Thermally Reversible Covalent Linking of Halide-containing Polymers

Suny At Buffalo, Amherst NY

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT PI: Eli Ruckenstein Institution: SUNY Buffalo Proposal Number: 0086491 Thermally reversible covalently (TRC) linked halide containing crosslinked polymers based on ionene formation may be particularly suitable for manufacturing recyclable materials and for improving the mechanical and physical properties of traditional thermoplastic materials without loss of thermoplasticity. These crosslinked polymers can also be employed as thermal sensor materials. Two kinds of thermally reversible reactions, namely the thermally reversible Diels-Alder cycloaddition of a diene and the thermally reversible Menschutkin reaction, will be employed to generate TRC links. Salts of dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylic acid (SDCPDCA) will be used as TRC crosslinkers of halide-containing polymers. CL-containing polymers possessing benzyl chlorine, primary Cl, secondary Cl, tertialy Cl or allyl Cl moieties, will be subjected to esterification crosslinking with SDCPDCA. The latter compounds are prepared by reacting dicyclopentadience dicarboxylic acid (DCPDCA) with ethoxide or hydroxide. The crosslinked polymers will exhibit TRC crosslinking due to the thermally reversible dedimerization/dimerization of -DCPD- bridges. The above CL-containing polymers will also be crosslinked with ditertiary amines vial the formation of ionene networks based on the Menschutkin reaction. The generated ionene networks are expected to exhibit TRC crosslinking due to the dequarternization on heating and requarternization on cooling of the ionene bridges.