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Related Concept Videos

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

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Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
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Molecular Weight of Step-Growth Polymers01:08

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Step growth polymerization involves bi or multifunctional monomers. Bifunctional monomers react to form linear step growth polymers, whereas multifunctional monomers react to form non-linear or branched polymers.
As the step-growth polymerization involves step-wise condensation of monomers, the molecular weight also builds up eventually. Consequently, high molecular weight polymers are obtained at the late stages of the polymerization, where 99% of monomers have been consumed.
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Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters01:20

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The introduction of polyesters has brought major development to the textile industry. The wrinkle-free behavior of polyester blends has eliminated the need for starching and ironing clothes.
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Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:10

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Chain-growth or addition polymerization is successive addition reactions of monomers with a polymer chain. In radical chain-growth polymerization, the reaction proceeds via a free-radical intermediate. The free radical is formed from radical initiators, which spontaneously generate free radicals by homolytic fission. Organic peroxides (such as dibenzoyl peroxide, as shown in Figure 1) or azo compounds are popular radical initiators. A low concentration ratio of radical initiator to monomer is...
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Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

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The skeletal structure of polymers synthesized via radical polymerization is always branched. For example, the polymerization of ethylene by radical polymerization results in a low-density grade of polyethylene with a heavily branched skeletal structure. Here, the radical site abstracts hydrogen from the growing chain, and the radical site shifts from the end (a primary carbon center) to anywhere within the growing chain (a secondary carbon center). Consequently, the part of the chain from the...
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Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)01:16

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Ring-opening metathesis polymerization or ROMP involves strained cycloalkenes as starting materials. The mechanism of ROMP proceeds by reacting cycloalkene with Grubbs catalyst to give metallacyclobutane intermediate which undergoes a ring-opening reaction to form new carbene. The new carbene reacts with another molecule of cycloalkene. Repetition of these steps leads to the formation of an unsaturated open-chain polymer product. All these steps are reversible, however, relieving the ring...
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Fabricating Degradable Thermoresponsive Hydrogels on Multiple Length Scales via Reactive Extrusion, Microfluidics, Self-assembly, and Electrospinning
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Reversibly growing crosslinked polymers with programmable sizes and properties.

Xiaozhuang Zhou1,2, Yijun Zheng3, Haohui Zhang4

  • 1Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610054, China.

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|June 6, 2023
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a novel growing-degrowing strategy for thermosetting materials, allowing reversible changes in size, shape, and properties. This sustainable approach enables materials to adapt and offers new possibilities for advanced applications.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Polymer Chemistry

Background:

  • Sustainable material design requires reversible modification of structure and function.
  • Current material growth processes are irreversible, limiting their long-term utility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a growing-degrowing strategy for thermosetting materials.
  • To enable continuous and reversible changes in material size, shape, and properties.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized monomer-polymer equilibrium in networks.
  • Employed acid-catalyzed equilibration of siloxane as a model system.
  • Controlled component supply/removal to drive network expansion/contraction.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated significant and fine-tuning of silicone material size and mechanical properties in both growth and decomposition directions.
  • Showcased tunable material structures (uniform or heterogeneous) based on filler availability.
  • Achieved switchable surface morphologies, shapes, and optical properties.

Conclusions:

  • The growing-degrowing strategy offers a reversible approach to material modification.
  • This method provides capabilities such as environment adaptivity, self-healing, and switchability.
  • The strategy is broadly applicable to various polymer systems for diverse applications.