Ambient Solvent Evaporation-Triggered Irreversible Covalent Crosslinking for Robust Adhesion in Extreme Conditions

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Adhesive Technology

Background:

• Covalently crosslinked polymers offer superior stability and performance.
• Conventional crosslinking methods are often energy-intensive and require external agents.
• There is a need for sustainable and energy-efficient crosslinking alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate irreversible covalent crosslinking via ambient solvent evaporation.
• To develop a novel covalent polymer network (CTP) from functionalized polydimethylsiloxane.
• To evaluate the properties and potential applications of the resulting CTP.

Main Methods:

• Molecular engineering of polydimethylsiloxane with dithiolane moieties.
• Ambient solvent evaporation-induced irreversible covalent crosslinking.
• Reduced density gradient analysis for network validation.
• Density Functional Theory simulations for adhesion analysis.

Main Results:

• Formation of a robust, irreversible covalent polymer network (CTP).
• CTP exhibits strong adhesion to various substrates.
• Demonstrated excellent waterproofing, high optical transparency, and resistance to extreme conditions.
• The CTP network is enriched with disulfide, peptide bonds, and liquid-like PDMS segments.

Conclusions:

• Ambient solvent evaporation offers a sustainable and cost-effective method for CTP preparation.
• The developed CTP shows significant promise for advanced adhesive applications.
• CTP's properties are suitable for demanding environments, including those sensitive to thermal or radiation exposure.