Manipulating Fiber Network by Controlling Primary Nucleation

1 Manipulating Fiber Network by Controlling Primary Nucleation 

Additive-mediated nucleation offers a convenient approach to the design of desired fiber networks. The molecule of a suitable additive should also satisfy the criteria given in Section 2.4.1.2. The manipulation of nucleation rate and hence the 

2 Switching between Multi-Domain Fiber Networks and Interconnecting Fiber Networks 

Ultrasound-Assisted Reconstruction of Fiber Networks Besides thermodynamic control and additive-mediated formation of fiber networks, exposure of external fields in the molecular self-assembly process is another promising strategy for creating innovative supramolecular materials and systems with dynamically controlled property/functionality. The substantial interest in stimuli-responsive assembly of small molecules shown in recent years has led to the birth of new interdisciplinary research areas in the development of supramolecular materials with dynamically controlled fluidity, viscoelasticity, solvent volatility, optical transmission, ion transport, wettability, and other physical properties [6-8,11]. 

While ultrasound-mediated transition of fiber networks is an interesting topic, a clear mechanism has not yet been obtained. Since ultrasound treatment was applied immediately after the formation of spheruHtes, the possible mechanism we postulate is that the micro-segment of the broken fibers serves as seeds for nucleation (nucleation centers). The formation of seeds lowers the concentration of GP-1 dissolved in the solvent, which reduces the thermodynamic driving force (supersaturation of GP-1). This contributes to the one-dimensional growth of fibers into fibrillar networks, as in the thermally controlled self-seeding process described earHer. 

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