A Mechanochemical Reaction Cascade for Controlling Load-Strengthening of a Mechanochromic Polymer



Pan, Yifei, Zhang, Huan, Xu, Piaoxue, Tian, Yancong ORCID: 0000-0001-9075-0363, Wang, Chenxu, Xiang, Shishuai, Boulatov, Roman ORCID: 0000-0002-7601-4279 and Weng, Wengui
(2020) A Mechanochemical Reaction Cascade for Controlling Load-Strengthening of a Mechanochromic Polymer. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION, 59 (49). pp. 21980-21985.

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Abstract

We demonstrate an intermolecular reaction cascade to control the force which triggers crosslinking of a mechanochromic polymer of spirothiopyran (STP). Mechanochromism arises from rapid reversible force-sensitive isomerization of STP to a merocyanine, which reacts rapidly with activated C=C bonds. The concentration of such bonds, and hence the crosslinking rate, is controlled by force-dependent dissociation of a Diels-Alder adduct of anthracene and maleimide. Because the adduct requires ca. 1 nN higher force to dissociate at the same rate as that of STP isomerization, the cascade limits crosslinking to overstressed regions of the material, which are at the highest rate of material damage. Using comb polymers decreased the minimum concentration of mechanophores required to crosslinking by about 100-fold compared to previous examples of load-strengthening materials. The approach described has potential for controlling a broad range of reaction sequences triggered by mechanical load.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: crosslinking, maleimide, mechanochromism, mechanophores, spirothiopyran
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 07 Oct 2020 09:58
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 23:29
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202010043
Open Access URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202010043
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URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3103823