Design and Synthesis of Mechanomutable Nanotubes via Layer-by-Layer Assembly

The ultimate goal of my thesis is to design and synthesize mechanomutable nanotubes that exhibit reversible and tunable mechanical responses to different types of external stimuli via layer-by-layer assembly. The design of such highly refined heteronanomaterials, by the incorporation of constituents from a wide range of materials as the fundamental units, provides versatility and variability in mechanical properties. Mechanomutable heteronanomaterials can be useful for the development of multi-responsive tunable sensor arrays, synthetic extracellular matrix, and dynamic armor coatings.

The layer-by layer assembly technique provides a versatile and inexpensive approach to the design and synthesis of mechanomutable heteronanomaterials. The sequential adsorption of oppositely-charged species enables the precise design and control over the molecular architectures of the film, which can be manipulated for different functionalities. The synthesis of hollow, cylindrical nanotubes using a porous-templated layer-by-layer approach is of particular interest arising from their interesting dimensions. In contrast to previously reported systems, the synthesis of mechanomutable nanotubes via layer-by-layer assembly can be designed in many different ways that result in materials that exhibit reversible and tunable mechanical responses to different types of external stimuli.