Vitrimers are network polymers that undergo associative bond exchange reactions in the condensed phase above a threshold temperature, dictated by the exchangeable bonds comprising the vitrimer. For vitrimers, chemistries reliant on poorly nucleophilic bond exchange partners (e.g., hydroxy-functionalized alkanes) or poorly electrophilic exchangeable bonds, catalysts are required to lower the threshold temperature, which is undesirable in that catalyst leaching or deactivation diminishes its influence over time and may compromise reuse. Here we show how to access catalyst-free bond exchange reactions in catalyst-dependent polyester vitrimers by obviating conventional ester bonds in favor of oxime−esters. Poly(oxime−ester) (POE) vitrimers are synthesized using thiol−ene click chemistry, affording high stretchability and malleability. POE vitrimers are readily recycled with little degradation of their initial mechanical properties, suggesting exciting opportunities for sustainable plastics.

Control of equilibrium and non‐equilibrium thermomechanical behavior of poly(diketoenamine) vitrimers is shown by incorporating linear polymer segments varying in molecular weight (MW) and conformational degrees of freedom into the dynamic covalent network. While increasing MW of linear segments yields a lower storage modulus at the rubbery plateau after softening above the glass transition (Tg), both Tg and the characteristic time of stress relaxation are independently governed by the conformational entropy of the embodied linear segments. Activation energies for bond exchange in the solid state are lower for networks incorporating flexible chains; the network topology freezing temperature decreases with increasing MW of flexible linear segments but increases with increasing MW of stiff segments. Vitrimer reconfigurability is therefore influenced not only by the energetics of bond exchange for a given network density, but also the entropy of polymer chains within the network.

The interfacial broadening between two different epoxy networks having different moduli was nanomechanically mapped. The interfacial broadening of the two networks produced an interfacial zone having a gradient in the concentration and, hence, properties of the original two networks. This interfacial broadening of the networks leads to the generation of a new network with a segmental composition corresponding to a mixture of the original two network segments. The intermixing of the two, by nature of the exchange reactions, was on the segmental level. By mapping the time dependence of the variation in the modulus at different temperatures, the kinetics of the exchange reaction was measured and, by varying the temperature, the activation energy of the exchange reaction was determined.

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Nanomechanical mapping of interfacial broadening between an epoxy network and a linear poly­(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) showed the generation of a new network resulting from transesterification reactions. The rate of interfacial broadening was found to decrease with annealing time and deviated significantly from that expected for a classical first-order transesterification reaction. The epoxy vitrimer/PMMA composites prepared by melt blending show a single-phase and homogeneous structure, quite different from thermoset and thermoplastic composites prepared by reaction-induced phase separation. The as-prepared composites have a dimensionally stable structure that does not decompose at elevated temperatures. Moreover, the stress relaxation of the composites slows with the vitrimer content and the stress does not relax even at extended times.

Control of equilibrium and non‐equilibrium thermomechanical behavior of poly(diketoenamine) vitrimers is shown by incorporating linear polymer segments varying in molecular weight (MW) and conformational degrees of freedom into the dynamic covalent network. While increasing MW of linear segments yields a lower storage modulus at the rubbery plateau after softening above the glass transition (Tg), both Tg and the characteristic time of stress relaxation are independently governed by the conformational entropy of the embodied linear segments. Activation energies for bond exchange in the solid state are lower for networks incorporating flexible chains; the network topology freezing temperature decreases with increasing MW of flexible linear segments but increases with increasing MW of stiff segments. Vitrimer reconfigurability is therefore influenced not only by the energetics of bond exchange for a given network density, but also the entropy of polymer chains within the network.

Here we show how to control the thermomechanical behavior of vitrimers, both in and out of equilibrium, by incorporating into the dynamic covalent network linear polymer segments varying in both molecular weight (MW = 0–12 kg mol–1) and conformational degrees of freedom. While increasing MW of linear segments predictably yields a lower storage modulus (E’) at the rubbery plateau after softening above the glass transition (Tg), due to the lower network density, we further find that both Tg and the characteristic time (t*) of stress-relaxation when deformed are independently governed by the conformational entropy of the embodied linear segments. We also find that activation energies (Ea) for vitrimer bond exchange in the solid-state are lower, by as much as 19 kJ mol−1, for networks incorporating flexible chains, and that the network’s topology freezing temperature (Tv) decreases with increasing MW of flexible linear segments, but increases with increasing MW of stiff linear segments. Therefore, the dynamics of vitrimer reconfigurability are influenced not only by the energetics of associative bond exchange for a given network density, but also foundationally by the entropy of polymer chains within the network.