A Biobased Vitrimer: Self-Healing, Shape Memory, and Recyclability Induced by Dynamic Covalent Bond Exchange

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Plant oil-based vitrimers offer sustainable alternatives in advanced materials.
• Current limitations include poor mechanical properties and catalyst dependency.
• Renewable cardanol is a promising feedstock for biobased polymers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a catalyst-free, fully biobased vitrimer from cardanol.
• To enhance mechanical properties and introduce self-healing capabilities.
• To explore the potential of citric acid as a curing agent.

Main Methods:

• Cardanol was functionalized to create epoxy cardanol glycidyl ether (ECGE).
• ECGE was cured using citric acid (CA) to form vitrimers.
• Characterization focused on mechanical strength, self-healing, and recyclability.

Main Results:

• Successfully produced fully biobased ECGE-CA vitrimers without catalysts.
• The vitrimers exhibited high mechanical strength and significant self-healing properties.
• The presence of hydroxyl groups in CA facilitated hydrogen bonding and network rearrangement.

Conclusions:

• Catalyst-free, biobased vitrimers from cardanol and citric acid are feasible.
• These materials demonstrate excellent mechanical performance and self-healing.
• The developed vitrimers hold promise for recyclable adhesives and repairable materials.