Robert Geitner

Polymeric Halogen‐Bond‐Based Donor Systems Showing Self‐Healing Behavior in Thin Films

The synthesis and comprehensive characterization of a systematic series of cleft-type anion receptors imbedded into a polymeric architecture is presented. For the first time, isothermal calorimetric titrations on polymeric halogen-bond-based donors were exploited to evaluate the dependence of the anion affinity on different key parameters (i.e. monomeric versus polymeric receptor, halogen versus hydrogen bonding, charge assistance). The combination of these donor systems with a copolymer bearing accepting carboxylate groups led to supramolecular cross-linked polymer networks showing excellent intrinsic self-healing behavior. FT-Raman spectroscopy and nano-indentation measurements were utilized to clarify the thermally induced self-healing mechanism based on the formation of halogen bonds. These first self-healing materials based on halogen bonds pave the way for new applications of halogen-bond donors in polymer and material science.

A healing ionomer crosslinked by a bis-bidentate halogen bond linker: a route to hard and healable coatings

In this work we present the first incorporation of bis-bidentate halogen bond linkers into an organic healing ionomer system resulting in the formation of crosslinked supramolecular networks. The obtained supramolecular coatings feature an excellent healing ability as well as an enhanced mechanical performance.

Do You Get What You See? Understanding Molecular Self-Healing

The self-healing ability of self-healing materials is often analyzed using morphologic microscopy images. Here it was possible to show that morphologic information alone is not sufficient to judge the status of a self-healing process and molecular information is required as well. When comparing molecular coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and morphological laser reflection images during a standard scratch healing test of an intrinsic self-healing polymer network, it was found that the morphologic closing of the scratch and the molecular crosslinking of the material do not take place simultaneously. This important observation can be explained by the fact that the self-healing process of the thiol-ene based polymer network is limited by the mobility of alkene-containing compounds, which can only be monitored by molecular CARS microscopy and not by standard morphological imaging. Additionally, the recorded CARS images indicate a mechanochemical activation of the self-healing material by the scratching/damaging process, which leads to an enhanced self-healing behavior in the vicinity of the scratch.

An unsymmetrical phosphonium diylide with a fluorenylidene subunit and its lithium complexes

The phosphonium ylide MePh2P(flu) (3) (flu = C13H8, fluorenylidene) was conveniently prepared by reaction of Ph2P(fluH) (1) (fluH = C13H9, fluorenyl) with iodomethane, followed by subsequent dehydrohalogenation of the resulting phosphonium salt [MePh2P(fluH)]I (2) by potassium tert-butoxide. Compound 3 was further deprotonated by n-butyllithium, yielding the corresponding lithium complex [Li{CH2PPh2(flu)}(tmeda)] (4) in presence of N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (tmeda). This mononuclear lithium compound contains the monoanionic chelating diylidic ligand. An exchange of the neutral bidentate tmeda by tridentate N,N,N′,N′′,N′′-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (pmdta) enforces a change in coordination mode. Consequently, the diylide is monodentate in [Li{CH2PPh2(flu)}(pmdta)] (5). Compounds 1–5 were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. Graphical abstract

Palladium-SCS Pincer Complexes as Cross-Linking Moieties in Self-Healing Metallopolymers

Metallopolymers combine properties of metal complexes and polymers and are thus interesting materials for a wide field of different applications. One current major field is the utilization as self-healing polymers, and for this purpose, palladium-SCS pincer complexes are synthesized. Well-defined copolymers featuring those metal complexes in the side chain are obtained using the reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization technique. By the addition of a tetravalent pyridine cross-linkers, reversible cross-linked supramolecular networks are prepared, enabling self-healing properties. By utilizing density functional theory calculations, IR, and Raman spectroscopy, as well as isothermal titration calorimetry, the complex formation, reversibility, and stability are studied. The information of these experiments also enables further optimizations for the design of similar reversible systems in the future.

Hydrogel-Embedded Model Photocatalytic System Investigated by Raman and IR Spectroscopy Assisted by Density Functional Theory Calculations and Two-Dimensional Correlation Analysis

The presented study reports the synthesis and the vibrational spectroscopic characterization of different matrix-embedded model photocatalysts. The goal of the study is to investigate the interaction of a polymer matrix with photosensitizing dyes and metal complexes for potential future photocatalytic applications. The synthesis focuses on a new rhodamine B derivate and a Pt(II) terpyridine complex, which both contain a polymerizable methacrylate moiety and an acid labile acylhydrazone group. The methacrylate moieties are afterward utilized to synthesize functional model hydrogels mainly consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate units. The pH-dependent and temperature-dependent behavior of the hydrogels is investigated by means of Raman and IR spectroscopy assisted by density functional theory calculations and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy. The spectroscopic results reveal that the Pt(II) terpyridine complex can be released from the polymer matrix by cleaving the C═N bond in an acid environment. The same behavior could not be observed in the case of the rhodamine B dye although it features a comparable C═N bond. The temperature-dependent study shows that the water evaporation has a significant influence neither on the molecular structure of the hydrogel nor on the model photocatalytic moieties.