In a joint effort with Prof. Assimina Pelegri here at Rutgers and Prof. Lin Lei at Chongqing Jiaotong University, HMNL PhD candidate Robert Green-Warren and former MS student, Luc Bontoux, led the investigation of the mechanical properties of thin films produced via self-limiting electrospray deposition (SLED). In this work, various polymers were composited, sprayed, and mechanically evaluated by nanoindentation. The following material systems were selected: polystyrene (a model glassy polymer), Kraton D1102 (a plasticizing agent), SU-8 (a glassy epoxide photoresist), and Versamid 125 (a polyamide crosslinking agent). These materials were chosen having successfully demonstrated the ability to produce SLED coatings in previous HMNL publications. Notably, the results of this study highlighted the ability of SLED to produce porous films from materials that may vary significantly in bulk mechanical properties but can be finely tuned to exhibit similar mechanical behaviors in their porous state. To learn more about this work, please see the published manuscript in ACS Applied Polymer Materials.
