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Ultra-high molecular weight linear coordination polymers with terpyridine ligands
Reece W Lewis1, Nino Malic2, Kei Saito3
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering , Monash University , 22 Alliance Lane , Clayton , Victoria 3800 , Australia .
Chemical Science
|July 31, 2019
Summary
New self-healing polymers act as effective drift control adjuvants (DCAs) for agricultural spraying. These ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) linear coordination polymers (LCPs) maintain performance after mechanical stress.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Agricultural Science
- Materials Science
Background:
- Ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polymeric drift control adjuvants (DCAs) degrade under mechanical stress, limiting their effectiveness in agricultural spraying.
- Existing DCAs often fail due to mechanical degradation during application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize novel self-healing linear coordination polymers (LCPs) for agricultural spraying.
- To overcome the mechanical degradation limitations of conventional UHMW DCAs.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized 400 kDa telechelic bis-terpyridine end-functionalised polyacrylamide units.
- Formed UHMW LCPs by adding Fe(ii) to terpyridine telechelics.
- Characterized LCPs using UV-vis spectroscopy, MALS GPC, and intrinsic viscosity.
- Evaluated DCA performance in spray testing and assessed self-healing capabilities after mechanical shearing.
Main Results:
- Successfully created UHMW LCPs with self-healing properties through coordination bond reformation.
- Demonstrated effective drift control at low concentrations (100 ppm), reducing fine droplet formation.
- Achieved up to 90% performance recovery after mechanical-induced bond scission.
Conclusions:
- The developed self-healing UHMW LCPs offer a promising solution for durable and effective drift control in agricultural applications.
- The self-healing mechanism enhances the longevity and reliability of DCAs under operational stress.
- Performance recovery is tunable based on the choice of transition metal ion.
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