One-Pot Automated Synthesis of Quasi Triblock Copolymers for Self-Healing Physically Crosslinked Hydrogels.
The preparation of physically crosslinked hydrogels from quasi ABA-triblock copolymers with a water-soluble middle block and hydrophobic end groups is reported. The hydrophilic monomer N-acryloylmorpholine is copolymerized with hydrophobic isobornyl acrylate via a one-pot sequential monomer addition through reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization in an automated parallel synthesizer, allowing systematic variation of polymer chain length and hydrophobic-hydrophilic ratio. Hydrophobic interactions between the outer blocks cause them to phase-separate into larger hydrophobic domains in water, forming physical crosslinks between the polymers. The resulting hydrogels are studied using rheology and their self-healing ability after large strain damage is shown.
Supramolecular and Polymer Chemistry Research Groups, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.|SIM vzw, Technologiepark 935, 9052, Zwijnaarde, Belgium.
Lenny
L
Voorhaar
Supramolecular and Polymer Chemistry Research Groups, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Bernhard
B
De Meyer
Supramolecular and Polymer Chemistry Research Groups, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Filip
F
Du Prez
Supramolecular and Polymer Chemistry Research Groups, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. richard.hoogenboom@ugent.be.
Richard
R
Hoogenboom
D001331:Automation; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry*; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010316:Particle Size; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D011108:Polymers; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate
RAFT polymerization; hydrogels; self-healing; triblock copolymers