@article{van maanen_seeley_capracotta_white_bukovnik_hartmann_martin_spontak_2005, title={Property and Morphology Development in Nanocomposite Thermoplastic Elastomer Gels}, volume={21}, ISSN={0743-7463 1520-5827}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/la047837i}, DOI={10.1021/la047837i}, abstractNote={Thermoplastic elastomer gels (TPEGs), molecular networks composed of a microphase-separated multiblock copolymer swollen to a large extent by a low-volatility midblock-selective solvent, are ubiquitous in a wide range of contemporary technologies, including home and office products, athletic equipment, and telecommunications devices. In this work, we investigate the effect of several network-forming nanoscale modifiers-two different silica nanoparticles, three different nanoclays, and a multiwalled carbon nanotube-on the property and morphology development of a TPEG prepared from a microphase-ordered poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene) (SEBS) triblock copolymer imbibed with an EB-compatible aliphatic mineral oil. Dynamic rheological measurements of the resultant nanocomposite TPEGs confirm that addition of these modifiers affects the linear viscoelastic threshold and increases, to different extents, the dynamic elastic modulus, the dynamic yield stress, and the maximum operating temperature of the parent TPEG. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the nanoclays used to generate three series of modified TPEGs are generally swollen with copolymer and/or solvent.}, number={7}, journal={Langmuir}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={van Maanen, Guillermo J. and Seeley, Sabrina L. and Capracotta, Michael D. and White, Scott A. and Bukovnik, Rudolf R. and Hartmann, Jürgen and Martin, James D. and Spontak, Richard J.}, year={2005}, month={Mar}, pages={3106–3115} }
 @article{walker_semler_leonard_maanen_bukovnik_spontak_2002, title={ABA triblock copolymer gels modified with an A-compatible semicrystalline homopolymer}, volume={18}, ISSN={["0743-7463"]}, DOI={10.1021/la026117d}, abstractNote={In the presence of a midblock-selective solvent, ABA triblock copolymers form physical gels in which bridged and entangled B-chains establish a swollen network stabilized by A-microdomains. Here, we seek to improve the properties of an ABA gel through the addition of an A-compatible, high-molecular-weight semicrystalline homopolymer (shA). Dynamic rheology indicates that the elastic modulus increases substantially, and far beyond that achievable with an inert filler, with increasing shA content at constant solvent concentration. Transmission electron micrographs reveal the existence of nanoscale shA filaments and sheets dispersed in a micelle-stabilized gel network. The shape of the nanoscale shA objects, which are partially crystalline according to differential scanning calorimetry, and their apparent interaction with the A-rich micelles enhance network development and are responsible for the pronounced modulus increase.}, number={22}, journal={LANGMUIR}, author={Walker, TA and Semler, JJ and Leonard, DN and Maanen, GJ and Bukovnik, RR and Spontak, RJ}, year={2002}, month={Oct}, pages={8266–8270} }