Tailoring the dynamic and mechanical properties in self-abolishing soft materials
Self-abolishing (or transient) gels are a fascinating material class that has raised interest in recent decades. These gels arise from the self-assembly of small molecules into high-organised structures such as fibres, entrapping the solvent by capillary forces.
The interesting feature of self-abolishing materials is their ability to degrade without external stimuli after a certain pre-determined time, depending on the needs. This can be achieved by varying conditions already at the material’s formation stage or after the formation. A good example of transient materials is tissue growth media, which can degrade and disappear once the cultured tissue is at maturity, implying that no invasive treatment is required to remove it manually.
— These materials have so much potential for many different fields and can be tailored to the finest details. It is always interesting to see how materials, identical in appearance, can behave differently depending on the elaboration pathway, explains M.Sc. Romain Chevigny.
Transient materials have endless possibilities
Chevigny’s thesis explores the correlation and the direct impact of the material’s elaboration pathway on its final properties. It shows that the non-dynamic properties (e.g. stiffness and elasticity) and the material’s dynamic nature (e.g. lifetime) can be controlled by varying certain parameters, such as precursor’s concentration and chemical structure. This phenomenon can be used to design gels for specific applications. By controlling the mechanical properties of a gel and its self-abolishment, researchers can produce virtually any material.
— I find it satisfying to be able to determine in advance and with precision when a material will finish its life. Due to the high degree of functionalisation, the possibilities offered by transient materials are endless, says Chevigny.
The research was performed in collaboration with researchers from the Nanoscience Center and the University of Kent in the United Kingdom and were partially funded by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.
The examination of Romain Chevigny’s doctoral thesis “Out-of-equilibrium and in-equilibrium amino acid-based supramolecular gels: Transient self-assembly and hybrid materials” will be held on 29.04.2024 at 12:00 in FYS1. The opponent is Professor Christoph A. Schalley (Free University of Berlin) and the custos is Professor Maija Nissinen (Ģֱ).
The examination is held in English.
Publication details
The dissertation “Out-of-equilibrium and in-equilibrium amino acid-based supramolecular gels: Transient self-assembly and hybrid materials” can be read on the JYX publication archive: