Revealing Dynamic Behavior in High Dielectric Poly(thiourethane)-Based Vitrimer-like Materials

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Dielectric Materials

Background:

• Covalent adaptable networks (CANs) offer dynamic and recyclable material properties.
• Poly(thiourethane)-based systems (PTUs) are a class of CANs with potential for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize poly(thiourethane)-based covalent adaptable networks (PTU-CANs).
• To investigate the vitrimeric, viscoelastic, and thermomechanical properties of PTU-CANs.
• To explore the potential of these materials as dielectric and capacitor components.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of PTUs via thiol-isocyanate reactions with dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) catalyst.
• Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to study vitrimeric behavior and thermomechanical properties.
• Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) to analyze relaxation processes.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of PTU-based CANs.
• Distinct glass transition (Tg) and topology freezing (Tv) temperatures were observed and tunable by formulation.
• Relaxation processes were characterized, revealing potential for dipolar glass polymer applications.
• Reversible chemical structures were confirmed, suitable for capacitor devices.

Conclusions:

• PTU-based CANs exhibit tunable vitrimeric behavior and distinct thermal transitions.
• The materials show promise for recyclable dielectric applications and energy storage in capacitors.
• Their stable mechanical and dielectric properties after recycling enhance device longevity.