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Updated: Jan 22, 2026
Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers and Characterization of Their Diffusive Motion in the Melt State at the Single Molecule Level
Published on: September 26, 2016
Enabling Room-Temperature Mechanochromic Activation in a Glassy Polymer: Synthesis and Characterization of Spiropyran
Yuval Vidavsky, Steven J Yang, Brooks A Abel
1Schulich Faculty of Chemistry , Technion - Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003 , Israel.
Abstract:
Mechanochromic functionality realized through force-responsive molecules (i.e., mechanophores) has great potential for spatially localized damage warning in polymers. However, in structural plastics, for which damage warning is most critical, this approach has had minimal success because brittle failure typically precedes detectable color change. Herein, we report on the room-temperature mechanochromic activation of spiropyran in high Tg bisphenol A polycarbonate. The mechanochromic functionality was introduced by polymerization of dihydroxyspiropyran as a comonomer while retaining the excellent thermomechanical properties of the polycarbonate. The mechanochromic behavior is thoroughly evaluated in response to changes in stress, deformation, and time, providing new insights regarding how loading history controls stress accumulation in polymer chains. In addition, a new method to incorporate mechanochromic functionality in structures without dispersing costly mechanophores in the bulk is demonstrated by using a mechanochromic laminate. The room-temperature mechanochromic activation in a structural polymer combined with the new and efficient preparation and processing methods bring us closer to the application of mechanochromic smart materials.
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