Sacrificial ionic bonds need to be randomly distributed to provide shear deformability.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 19725552.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/nl901816s and PMC identifier 2762307.
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Abstract
Multivalent ions are known to allow for reversible cross-linking in soft biological materials, providing stiffness and extensibility via sacrificial bonds. We present a simple model where stiff nanoscale elements carrying negative charges are coupled in shear by divalent mobile cations in aqueous media. Such a shear coupling through a soft glue has, indeed, been proposed to operate in biological nanocomposites. While the coupling is elastic and brittle when the negative charges are periodically arranged, sufficient randomness in their distribution allows for large irreversible deformation.
Medical subject headings
- Models, Biological