Tunning the Elastic Properties of Wrinkled Janus Particles

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe main objective of this work was to control and manipulate tuneable equilibrium structures in elastomeric spherical particles. The cross-linked urethane/urea polymeric spheres with two soft segments, polypropylene oxide and polybutadiene, were prepared by reacting a poly(propyleneoxide)-based triisocyanate-terminated prepolymer (PU) with poly(butadienediol) (PBDO), with different weight ratio. Wrinkling on elastomeric Janus spheres is induced by UV irradiation (λ=254 nm) and permanently imprinted by swelling the particles in an appropriate solvent, followed by drying. The surface tailoring of the Janus elastomeric spheres, found by SEM, is dependent on the PU/PBDO ratio and on the elastic properties of the particles.