Non-covalent cross-linking interactions such as metal ligands can be used to tailor stiffness and structure of linear polymers while enabling interesting features like self-healing, energy dissipation and extended stretching capability. Here we present a novel system for metal ligand cross-linked polymer and analyze its cross-linking cleavage and reversibility in response to mechanical stress. This system is composed from a low Tg acrylic polymer, which is cross-linked by a non-covalent copper(II) carboxylate. The linear polymer was synthesized from 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate with different ratios of 2-carboxyethyl acrylate as a carboxylic acid side group. The cross-linking was performed by a simple carboxylate anion exchange reaction using copper acetate in different concentrations. Mechanical characterization was performed under quasi-static monotonic and cyclic tensile loading at different strain rates. Insights from this study provide better understanding of parameters that influence detachment and reformation of metal ligand cross-linking under mechanical stress in polymeric materials and will facilitate the design of new responsive materials.

Response of copper carboxylate cross-linked polymer to mechanical stress

254th National Meeting (2017)

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