Molecular recognition in a thermoplastic elastomer.
Selective incorporation of bisurea guests in thermoplastic elastomers with poly(tetrahydrofuran) soft blocks and bisurea containing hard blocks is observed when the distances between the urea groups of host and guest match. The incorporation leads to significant modulation of mechanical properties. With bisurea-functionalized dyes as guests, a strong difference in extractability by detergent solution was shown between dyes differing by just one methylene unit between urea groups. Upon elongation of elastomer films, strong differences in alignability of matching and nonmatching dyes were observed.
Koevoets
Rolf A
RA
Laboratory of Macromolecular and Organic Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Versteegen
Ron M
RM
Kooijman
Huub
H
Spek
Anthony L
AL
Sijbesma
Rint P
RP
Meijer
E W
EW