No abstract

Visualization and quantitative evaluation of covalent bond scission in polymeric materials are highly important for understanding failure, fatigue, and deterioration mechanisms and improving the lifetime, durability, toughness, and reliability of the materials. The diarylbibenzofuranone-based mechanophore radical system enabled, through electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, in situ quantitative evaluation of scission of the mechanophores and estimation of mechanical energy induced along polymer chains by external forces. The coagulation of polymer solutions by freezing probably generated force but did not cleave the mechanophores. On the other hand, cross-linking led to efficient propagation of the force of more than 80 kJ mol(-1) to some mechanophores, resulting their cleavage and generation of colored stable radicals. This mechanoprobe concept has the potential to elucidate other debated issues in the polymer field as well.

Stress evaluation in polymeric materials is important in order to not only spot danger in them before serious failure, but also precisely interpret the destructive mechanism, which can improve the lifetime and durability of polymeric materials. Here, we are able to visualize stress by color changes, as well as quantitatively estimate the stress in situ, in segmented polyurethane elastomers with diarylbibenzofuranone-based dynamic covalent mechanophores. We prepared films of the segmented polyurethanes, in which the mechanophores were incorporated in the soft segments, and efficiently activated them by mechanical force. Cleavage of the mechanophores during uniaxial elongation and their recovery after the removal of the stress were quantitatively evaluated by in situ electron paramagnetic resonance measurements, accompanied by drastic color changes.

Mechanoresponsive polymers can have attractive functions; however, the relationship between polymer architecture and mechanoresponsiveness in the bulk state is still poorly understood. Here, we designed well-defined linear and star polymers with a mechanophore at the center of each architecture, and investigated the effect of molecular weight and branched structures on mechanoresponsiveness in the solid state. Diarylbibenzofuranone, which can undergo homolytic cleavage of the central C−C bond by mechanical force to form blue-colored radicals, was used as a mechanophore because the cleaved radicals could be evaluated quantitatively using electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. We confirmed that longer polymer chains induce mechanochemical activation more effectively and found that, in the bulk state, the star polymers have higher sensitivity to mechanical stress compared with a linear polymer having similar molecular weight arm segment.

A lot of self-healing materials using dynamic bonding systems have been reported, while the focus is mainly on the macroscopic self-healing behavior such as visually recognizable healing. Because the healing originates from microscopic chemical reactions of the dynamic bonds, evaluation of the reactions in the materials is necessary for elucidation of the healing mechanisms and development of the healing ability. Herein, we demonstrated self-healing of a cross-linked polymer with diarylbibenzofuranone (DABBF)-based dynamic covalent linkages at mild temperature and investigated the healing behavior from both macroscopic and microscopic viewpoints. The macroscopic behavior was inspected by mechanical tests, and the linkage reaction (equilibrium) was evaluated by electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. These assessments revealed that the healing is strongly dependent on temperature, which is attributable to synergism between changes in the chain mobility and in the equilibrium of the incorporated linkages. These findings would be applicable to other dynamic bonding systems. ■ INTRODUCTIONMaterials with self-healing ability are particularly attractive in the field of materials science because these materials have the intrinsic capacity to repair damage done to them without intervention. Although small external and internal damages in materials generally result in irreparable damage, self-healing can obviate such risks and thereby lead to reduced waste and improved lifetime, durability, and reliability of materials. In addition, the application of self-healing materials to artificial organ and space development purposes, where there is little scope for intervention and assisted repair, is anticipated. Selfhealing of polymeric materials has been achieved by various approaches such as monomer release and subsequent polymerization, 1−3 unique entropic elasticity of slide-ring networks, 4 topological interaction of dangling chains in polymer networks, 5,6 and irreversible chemical reactions (re-cross-linking). 7−10 Similarly, reversible dynamic bonds (or interactions) have been utilized for polymer self-healing with the advantage of an unlimited number of healing times. 11 Dynamic bonding systems can be categorized into two classes: healing in the gel state with solvent and in the bulk state without solvent. Although the polymer chains in gels have higher mobility than in the bulk state and are therefore expected to exhibit better healing ability, gels generally suffer from volatilization of solvents and show lower mechanical properties, with some exceptions. 12−16 Therefore, self-healing in the bulk state is more desirable, except in cases where these materials are intended for biomaterials application. 17 Various dynamic bonds and reactions are prospectively exploitable for healing bulk polymers, including hydrogen bonding, 18,19 coordination bonds, 20 π−π stacking interactions, 21,22 Diels−Alder reactions, 23−26 disulfide bonds, 27−31 trithiocarbonate linkages, 32 alkoxyamine linkages, 33−39 siloxane chemistry, 4...

Polymer–inorganic composites with diaryl­bibenzo­furanone (DABBF) moieties, dynamic covalent mechanochromophores, were prepared, and their mechanochromic behavior was systematically investigated. The central C–C bonds in DABBF moieties can be cleaved by mechanical force to form the corresponding stable blue radicals, which can be quantitatively evaluated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. One controversial issue but attractive property in the DABBF system is the equilibrium between the activated and deactivated states. Although the deactivation process decreases the sensitivity of some equilibrium mechanophores, the equilibrium has rarely been considered when establishing molecular and/or material design of these systems. Herein, a rational macromolecular design to suppress the deactivation of activated dynamic mechanophores and improve sensitivity by limiting their molecular motion is proposed. Polymer–inorganic composite materials with rigid networks prepared from DABBF alkoxysilane derivatives exhibited significant activation of the incorporated DABBF linkages by grinding, with sensitivities more than 50 times as high as that of DABBF monomers. The increased sensitivity is due to the effective transmission of mechanical force to the DABBF moieties in the network structures and suppression of the recombination of the generated radicals by the rigid frameworks. Furthermore, when the rigid frameworks were incorporated into elastomers as inorganic hard domains, the DABBF mechanophores at the interface between the organic and inorganic domains were preferentially activated by elongation.

Reversible bonds and interactions have been utilized to build stimuli-responsive and reorganizable polymer networks that show recyclability, plasticity, and self-healing. In addition, reorganization of polymer gels at ambient temperature, such as room or body temperature, is expected to lead to several biomedical applications. Although these stimuli-responsive properties originate from the reorganization of the polymer networks, not such microscopic structural changes but instead only macroscopic properties have been the focus of previous work. In the present work, the reorganization of gel networks with diarylbibenzofuranone (DABBF)-based dynamic covalent linkages in response to the ambient temperature was systematically investigated from the perspective of both macroscopic and microscopic changes. The gels continued to swell in suitable solvents above room temperature but attained equilibrium swelling in nonsolvents or below room temperature because of the equilibrium of DABBF linkages, as supported by electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements revealed the mesh sizes of the gels to be expanded and the network structures reorganized under control at ambient temperature.

Repeated mechanical scission and recombination of dynamic covalent bonds incorporated in segmented polyurethane elastomers are demonstrated by utilizing a diarylbibenzofuranone-based mechanophore and by the design of the segmented polymer structures. The repeated mechanochemical reactions can accompany clear colouration and simultaneous fading.