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CAREER: Creasing of Surface-Attached Polymer Gels Ryan C. Hayward, University Mass Amherst, DMR 0747756.
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CAREER: Creasing of Surface-Attached Polymer GelsRyan C. Hayward, University Mass Amherst, DMR 0747756 When a crosslinked polymer coating swells by taking up solvent, attachment to a rigid substrate prevents it from expanding laterally. This generates compressive stress within the gel which is relieved by creasing of the free surface. We are developing a fundamental understanding of this process, which has important implications for biomaterials, and exploring how it can be used to create “smart” surfaces. Creases form at a critical compressive strain which is nearly independent of mechanical properties and length scale Confocal fluorescence image of creases Trujillo, et al. Soft Matter 4, 564-569 (2008)
CAREER: Creasing of Surface-Attached Polymer GelsRyan C. Hayward, University Mass Amherst, DMR 0747756 Education Our lab is hosting three undergraduate researchers, funded partially through this award and other NSF REU programs Outreach Jon Tyler, an RET from Westfield high-school worked in our lab to develop a module on hydrogels for middle-school students The PI participated in several Northeast AGEP events, including at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez as part of the NEAGEP Diversity Team Undergraduate students: Nangelie Ferrer (top), Antonio Castillo (bottom left), and Farhana Momin (bottom right)