title: Malleable and Self-Healing Covalent Polymer Networks through Tunable Dynamic Boronic Ester Bonds.
abstract: Despite numerous strategies involving dynamic covalent bond exchange for dynamic and self-healing materials, it remains a challenge to be able to tune the malleability and self-healing properties of bulk materials through simple small molecule perturbations. Here we describe the use of tunable rates of boronic ester transesterification to tune the malleability and self-healing efficiencies of bulk materials. Specifically, we used two telechelic diboronic ester small molecules with variable transesterification kinetics to dynamically cross-link 1,2-diol-containing polymer backbones. The sample cross-linked with fast-exchanging diboronic ester showed enhanced malleability and accelerated healing compared to the slow-exchanging variant under the same conditions. Our report demonstrates the possibility of transferring small molecule kinetics to dynamic properties of bulk solid material and may serve as a guide for the rational design of tunable dynamic materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States.
authors.forename: Olivia R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Cromwell
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States.
authors.forename: Jaeyoon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States.
authors.forename: Zhibin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guan