A biomass approach to mendable bio-elastomers.

Yuan, Liang; Wang, Zhongkai; Ganewatta, Mitra S; Rahman, Md Anisur; Lamm, Meghan E; Tang, Chuanbing · Soft Matter · 2017

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Sustainable bioelastomers with high elastic recovery, high resilience and mendability are conceptualized with low chain-entanglement polymers that are predominantly originated from renewable biomass. Polymers with plant oil-derived fatty groups at the side chain were installed with furan, which allowed Diels-Alder addition to introduce dynamic covalent crosslinking. These elastomers are mendable via retro Diels-Alder. Reprocessing of these polymers led to the formation of elastomers with preservation of excellent resilience and elastic recovery.