2023/11/13 by Michael S. Dimitriyev, Xueyan Feng, Dimitriyev, Michael S. +5 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Engineering · Materials Science · #Advanced Materials and Mechanics #FOS: Physical sciences #Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications #Material Dynamics and Properties #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2311.07544
openalex publication_date 2023/11/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Amphiphiles self-assemble into a variety of bicontinuous mesophases whose equilibrium structures take the form of high-symmetry cubic networks. Here, we show that the symmetry-breaking distortions in these systems give rise to anomalously large, non-affine collective deformations, which we argue to be a generic consequence of mass equilibration within deformed networks. We propose and study a minimal liquid network model of bicontinuous networks, in which acubic distortions are modeled by the relaxation of residually-stressed mechanical networks with constant-tension bonds. We show that non-affinity is strongly dependent on the valency of the network as well as the degree of strain-softening/stiffening force in the bonds. Taking diblock copolymer melts as a model system, liquid network theory captures quantitative features of two bicontinuous phases based on comparison with self-consistent field theory predictions and direct experimental characterization of acubic distortions, which are likely to be pronounced in soft amphiphilic systems more generally.