretch relationships for polymer chains with extensible bonds utilizing statistical thermodynamics. This work was co-authored with Prof Silberstein and fellow Cornell Theoretical and Applied Mechanics graduate Scott Grutzik.