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A biomass approach to mendable bio-elastomers.
Liang Yuan1, Zhongkai Wang1, Mitra S Ganewatta1
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, USA. tang4@mailbox.sc.edu.
Soft Matter
|January 24, 2017
Summary
New sustainable bioelastomers offer high elastic recovery and resilience, utilizing renewable biomass. These dynamic covalent network polymers are mendable and reprocessable, preserving performance after repair.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Development of sustainable elastomers is crucial for reducing reliance on petroleum-based materials.
- Bioelastomers require advanced crosslinking strategies to achieve high performance and recyclability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conceptualize and synthesize sustainable bioelastomers with enhanced properties.
- To introduce dynamic covalent crosslinking for mendability and reprocessability.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing low chain-entanglement polymers derived from renewable biomass.
- Incorporating furan groups into plant oil-derived fatty side chains.
- Employing Diels-Alder chemistry for dynamic covalent crosslinking and retro-Diels-Alder for mending.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized bioelastomers exhibiting high elastic recovery and resilience.
- Demonstrated effective mendability through retro Diels-Alder reactions.
- Showcased preservation of excellent elastomer properties after reprocessing.
Conclusions:
- Sustainable bioelastomers with dynamic covalent crosslinking can be achieved from renewable resources.
- The Diels-Alder chemistry provides a viable route for creating self-healing and reprocessable elastomers.
- These findings pave the way for environmentally friendly high-performance materials.
