Intrinsically Photopolymerizable Dynamic Polymers Derived from a Natural Small Molecule

Area of Science:

• Polymer chemistry
• Materials science
• Photochemistry

Background:

• Photopolymerizable materials enable remote and controllable processing.
• Current technologies often require external photoabsorbers, limiting intrinsic polymer design.
• Developing intrinsically photopolymerizable polymers remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel method for creating intrinsically photopolymerizable polymers.
• To utilize a natural small-molecule disulfide, thioctic acid, for direct photopolymerization.
• To investigate the properties and potential applications of the resulting poly(disulfides) network.

Main Methods:

• Direct transformation of thioctic acid into a poly(disulfides) network via visible light irradiation.
• Characterization of the polymer network's optical, mechanical, self-healing, and adhesive properties.
• Evaluation of the material's depolymerization and recyclability.

Main Results:

• Successful photopolymerization of thioctic acid into a poly(disulfides) network without external additives.
• The polymer network demonstrated optical transparency, mechanical stretchability, and toughness.
• The material exhibited ambient self-healing and strong adhesive capabilities.
• Dynamic covalent backbones facilitated closed-loop depolymerization and recycling.

Conclusions:

• A facile and robust photopolymerization system using natural thioctic acid has been developed.
• The resulting poly(disulfides) network offers a unique combination of desirable material properties.
• This system holds significant promise for low-cost, high-performance photocuring coatings and adhesives.