A key challenge in any long-term trip into space is the limited amount of weight (equipment and materials) that can be brought along for the ride. One way to minimize load is to develop systems/materials that can be utilized in different ways depending on a given need. To this end, we have been interested in the development of multi-use materials, with a specific interest in responsive/adaptive polymers. The basic concept here is to develop materials that upon application of stimulus A will exhibit one property, but the application of stimulus B will illicit in a different behavior, etc. To this end we have been developing materials that can (1) heal, (2) sense, (3) exhibit shape memory behavior, (4) actuate, (5) act as an adhesive, (6) change stiffness and (7) be elastomeric. To achieve this, we use molecular design of the polymer components along with dynamic covalent bonds. The dynamic bond can be defined as any class of bond that selectively undergoes reversible breaking and reformation, usually under equilibrium conditions. The incorporation of covalent dynamic bonds allows access to structurally dynamic polymers, that have the ability to rearrange their molecular architecture upon exposure to an environmental stimulus. In such systems, the nature of the dynamic bond not only dictates which stimulus the material will be responsive to but also plays a role in the response itself. Thus, such a design concept represents a molecular level approach to the development of new multi-use, multi-responsive materials. Our latest results in this area will be discussed.

Multi-responsive and multi-use polymeric materials

254th National Meeting (2017)

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