Kuang Lab
Adaptive Materials & Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory

Adaptive (Bio)polymers Composites

The non-equilibrium natural systems interact with the environment in response to external stimuli, exhibiting intriguing adaptive properties (self-healing, shape-changing, growth, degradation, cell-instruction, etc.). A key is understanding their multiscale form-function relationship during fabrication and service: How are the multiscale structures (e.g., weak-strong bonds, network topologies, and microphase assemblings) formed under stimuli? How do multiscale structures determine the macroscale dynamic properties to adapt to the environment? We study the stimuli-matter interaction and multiscale structure-property relationship using advanced characterizations and computational tools. For example, we establish the relationship between microstructures (such as dynamic bonds, network topologies, and self-assemblings/phase-separation micromorphologies) and macroscale properties (such as viscoelasticity, acoustic properties, self-healing/degradation rates, and cellular functions) of adaptive (bio)polymer composites. The obtained knowledge accelerates the multiscale design and fabrication of the next-generation biomimetic functional (bio)polymers with integrated multifunctionalities in engineered (bio)systems.

The novel phase-locked dynamic bonds design, i.e., kinetically trapping the weak bonds in the viscoelastic hard microphase, enable decoupled mechanical robustness and dynamic functions (such as fast healing rate). This provides a versatile molecular design approach to develop fully transparent, mechanically robust , and fast healable materials (Adv. Mater.,2018).

Diffusion-reaction model by coupling diffusion-based mass transport and catalyzed dynamic reaction was developed to guide the design of efficient mild chemical recycling methods for fiber reinforced thermoset composites and electronics packaging (Macromolecules, 2019; ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.,2018).

The magnetic shape memory polymer composites consists of hard and soft magnetic particles in an amorphous shape memory polymer matrix. It shows integrated multifunctionalities, such as untethered rapid reversible shape change, sequential actuation, re-programmability, and shape locking (Adv. Mater.,2020).

The magnetic dynamic polymer composites consist of of hard-magnetic microparticles in thermally reversible dynamic network polymer matrix. The temperature dependent reversible elastic-plastic-viscous transition of the composites enables integrated multifunctionalities, including modular welding, magnetization reprogramming, and structural reconfiguration, as well as self-healing and close-loop recycling (Adv. Mater., 2021)

Relevant publications (# equal contribution,* corresponding authorship) (Selected)

  1. X. Kuang#, S. Wu#, Q. Ze#, L. Yue, Y. Jin, S. M. Montgomery, F. Yang, H. J. Qi*, and R. Zhao*, Magnetic Dynamic Polymers for Modular Assembling and Reconfigurable Morphing Architectures, Adv Mater 33, e2102113 (2021), DOI: 10.1002/adma.202102113.
  2. Q. Ze#, X. Kuang#, S. Wu#, J. Wong, S. M. Montgomery, R. Zhang, J. M. Kovitz, F. Yang, H. J. Qi*, R. Zhao*, Magnetic Shape Memory Polymers with Integrated Multifunctional Shape Manipulation, Adv Mater 32, 1906657 (2020).
  3. C. M. Hamel#, X. Kuang#, and H. J. Qi*, Modeling the Dissolution of Thermosetting Polymers and Composites via Solvent Assisted Exchange Reactions, Composites Part B: Engineering, 108363 (2020). 

  4. C. M. Hamel#, X. Kuang#, K. Chen, and H. J. Qi*, Reaction-Diffusion Model for Thermosetting Polymer Dissolution through Exchange Reactions Assisted by Small-Molecule Solvents, Macromolecules 52, 3636 (2019)

  5. X. Kuang, Y. Zhou, Q. Shi, T. Wang, and H. J. Qi*, Recycling of Epoxy Thermoset and Composites via Good Solvent Assisted and Small Molecules Participated Exchange Reactions, ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 6, 9189 (2018).

  6. Y. Lai#, X. Kuang#, P. Zhu, M. Huang, X. Dong*, and D. Wang, Colorless, Transparent, Robust, and Fast Scratch-Self-Healing Elastomers via a Phase-Locked Dynamic Bonds Design, Adv. Mater. 0, 1802556 (2018). 

  7. X. Kuang, G. Liu, X. Dong, and D. Wang*, Correlation Between Stress Relaxation Dynamics and Thermochemistry for Covalent Adaptive Networks Polymers, Mater. Chem. Front. 1, 111 (2017) DOI: 10.1039/c6qm00094k.

  8. X. Kuang, G. Liu, L. Zheng, C. Li, and D. Wang*, Functional Polyester with Widely Tunable Mechanical Properties: The Role of Reversible Cross-linking and Crystallization, Polymer 65, 202 (2015). DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2015.03.074.