International. German researchers from the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena and the Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technology have used a reversible thiol-ene reaction to design new self-curing polymers.
These materials are based on a new methacrylate monomer that features a benzylcyanacetamide derivative, which is copolymerized with butyl methacrylate. Subsequently, cross-linking is performed by adding a dithiol and a tetrathiol, respectively.
The self-healing behavior is obtained by heating the cross-linked polymers to 100ºC (150ºC) for several hours and is monitored by healing experiments with an optical microscope.
Thermal properties are studied in detail by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. In addition, depth-sensing indentation measurements are performed to determine mechanical properties. The curing process is based on reversible cleavage/closure of the bonds (i.e. thiol-ene reaction), which could be demonstrated by Raman spectroscopy.
Source: Applied Polymer Science.
