Functional materials based on nanostructured epoxy networks

R.J.J. WILLIAMS; C.E. HOPPE; I. A. ZUCCHI; A. B. LEONARDI; F. I. ALTUNA

Montpellier

Simposio; European Symposium on Polymer Blends / Eurofillers; 2015

Universidad de Montpellier

Due to their excellent mechanical properties and the versatility to locate the glass transition temperature, epoxy networks find increasing applications in the field of shape memory materials1. Dispersion of magnetite nanoparticles (NPs) stabilized with oleic acid chains enabled the remote activation of the shape memory by placing the sample in an alternating magnetic field (magnetic hyperthermia)2. Dispersion of gold NPs produced a similar remote activation by irradiation with a laser with a wavelength close to the maximum of the plasmon band (photothermal effect, Figure 1). In both cases, it was necessary to fit the chemical structure of the ligands stabilizing the NPs with the one of the epoxy monomers to obtain a uniform dispersion, as proved by TEM images. The photothermal effect might also produce remote stress relaxation in self-healing epoxies based on 2-hydroxyester covalent bonds produced by an epoxy-acid reaction.