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Thermally Labile Self‐Healable Branched Gel Networks Fabricated by New Macromolecular Engineering Approach Utilizing Thermoreversibility
Author(s) -
Jung Sungmin,
Patel Twinkal,
Oh Jung Kwon
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.201700575
Subject(s) - macromolecule , maleimide , polymer , polymerization , materials science , furan , thermosetting polymer , polymer chemistry , self healing , branching (polymer chemistry) , dissociation (chemistry) , copolymer , chemical engineering , polymer science , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , medicine , biochemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering
A new approach based on macromolecular engineering through thermoreversibility is reported to fabricate the engineered gel networks of thermally labile branched polymers exhibiting robust self‐healing. This approach centers on the synthesis of linear polymers having Diels–Alder cycloadducts in the backbones (DALPs) through A 2 + B 2 step‐growth polymerization of a difunctional furan and a difunctional maleimide. Reactive mixtures of the resulting DALP with a polyfuran at elevated temperature allow for the formation of engineered gel networks through random dissociation of backbone DA linkages of the DALPs by retro‐Diels–Alder reaction, followed by their reconstruction in the presence of polyfuran (with functionality > 2) by Diels–Alder reaction. Optimizing the ratio of furan to DA linkages in the reactive mixtures yields thermally labile networks exhibiting excellent thermoreversibility. Effective self‐healing demonstrated with reconstruction from two separate pieces and complete void filling on surface cuts as well as recovery of healing viscoelasticity suggest that the new macromolecular engineering approach offers versatility toward the development of thermally mendable thermosets.