Graft brush copolymers as a platform for independent architectural control of softness, firmness, and strength

The objective of this work is to further explore the potential of a new class of brush thermoplastic elastomers for application as a framework for full replication of tissue strength, softness, and firmness. Unlike conventional ABA thermoplastic elastomers that we explored in our previous works published in Nature and Science, the A-g-B brush block copolymers have A-block segments randomly grafted through the strand backbone. In the present experiment, we will explore the space of structural parameters of these materials such as the grafting density and degree of polymerization of the side chains for the bottle-brush block, the chemical nature, and the degree of polymerization of the end-capping blocks. The combined in-situ USAXS/WAXS coupled with mechanical stretching and heating experiments will help us understand the molecular-scale processes occurring during mechanical deformation, the evolution of the microstructural organization, and its correlation to the mechanical properties.