Supramolecular Polymer Network based on Electrophilic Substitution (ES) Adduct of Furan-Triazolinedione

Polymers with furan functionality have been the subject of extensive research on developing sustainable materials applying a limited number of dynamic covalent approaches. Herein, we introduce a facile, dynamic non-covalent approach to make a furan polymer readily accessible for self-healing applications based on its electrophilic substitution (ES) with a commercially available 1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione (TAD) derivative, 4-phenyl-TAD (PTAD). A tailor-made furan polymer, poly(furfuryl methacrylate) (PFMA), considering it an initial illustrative example, was rapidly ES modified with PTAD to produce furfuryl-tagged triazolidine that subsequently associated via inter-molecular hydrogen (H-) bonding to produce a thermally reversible supramolecular polymer network under ambient conditions. The H-bonded network was experimentally quantified via ATR-IR analysis and theoretically rationalized via the density functional theory (DFT) study using smaller organic model compounds analogous to the macromolecular system. Thermoreversible feature of the H-bonded triazolidine-derived supramolecular polymer network enabled the solution reprocessing and self-healing of the polymer material.