The advent of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer agents (RAFT) has expanded the Covalent Adaptable Networks (CAN) paradigm by enabling covalently crosslinked polymer networks with static thermoset properties to undergo selective and controllable plastic deformation: in other words, behave like a classic thermoplastic material while maintaining the advantages of a crosslinked thermoset polymer. Previous work from our group has demonstrated the use of photochemical CAN's with the ability to spatially and temporally induce reversible plasticity within a thermoset network. With the formation of the network through a thiol-Michael polymerization with incorporated latent photoinitiator, subsequent post modification and network relaxation can be achieved through covalent crosslink reshuffling.  This work further examines the ability of RAFT to challenge the known boundaries of thermosets polymers and enables a range of novel polymer platforms, be it photo-induced reversible adhesives, stimuli responsive smart material platforms, or mechanopatterning substrates proficient at relaxing selectively or highly crosslinked polymers by facilitating post-polymerization network rearrangement.

Addition-fragmentation in the formation, modification, relaxation, and manipulation of crosslinked polymer networks

247th National Meeting (2014)

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