ap9b01095_si_001.pdf (1.3 MB)
Quantity or Quality: Are Self-Healing Polymers and Elastomers Always Tougher with More Hydrogen Bonds?
journal contribution
posted on 2020-01-27, 17:39 authored by Sean C. Cummings, Obed J. Dodo, Alexander C. Hull, Borui Zhang, Camryn P. Myers, Jessica L. Sparks, Dominik KonkolewiczPolymer
materials containing dynamic bonds have many potential
applications including adhesives, elastomers, and coatings with long
lifetimes. Interpenetrated networks (IPNs) were studied, where one
network had covalent linkers, and the other network had dynamic quadruple-hydrogen-bonded
2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy) linkers. IPNs typically
have superior mechanical properties to each component network. IPNs
had either nonpolar poly(ethyl acrylate) (PEA) or hydrogen-bond-rich
poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) matrixes. Although the PHEA materials
have more hydrogen bonds, the self-healing, toughness, and fracture
energies were poorer than the PEA systems. This suggests that strong
and dynamic hydrogen bonds, even at the potential expense of total
hydrogen bonds, should be chosen for applications that require toughness
such as high-performance coatings, sealants, or elastomers.