title: Reversible polymers formed from self-complementary monomers using quadruple hydrogen bonding.
abstract: Units of 2-ureido-4-pyrimidone that dimerize strongly in a self-complementary array of four cooperative hydrogen bonds were used as the associating end group in reversible self-assembling polymer systems. The unidirectional design of the binding sites prevents uncontrolled multidirectional association or gelation. Linear polymers and reversible networks were formed from monomers with two and three binding sites, respectively. The thermal and environmental control over lifetime and bond strength makes many properties, such as viscosity, chain length, and composition, tunable in a way not accessible to traditional polymers. Hence, polymer networks with thermodynamically controlled architectures can be formed, for use in, for example, coatings and hot melts, where a reversible, strongly temperature-dependent rheology is highly advantageous.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Post Office Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, Netherlands.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Sijbesma
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Beijer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brunsveld
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Folmer
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hirschberg
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Meijer
mesh_terms: D019281:Dimerization; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: C109276:2-ureido-4-pyrimidone; D011108:Polymers; D011744:Pyrimidinones