Mechanically interlocked [c2]daisy chain backbone enabling advanced shape-memory polymeric materials.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38402228.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-45980-y and PMC identifier 10894290.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The incorporation of mechanically interlocked structures into polymer backbones has been shown to confer remarkable functionalities to materials. In this work, a [c2]daisy chain unit based on dibenzo-24-crown-8 is covalently embedded into the backbone of a polymer network, resulting in a synthetic material possessing remarkable shape-memory properties under thermal control. By decoupling the molecular structure into three control groups, we demonstrate the essential role of the [c2]daisy chain crosslinks in driving the shape memory function. The mechanically interlocked topology is found to be an essential element for the increase of glass transition temperature and consequent gain of shape memory function. The supramolecular host-guest interactions within the [c2]daisy chain topology not only ensure robust mechanical strength and good network stability of the polymer, but also impart the shape memory polymer with remarkable shape recovery properties and fatigue resistance ability. The incorporation of the [c2]daisy chain unit as a building block has the potential to lay the groundwork for the development of a wide range of shape-memory polymer materials.