@unpublished{pittir8135,
           month = {September},
           title = {Electroplastic Elastomer},
          author = {Tianqi Pan},
            year = {2010},
        keywords = { crosslink; Polyelectrolyte; Hydrogel; scaffold},
             url = {http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/8135/},
        abstract = {Electroplastic Elastomers Tianqi Pan, M.S University of Pittsburgh, 2010A series of composite materials comprising a polyelectrolyte hydrogel, a porous scaffold and exchangeable multivalent metal ions was prepared and studied with the goal of identifying formulations that would allow for an electrochemically stimulated change in modulus. Composites based on poly[(styrene sulfonate)-co-acrylate)] hydrogels exhibited the best combination of properties. When prepared as an interpenetrating network in a porous polyurethane scaffold and subjected to exchange with Fe3+ ions, these materials exhibit compressive moduli in the 1-3 MPa range. Comparable samples prepared with Fe2+ ions exhibit smaller moduli (0.1-0.13 MPa). Chemical oxidation of samples prepared with Fe2+ results in a concomitant increase in the modulus.}
}