TELECHELIC POLYMERS AS HIGH-PERFORMANCE RHEOLOGICAL MODIFIERS IN BIOMIMETIC POLYMER-LINKED EMULSIONS
Date of Award
2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering
Department
Chemical Engineering
First Advisor
Ryan Poling-Skutvik
Abstract
Due to the complexity of biological tissue and the numerous challenges associated with research into biological particle transport, it is of interest to scientists to develop a synthetic mimic that can replicate key attributes of multicellular tissue. The work presented in this dissertation details the design, characterization, and application of a synthetic material for use as a phantom material in research into biological particle transport. Furthermore, the designed materials introduce exciting polymer physics problems and present broad potential uses as rheological modifiers for colloidal systems and 3D printing inks. The polymer-linked emulsions which form the basis of this work are prepared via the combination of telechelic, triblock copolymers and oil-in-water emulsions, with the polymer linking the dispersed oil droplets into a robust network. The individual droplets mimic the compartmentalization of cells, and the linking polymer is akin to intercellular adhesion proteins -- inducing highly elastic interdroplet connections. We characterize these materials through various methods including dynamic light scattering, oscillatory rheology, and optical microscopy, identifying parameters of the polymer architecture that influence the structure and properties of the linked emulsions. To optimize the system, we synthesize triblock, bottlebrush polymers to serve as the linking chains and develop methodology to compare the bridging density of polymers of different chemistries. Finally, we demonstrate the use of this system as a model material for studying in vivo particle transport via multiple particle tracking. We observe transport behavior with distinct similarities to that observed in biological tissue and directly compare the results to that obtained in ex vivo tissue. The findings detailed in this dissertation should aid in the design of biomimetic materials for the study of biological particle transport and progress the material science community towards novel materials based on high-molecular-weight, telechelic polymers.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Keane, Daniel P., "TELECHELIC POLYMERS AS HIGH-PERFORMANCE RHEOLOGICAL MODIFIERS IN BIOMIMETIC POLYMER-LINKED EMULSIONS" (2024). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 1708.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/1708
