Stimuli-responsive materials that undergo depolymerization in response to a specific trigger are of interest as substrates or packaging for transient electronic devices. Poly(olefin sulfone)s (POS)s have been demonstrated to undergo depolymerization in response to heat, base, and ionizing radiation. Our group has recently demonstrated a heat-sensitive POS polymer, namely, poly(vinyl <i>tert</i>-butyl carbonate sulfone) that depolymerizes at approximately 85 °C to yield volatile monomers, however the low onset of degradation makes the polymer relatively unstable under ambient conditions. Here, we modify the depolymerization trigger of the POS by incorporating an ether functional group, which is known to undergo hydrolysis in the presence of strong, nucleophilic acids. The poly(vinyl ether sulfone)s exhibit high thermal stability. We vary the degree of substitution of the triggerable group and examine the effect on the thermal stability and sensitivity to acid-triggered depolymerization.

Poly(vinyl ether sulfone)s as acid-sensitive polymers for transient materials

251st National Meeting (2016)

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