Synthesis of Two-Dimensional Mechanically Interlocked Polymers at the Hundred-Gram Scale.

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

• Mechanical bonds offer unique properties to polymers, but their synthesis is challenging.
• Previous methods for mechanically interlocked materials (MIMs) were limited to small scales.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable polymerization method for two-dimensional MIMs (2D MIMs).
• To enable the production of 2D MIMs in gram-scale batches (>100 g).

Main Methods:

• A two-step process involving monomer crystallization and subsequent polymerization.
• Utilized a tetrafunctional phenol monomer and dimethyldichlorosilane.
• Incorporated triethylamine to accelerate polymerization and facilitate single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation.

Main Results:

• Achieved scalable polymerization yielding >100 g batches and >500 g total polymer.
• Demonstrated consistent chemical composition and 2D morphology in large-scale produced polymers.
• Established procedures for 50-g monomer crystallization and 100-g 2D MIM polymerization.

Conclusions:

• Introduced a significantly accelerated and scalable polymerization for 2D MIMs.
• Made 2D MIMs readily accessible for broader research and applications.
• This method overcomes previous limitations in scale for mechanically interlocked polymer synthesis.