Issue 10, 2009

Physical gels of telechelic triblock copolymers with precisely defined junction multiplicity

Abstract

We study transient networks formed by monodisperse telechelic polypeptides with collagen-like end blocks and a random-coil-like middle block. These artificial proteins are created using recombinant DNA techniques. Upon cooling, the end blocks associate reversibly into triple helices, leading to gels with a well-defined junction multiplicity of three. Both the storage modulus and the relaxation time of the gel increase very strongly as a function of concentration, and decrease with increasing temperature. All the experimental results are described quantitatively by an analytical model, based on classical gel theory, that requires no adjustable parameters, and accounts for the molecular structure of the gel, and the presence of loops and dangling ends.

Graphical abstract: Physical gels of telechelic triblock copolymers with precisely defined junction multiplicity

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 Nov 2008
Accepted
27 Feb 2009
First published
31 Mar 2009

Soft Matter, 2009,5, 2057-2062

Physical gels of telechelic triblock copolymers with precisely defined junction multiplicity

P. J. Skrzeszewska, F. A. de Wolf, M. W. T. Werten, A. P. H. A. Moers, M. A. Cohen Stuart and J. van der Gucht, Soft Matter, 2009, 5, 2057 DOI: 10.1039/B819967A

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