Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has cross-linked network structures and its properties have been regarded as dimensionally independent. Here we demonstrate that both the mechanical strength and the Young's modulus of the PDMS membranes are thickness dependent and the transition from bulk behavior to dimension dependent is predicted to occur at a membrane thickness of about 200 μm. The thickness-dependent phenomenon is attributed to shear stress during fabrication, which is proportional to the thickness-induced reorder of polymer chain coils to form stronger cross-linked networks.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.