Friedrich Georg Schmidt

Adaptable Hetero Diels-Alder Networks for Fast Self-Healing under Mild Conditions

A novel adaptable network based on the reversible hetero Diels-Alder reaction of a cyanodithioester and cyclopentadiene is presented. Reversible between 50-120 °C, the adjustable and self-healing features of the network are evidenced via temperature dependent rheology experiments and repetitive tensile tests whereas the networks chemical structure is explored by temperature dependent (1) H MAS-NMR spectroscopy.

Light-Induced Modular Ligation of Conventional RAFT Polymers†

Making light work of RAFT conjugation: a non-activated RAFT agent at the end of RAFT polymers can readily be coupled with ortho-quinodimethanes (photoenols) in a photo-triggered Diels-Alder reaction under mild conditions without catalyst. The method is universal and opens the door for the conjugation of a large number of RAFT-prepared polymers with photoenol-functionalized (macro)molecules. (RAFT=reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer.).

Thermally reversible Diels-Alder-based polymerization: an experimental and theoretical assessment

A pair of monomers capable of undergoing reversible polymerization—based on reversible Diels–Alder (DA) chemistry—as a function of the applied reaction temperature is presented. Specifically, the reaction of isophorone bis(sorbic carbamate), a difunctional diene, with 1,4-phenylenebis(methylene)bis((diethoxyphosphoryl)methanedithioformate), a difunctional dithioester, was studied in detail. Various factors, including the monomer concentration, the type of solvent, and the presence of a Lewis acid, that influence this step-growth polymerization were evaluated. The solvent type was found to have a significant effect on the DA reaction rate. Under the optimized conditions, which are 1.8 g mol−1 of each monomer in acetonitrile with 1.1 equivalents of zinc chloride at 50 °C for 4 h, a polymer with a peak molecular weight of 9600 g mol−1 (relative to poly(styrene) standards) was obtained. The resulting polymer was employed to investigate the correlation between time, temperature, and percentage of debonded monomers achieved during the retro DA (rDA) reaction. In addition, theoretical predictions of the rDA temperature were obtained via ab initio quantum chemical calculations. The monomeric diene and dienophile system was employed for the calculations of the equilibrium constants at various rDA reaction temperatures to correlate the percentage of bonded molecules with the applied temperature. It was calculated that 60% of the polymer becomes debonded at a temperature (Tqc) of around 220 °C, a result that agrees well with that obtained experimentally (Texp = 219 °C).

Sunlight-induced crosslinking of 1,2-polybutadienes: access to fluorescent polymer networks

The efficient sunlight-induced crosslinking of 1,2-polybutadienes to generate fluorescent patterns with spatial resolution is reported. The photochemical conjugation method employed is based on a nitrile imine-mediated tetrazole–ene cycloaddition (NITEC) reaction, which proceeds under UV-light irradiation (λmax = 312 nm) at ambient temperature in the absence of any catalyst. The NITEC reaction between 1-pentene and a newly designed di-linker, consisting of two photosensitive diaryl-substituted tetrazoles joined by a tetraethylene glycol spacer, was investigated in an initial study. Detailed characterization of a small molecule model study was performed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy as well as electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), which was also employed for monitoring the progress of the reaction (100% conversion in 20 min). Finally, two 1,2-polybutadienes of disparate molar masses were each photocrosslinked with the di-linker. The crosslinking reaction parameters, such as concentration, di-linker fraction and reaction time were optimized via SEC analysis and gravimetric determination of gel fractions. The applicability of the novel crosslinking technology for generating spatially controlled highly fluorescent gel patterns is demonstrated in a solvent-free reaction for 2 h under sunlight. In summary, the current study introduces an efficient light-triggered technology platform for crosslinking polymers carrying non-activated double bonds.

Fast and catalyst-free hetero-Diels-Alder chemistry for on demand cyclable bonding/debonding materials†

A new dithioester possessing a cyano Z-group (cyano-dithioester (CDTE)) has been synthesized via a 2-step, one-pot reaction. The cyano-substituted dithioester has been found to undergo fast reversible hetero-Diels–Alder (HDA) reactions at ambient temperature, without the need for a catalyst, as demonstrated by ESI-MS and UV-Vis experiments. To apply the bonding/debonding on demand system to materials science, a cyano-dithioester di-linker was synthesized and employed as a di-functional dienophile in a HDA-based polymerization reaction with a bis-cyclopentadiene polymer. The reversible bonding of the polymer systems were demonstrated by on-line UV-Vis spectroscopy, on-line NMR spectroscopy, and on-line high temperature DLS, as well as via GPC in situ trapping experiments and high-level ab initio molecular orbital calculations.

