There are many applications that require the use of temporary coatings that can be safely and easily removed. Unfortunately, coatings and polishes are generally created to be permanent, meaning their removal often requires the use of harsh chemicals or solvents. An ideal coating would need to retain these long-lasting properties, while being easy and safe to remove. I propose creating easily removable polishes and coatings using self-immolative (SI) polyurethane materials with a novel amino acid activated trigger. SI polymers are kinetically stable materials that degrade into individual monomer components upon the activation and release of a trigger molecule. Their unique ability to amplify a signal by releasing multiple reporters per activation event has stimulated interest in their use. Since SI polymers only require a catalytic amount of stimulus to initiate degradation, their use would require significantly shorter exposure times for removal. Using an aqueous amino acid solution to remove coatings may provide a less harmful alternative to the organic solvents currently used.

Synthesis of self-immolative coatings responsive to an aqueous amino acid solution

251st National Meeting (2016)

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