This study focused on the processing and photothermal healing of gold nanoparticle (Au NP) and polystyrene (PS) hybrid films. Effects of Au NP contents were investigated using hybrid films with the NP content from 0 to 1 wt% via a solvent-assisted approach. The as-synthesized Au NPs showed an average diameter of 4–5 nm with a face-centered cubic structure. The Au NP agglomeration deteriorated as the content increased and the interparticle distance decreased. The film transparency and flexibility also decreased with the NP content. The Au-PS films demonstrated desirable photothermal healing behaviors, which required more energy with the defect size increase. The simulated temperature distribution on the hybrid films during the photo-induced healing showed good agreement with the experimental results, with particle agglomeration degrading the healing properties. The developed hybrid films can be used in functional devices and coatings with high flexibility and healed using photon energy sources.

The effect of interfacial bonding of glass hollow microspheres and a polymer matrix on the elastic properties of syntactic foam was investigated using representative volume element (RVE) models, including partially debonded interfaces. Finite element analysis, with models having different debonding geometries, was performed to numerically estimate the elastic behavior of the models. The models consisted of bonded and debonded regions of interfaces; the bonded region was treated as the perfectly bonded interface, while the Coulomb friction model was used to describe the debonded region with a small friction coefficient. The changes in the tensile and compressive moduli of the foams were investigated in terms of the degree of interfacial debonding and debonding geometry.