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate by latent pre-catalysts based on CO2-protected N-heterocyclic carbenes

Various carbon dioxide-protected N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have been investigated with regard to their ability to act as thermally latent initiators for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA). Such CO2-protected NHCs, while completely inactive at room temperature, deliver poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in high yields upon heating and thus represent truly latent pre-catalysts. Polymerizations were conducted in the bulk, semi-bulk and in solution. Especially tetrahydropyrimidinium-2-carboxylates as well as 1,3-di(tert-butyl)imidazolium-2-carboxylate, both in combination with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), were identified as suitable pre-catalysts for the polymerization of MMA. With 1,3-di(tert-butyl)imidazolium-2-carboxylate in toluene, polydispersity indices (PDIs) as low as 1.3 and number-average molecular weights (Mn) of 500u2006000 g mol−1 could be realized. Tetrahydropyrimidinium-2-carboxylates in conjunction with DMSO resulted in lower molecular weights. Notably, isolated polymer yields up to 96% were possible in some cases, though yields proved to be sensitive to the structure of the initiators used. In principle, at least two different polymerization mechanisms are active. In the presence of DMF or DMSO, the formation of a solvent anion (e.g., DMSO−), which then reacts with the monomer, is proposed. What follows is that only highly basic NHCs work well under these conditions. In contrast, the polymerization of MMA in toluene or in the bulk is probably governed by the nucleophilicity of the NHC, rendering unsaturated, less basic NHCs more applicable. Both mechanisms are discussed.

Visible‐Light‐Induced Click Chemistry

A rapid and catalyst-free cycloaddition system for visible-light-induced click chemistry is reported. A readily accessible photoreactive 2H-azirine moiety was designed to absorb light at wavelengths above 400u2005nm. Irradiation with low-energy light sources thus enables efficient small-molecule synthesis with a diverse range of multiple-bond-containing compounds. Moreover, in order to demonstrate the efficiency of the current approach, quantitative ligation of the photoactivatable chromophore with functional polymeric substrates was performed and full conversion with irradiation times of only 1u2005min at ambient conditions was achieved. The current report thus presents a highly efficient method for applications involving selective cycloaddition to electron-deficient multiple-bond-containing materials.

Protected N-heterocyclic carbenes as latent pre-catalysts for the polymerization of ε-caprolactone

Various protected N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) were synthesized and used as latent pre-catalysts in the solvent-free polymerization of e-caprolactone (e-CL) in the presence of benzylic alcohol (Bn–OH). The range of investigated NHCs includes imidazolium-, imidazolinium-, tetrahydropyrimidinium- and diazepinium-based compounds bearing alkyl- and aryl-substituents. These were combined with CO2, MgCl2, ZnCl2 and SnCl2 as protecting groups. This way it became possible to independently evaluate the influence of the NHC-backbone and the protecting group. It was found that protected NHCs can in fact act as thermally latent pre-catalysts; complete inactivity at room temperature and fast and quantitative consumption of the monomer at elevated temperatures were achieved. The yield, reaction time and molecular weight distribution depend on the structure of the pre-catalysts. Our results with both imidazolium- and imidazolinium compounds strongly support published mechanisms, favoring small, less hindered carbenes; tetrahydropyrimidinium-based initiators, however, seem to act in a different way. Generally, polymerization reactions induced by NHC–metal-complexes proceeded much faster than those induced by the corresponding NHC–carboxylates. Clearly, the Lewis acids further activate the monomer and polymerization reactions even occur with NHC–metal complexes where the corresponding NHC–carboxylates deliver no poly(e-caprolactone). Finally, non-toxic protecting groups such as MgCl2 present excellent alternatives to Sn-based compounds.

State‐of‐the‐Art Analytical Methods for Assessing Dynamic Bonding Soft Matter Materials

Dynamic bonding materials are of high interest in a variety of fields in material science. The reversible nature of certain reaction classes is frequently employed for introducing key material properties such as the capability to self-heal. In addition to the synthetic effort required for designing such materials, their analysis is a highly complex--yet important--endeavor. Herein, we critically review the current state of the art analytical methods and their application in the context of reversible bonding on demand soft matter material characterization for an in-depth performance assessment. The main analytical focus lies on the characterization at the molecular level.

Temperature-dependent size exclusion chromatography for the in situ investigation of dynamic bonding/debonding reactions

AbstractPolymers capable of dynamic bonding/debonding reactions are of great interest in modern day research. Potential applications can be found in the fields of self-healing materials or printable networks. Since temperature is often used as a stimulus for triggering reversible bonding reactions, an analysis operating at elevated temperatures is very useful for the in situ investigation of the reaction mechanism, as unwanted side effects can be minimized when performing the analyses at the same temperature at which the reactions occur. A temperature-dependent size exclusion chromatographic system (TD SEC) has been optimized for investigating the kinetics of retro Diels−Alder-based depolymerization of Diels−Alder polymers. The changing molecular weight distribution of the analyzed polymers during depolymerization gives valuable quantitative information on the kinetics of the reactions. Adequate data interpretation methods were developed for the correct evaluation of the chromatograms. The results are confirmed by high-temperature dynamic light scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, and time-resolved nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at high temperatures. In addition, the SEC system and column material stability under application conditions were assessed using thermoanalysis methods, infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen physisorption, and scanning electron microscopy. The findings demonstrate that the system is stable and, thus, we can reliably characterize such dynamically bonding/debonding systems with TD SEC.n Figure3D illustration of chromatograms of a polymer after different times of a depolymerization reaction