Self-healing polymeric gel via RAFT polymerization and Diels–Alder click chemistry

Abstract

Tailor-made copolymers of furfuryl methacrylate (FMA) and butyl methacrylate (BMA) (PFMA-co-PBMA) were successfully synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique. The thermoreversible network was successfully achieved by Diels–Alder (DA) and retro-DA reaction between the furfuryl groups of PFMA part and a bifunctional maleimide cross-linker, bismaleimide. This process was studied by NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and nano-indentation analysis. DSC analysis was used to determine of the endothermic retro-DA reaction in copolymer-DA adduct. In this investigation self-healing property of the above cross-linked material was demonstrated by monitoring the repair of a scratch in the copolymer film upon heating and cooling. This was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).