Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Department of Polymer Science, University of Akron, Akron, OH, 44325-3909, USA.
Science. 2018 Mar 30;359(6383):1509-1513. doi: 10.1126/science.aar5308.
Active camouflage is widely recognized as a soft-tissue feature, and yet the ability to integrate adaptive coloration and tissuelike mechanical properties into synthetic materials remains elusive. We provide a solution to this problem by uniting these functions in moldable elastomers through the self-assembly of linear-bottlebrush-linear triblock copolymers. Microphase separation of the architecturally distinct blocks results in physically cross-linked networks that display vibrant color, extreme softness, and intense strain stiffening on par with that of skin tissue. Each of these functional properties is regulated by the structure of one macromolecule, without the need for chemical cross-linking or additives. These materials remain stable under conditions characteristic of internal bodily environments and under ambient conditions, neither swelling in bodily fluids nor drying when exposed to air.
主动伪装被广泛认为是一种软组织特征，但将自适应着色和类似组织的机械性能集成到合成材料中仍然难以实现。我们通过线性刷形-线性三嵌段共聚物的自组装，在可模塑弹性体中将这些功能结合在一起，从而解决了这个问题。结构不同的嵌段的微相分离导致形成物理交联网络，这些网络具有鲜艳的颜色、极高的柔软度和强烈的应变硬化，与皮肤组织相当。这些功能特性中的每一个都受一种大分子的结构调节，而无需化学交联或添加剂。这些材料在体内环境的特征条件下和环境条件下都保持稳定，既不会在体液中膨胀，也不会在暴露于空气中时干燥。
