Abstract
The design and generation of adaptable materials derived from structurally dynamic polymers provides a strategy for generating smart materials that can respond to environmental stimuli or exhibit self-healing behavior. Herein we report an expedient organocatalytic ring-opening polymerization of cyclic carbonates containing pendant dithiolanes (trimethylene carbonate/dithiolane, TMCDT) from poly(ethylene oxide) diols to generate water-soluble triblock (ABA) copolymers containing a central poly(ethylene oxide) block and terminal dithiolane blocks. Hydrogels generated from the triblock copolymers and a cross-linking dithiol exhibited dynamic behavior as a result of the reversible ring opening of the pendant 1,2-dithiolanes. These materials exhibit self-healing behavior, can be injected through a syringe, and rapidly recover their mechanical properties after a severe strain deformation. The dynamic properties of these gels can be modulated with the number of dithiolane units, pH, and temperature.
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