Polymer networks containing consist of long polymer linked together using crosslinking points. Introduction of dynamic linkers, such as non-covalent or dynamic covalent linkers into a polymer material can give materials with properties such as self-healing, increased toughness and shape memory characteristics. However, there is a delicate tradeoff between desirable dynamic characteristics and also undesirable mechanical instability under load or susceptibility to creep. Therefore, designing dynamic linkers with optimized for dynamic character and performance under ambient conditions is critical to applications of these materials. Small molecule analogues can be used to study the intrinsic dynamic covalent chemistry, providing insights into the performance of these dynamic linkers in a polymer network material. In this project, several dynamic covalent reactions will be explored, including dynamic thiol-Michael chemistry and dynamic exchange of anilinum salts. Detailed mechanistic studies will be presented to elucidate the conditions needed to establish dynamic exchange, and also to guide the design of the underlying polymer material. These mechanistic studies are subsequently translated to polymer networks crosslinked with these same crosslinkers, and insights gained from the small molecule study are used to optimize material properties such as mechanical strength, Young’s modulus dynamic character evaluated through self-healing potential and also stimulus induced malleability and also mechanical stability and creep resistance. In this way a bottom up design of dynamically crosslinked polymer materials is outlined using two representative systems.

Studying kinetics to design and tailor dynamically crosslinked polymer materials

2019 Spring National Meeting

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