Thermoplastic Elastomers Based on Block, Graft, and Star Copolymers

Abstract

In this book chapter, we focus on recent advances in thermoplastic elastomers based on synthetic polymers from the aspects of polymer architectures such as linear block, graft, and star copolymers. The irst section is an introduction that covers a brief history and classiication of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). The second section summarizes ABA triblock copolymers synthesized by various methods for TPE applications. The third section reviews TPEs based on graft copolymers, and the fourth section reviews TPEs based on star copolymers. The diferences between TPE research in academia and industry are addressed in the last section as a perspective, with a view toward the generation of new, advanced, commercially viable TPEs.

Synthesis and characterization of brush-type polyβ-alanine-grafted polymethyl methacrylate using "grafting through" method

“…In the case of brush-type graft copolymers, the side chains are so densely distributed on the main chain that, these side chains resemble a brush (Öztürk et al 2020b;Xie et al 2008;Savaş et al 2021b). This feature of graft copolymers causes them to be used as drug delivery (Muramatsu et al 1990), hydrogel (Dualeh and Steiner 1991), thermoplastic elastomers (Wang et al 2017), coating materials (Revanur et al 2007), and compatibilizers in polymer blends (Tomić and Marinković 2020). There are many samples of graft copolymers obtained from the "grafting through" method in the literature (Martinez et al 2020;Cho et al 2015;Kaneyoshi and Matyjaszewski 2007;Lutz et al 2004;Neugebauer et al 2006); Lutz et al (2004) synthesized poly(alkyl methacrylate)-g-poly(D-lactide)/ poly(dimethylsiloxane) terpolymers by using a combination of the "grafting through" technique and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) or reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization.…”

Design of Waterborne Asymmetric Block Copolymers as Thermoresponsive Materials

“…The change in properties can be a change in the water solubility of one of the blocks, which leads to upper or lower critical solution temperatures and is usually aimed for biomedical applications [28,29]; however, the temperature can also change the mobility of the polymer chains, as it happens in the glass transition (Tg) or melting temperature of amorphous or crystalline polymer chains. This last type of thermal transition, and the associated thermoresponsiveness [30], are explored in this work. In this article, we present our investigations on the potential use of the microphase separated block copolymers in heat seal lacquers by applying the aqueous latex directly to cast sealing layers onto different substrates.…”

Macroscopic Alignment of Block Copolymers on Silicon Substrates by Laser Annealing

“… 1 While BCPs have found use as bulk heterogeneous materials, e . g ., high-performance elastomers, 2 their anticipated potential lies in solution-based 3 and thin-film applications. 4 − 7 As thin films, these periodic nanostructures can be utilized as filtration 8 − 10 and ion-conducting membranes, 11 − 13 lithography masks, 14 − 18 and electronic 5 , 6 and photovoltaic materials.…”

“…While BCPs have found use as bulk heterogeneous materials, e . g ., high-performance elastomers, their anticipated potential lies in solution-based and thin-film applications. − As thin films, these periodic nanostructures can be utilized as filtration − and ion-conducting membranes, − lithography masks, − and electronic , and photovoltaic materials. − Despite numerous efforts, reaching the point when practical implementation of BCP self-assembly can compete with conventional top-down fabrication remains a challenge. It is primarily hindered by impractically slow self-assembly kinetics caused by high viscosity of these materials and by high density of kinetically trapped structural defects present in spontaneously ordered films. , Typically, spontaneous self-assembly yields only short-range ordered BCP morphologies with grain size not exceeding several repeats of the spacing between the microdomains .…”

“…B lock copolymers (BCPs), thanks to their ability to selfassemble into ordered nanometer-scale morphologies, have been long recognized as a convenient synthetic platform for various nanostructured materials. 1 While BCPs have found use as bulk heterogeneous materials, e.g., highperformance elastomers, 2 their anticipated potential lies in solution-based 3 and thin-film applications. 4−7 As thin films, these periodic nanostructures can be utilized as filtration 8−10 and ion-conducting membranes, 11−13 lithography masks, 14−18 and electronic 5,6 and photovoltaic materials.…”