Optimization and opto-mechanical properties characterization of TiO2/PDMS for optical imaging and biomedical engineering
摘要
The mechanical and optical properties of nanometer titanium dioxide (TiO2) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites are critical in applications such as microfluidics, sensors, optical systems, and biomedicine. However, the precise control of TiO2/PDMS properties through synthesis parameters and processing conditions remains a significant challenge. This paper presents a fabrication strategy for TiO2/PDMS composites with customizable opto-mechanical properties. Polarization-sensitive optical coherence elastography is employed for the systematic characterization of these properties. By conducting both single-factor and multi-factor analyses, a comprehensive polynomial model was developed, establishing correlations between curing ratio and curing temperature, with Young's modulus, and stress optical coefficient, achieving a goodness of fit exceeding 0.95. Leveraging these insights, a straightforward and reproducible fabrication process for TiO2/PDMS samples with tunable and quantifiable opto-mechanical properties was developed. Additionally, a TiO2/PDMS-based breast tumor tissue-mimicking phantom was designed and quantitatively characterized, achieving opto-mechanical properties and stress distribution measurement errors below 6%. This study not only advances the understanding TiO2/PDMS composite materials, but also expands their potential the applications in optical imaging and biomedical engineering.