Ref HAL: hal-03440257_v1
DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0455
Exporter : BibTex | endNote

Ref HAL: hal-03367183_v1
Ref Arxiv: 2108.09487
DOI: 10.1111/jace.18090
WoS: WOS:000693436300001
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
Exporter : BibTex | endNote

Ref HAL: hal-03358931_v1
Exporter : BibTex | endNote

Ref HAL: hal-03358744_v1
Ref Arxiv: 2106.12669
DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01394
WoS: 000703552500031
Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS
Exporter : BibTex | endNote
21 Citations
Résumé:

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we study the static and dynamic properties of spherical nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in a disordered and polydisperse polymer network. Purely repulsive and weakly attractive polymer–NP interactions are considered. It is found that for both types of particles, the NP dynamics at intermediate and long times is controlled by the confinement parameter C = σN/λ, where σN is the NP diameter and λ is the dynamic localization length of the cross-links. Three dynamical regimes are identified: (i) for weak confinement (C ≲ 1), the NPs can freely diffuse through the mesh; (ii) for strong confinement (1 ≲ C ≲ 3), NPs proceed by means of activated hopping; (iii) for extreme confinement (C ≳ 3), the mean-squared displacement shows on intermediate time scales a quasi-plateau because the NPs are trapped by the mesh for very long times. Escaping from this local cage is a process that depends strongly on the local environment, thus giving rise to an extremely heterogeneous relaxation dynamics. The simulation data are compared with the two main theories for the diffusion process of NPs in gels. Both theories give a very good description of the C dependence of the NP diffusion constant but fail to reproduce the heterogeneous dynamics at intermediate time scales.

Ref HAL: hal-03323812_v1
DOI: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2021.120853
WoS: WOS:000663076400005
Exporter : BibTex | endNote
Résumé:

New interaction potentials were developed for molecular dynamics simulations to study the role of Mg and Ca in modifying the structure and properties of alkaline earth silicates and borates. Competition between the depolymerization of the silica network and the formation of new bonds between oxygen atoms and modifiers leads to the enhancement of the elastic moduli with increasing modifier content in alkaline earth silicate glasses. Compared with calcium silicate, the higher elastic moduli of magnesium silicate result from a higher connectivity of the overall glass network due to the incorporation of fourfold coordinated magnesium and a more rigid connection between oxygen atoms and modifiers. In contrast to the silicates, the effect of modifier on the elastic moduli of alkaline earth borates is dominated by the formation of fourfold coordinated boron (N4). Calcium borate with higher N4 shows a more rigid network structure and higher elastic moduli.

Ref HAL: hal-03287898_v1
PMID 34270306
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.018002
Exporter : BibTex | endNote
Résumé:

Using x-ray tomography, we experimentally investigate granular packings subject to mechanical tapping for three types of beads with different friction coefficients. We validate the Edwards volume ensemble in these three-dimensional granular systems and establish a granular version of thermodynamic zeroth law. Within the Edwards framework, we also explicitly clarify how friction influences granular statistical mechanics by modifying the density of states, which allows us to determine the entropy as a function of packing fraction and friction. Additionally, we obtain a granular jamming phase diagram based on geometric coordination number and packing fraction.

Ref HAL: hal-03234741_v1
DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00176
Exporter : BibTex | endNote
Résumé:

Due to their unique structural and mechanical properties, randomly cross-linked polymer networks play an important role in many different fields, ranging from cellular biology to industrial processes. In order to elucidate how these properties are controlled by the physical details of the network (e.g., chain-length and end-to-end distributions), we generate disordered phantom networks with different cross-linker concentrations C and initial densities ρ init and evaluate their elastic properties. We find that the shear modulus computed at the same strand concentration for networks with the same C, which determines the number of chains and the chain-length distribution, depends strongly on the preparation protocol of the network, here controlled by ρ init. We rationalize this dependence by employing a generic stress−strain relation for polymer networks that does not rely on the specific form of the polymer end-to-end distance distribution. We find that the shear modulus of the networks is a nonmonotonic function of the density of elastically active strands, and that this behavior has a purely entropic origin. Our results show that if short chains are abundant, as it is always the case for randomly cross-linked polymer networks, the knowledge of the exact chain conformation distribution is essential for correctly predicting the elastic properties. Finally, we apply our theoretical approach to literature experimental data, qualitatively confirming our interpretations.