Polymer, Vol.124, 20-29, 2017
Thermo-responsive alternating conetworks by the Diels-Alder reaction of furan-terminated 4-armed star-shaped epsilon-caprolactone oligomers and maleimide-terminated 4-armed star-shaped L-lactide oligomers
Hydroxy-terminated 4-armed star-shaped 3-caprolactone and L-lactide oligomers (H4CLO(n) and H4LAO(n)) with a degree of polymerization per arm (n = 5, 10 or 15) were reacted with furfuryl isocyanate and (4-maleimidophenyl) isocyanate to produce furan-and maleimide-functionalized 4-armed star-shaped epsilon-caprolactone and L-lactide oligomers (F4CLO(n) and M4LAO(n)), respectively. The Diels-Alder (DA) reaction of F4CLO(n) and M4LAO(n) from room temperature to 40 degrees C in 1,2-dichloroethane produced conetworks (F4CLO(n)-M4LAO(n)) in which the two star-shaped oligomer units are alternatingly arranged. The conversion of DA reaction for F4CLO(n)-M4LAO(n) decreased with increasing n value. F4CLO(10)-M4LAO(10) exhibited a higher degree of swelling in chloroform than F4CLO(5)-M4LAO(5) in agreement with the difference in crosslinking density. F4CLO(15)-M4LAO(15) dissolved in chloroform because of the insufficient crosslinking reaction. All the F4CLO(n)-M4LAO(n)s exhibited endothermic peaks due to retro-DA reactions on the first heating differential scanning calorimetric scans, whereas the corresponding peaks considerably weakened on the second heating scans due to phase separation. The cut films of F4CLO(n)-M4LAO(n) (n - 5 and 10) were self-repaired by heating the partially superposed pieces at 70 degrees C. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Star-shaped polymer;Polylactide;Poly(epsilon-caprolactone);Diels-Alder reaction;Alternating conetwork;Self-repairing