Most adhesive and repair formulations require mixing two components, which then begin reacting, or require a lengthy time to complete the curing. Cure-on-demand polymerizations allow the user to decide when a reaction will occur, and the curing is rapid. We studied the urease-catalyzed hydrolysis of urea, which produces ammonia and carbon dioxide. If the initial pH is set to 3, the reaction proceeds autocatalytically because urease has optimal reactivity at pH 7. The reaction can be a clock reaction, with the pH abruptly rising after a programmable period of time or can support a propagating basic pH front. We used this system to trigger the Michael addition of a trithiol to a PEG diacrylate, creating the first isothermal frontal polymerization. The system could also be used as a time-lapse polymerization. With high concentration of urea, the ammonia could attack the ester bonds and cause a delayed degradation of the polymer.

Cure-on-demand polymerizations using the urease-catalyzed hydrolysis of urea to trigger thiol-acrylate polymerization

251st National Meeting (2016)

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