Friction switching stimulus responsive polymers
| USAGE | Scientific paper and other publications |
| CLIENT | Sissi de Beer, MTP Group, University of Twente |
| YEAR | 2014 |
This figure represents a stimuli responsive friction switch.
The two surfaces are covered with a polymer brush, much like a Self Assembling Monolayer (SAM). The brush can hold a liquid which is philic to that polymer. When the other surface has the same polymer brush, and subsequently the same liquid, a capilary bridge forms and the polymer brush gets engangled. This causes drag and friction, which can be measured with a moving AFM tip.
When one of the two brushes is from another polymer, which holds another liquid which is phobic to the first liquid, the friction is greatly reduced. This can be particulary usefull in small (micro or even nano) mechanical utilities, so that friction (which is particulary problematic on a smaller scale) and wear and tear is reduced.
