Title: | A Microwave Voyage into Swelling Phenomenon: Investigation of Polydimethylsiloxane and VOCs Interaction |
Author(s): | Mirzaei H; McClelland J; Sharma D; Arjmand M; Zarifi MH; |
Address: | "School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, Canada V1V 1V7" |
Journal Title: | ACS Appl Mater Interfaces |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1944-8252 (Electronic) 1944-8244 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "When exposed to specific gases, polymers undergo swelling, leading to physiochemical changes that can significantly affect their performance. Monitoring this swelling phenomenon requires innovative approaches. This study focuses on investigating the real-time resonant microwave behavior of two polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) structures (solid and porous) in interaction with tetrahydrofuran (THF) and acetone, which are primary swelling agents. A microwave measurement method is proposed using an 8.63 GHz planar split ring resonator (SRR). The device's resonant frequency downshifts to 7.75 and 8.42 GHz when solid and porous PDMS blocks are placed on the split ring gap. Interaction of the solid PDMS and porous PDMS with target gases caused a change in PDMS structure resulting in alterations in the dielectric properties of the PDMS/gas system, as evidenced by the resonator's transmission amplitude and resonant frequency shifts. The magnitude of these shifts depends on the type and concentration of the solvent gas. The PDMS-integrated SRR exhibits a sensitivity of 25.3 MHz/1 ppt THF and 7 MHz/1 ppt acetone. Additionally, the solid block demonstrates response times of 6800 and 4200 s for swelling and deswelling, respectively, when in exposure to 25 ppt concentrations of THF and acetone. Overall, this study underscores the substantial potential of microwave resonators as versatile tools for investigating the physical changes in polymers during their interaction with gases, contributing to the understanding of polymer-gas interactions and opening avenues for further research and diverse applications" |
Keywords: | gas monitoring microwave polydimethylsiloxane split ring resonator swelling volatile organic compounds; |
Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEMirzaei, Hamed McClelland, Jack Sharma, Devansh Arjmand, Mohammad Zarifi, Mohammad H eng 2023/07/31 ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2023 Aug 9; 15(31):38008-38017. doi: 10.1021/acsami.3c05318. Epub 2023 Jul 31" |