Piston-Rotaxanes as Molecular Shock Absorbers

We describe the thermomechanical response of a new molecular system that behaves as a shock absorber. The system consists of a rodlike rotaxane connected to a piston and tethered to a surface. The response of this system is dominated by the translational entropy of the rotaxane rings and can be calc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Langmuir 2010-04, Vol.26 (8), p.5864-5868
Main Authors: Sevick, E. M, Williams, D. R. M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Materials: Nano-and Mesostructured Materials, Polymers, Gels, Liquid Crystals, Composites
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Summary:We describe the thermomechanical response of a new molecular system that behaves as a shock absorber. The system consists of a rodlike rotaxane connected to a piston and tethered to a surface. The response of this system is dominated by the translational entropy of the rotaxane rings and can be calculated exactly. The force laws are contrasted with those for a rigid rod and a polymer. In some cases, the rotaxanes undergo a sudden transition to a tilted state when compressed. These piston-rotaxanes provide a potential motif for the design of a new class of materials with a novel thermomechanical response.
ISSN:0743-7463
1520-5827
DOI:10.1021/la903801x