Mechanical properties of supramolecular elastomers prepared from polymer-grafted polyrotaxane. (16th October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Minato, Kosuke; Mayumi, Koichi; Maeda, Rina; Kato, Kazuaki; Yokoyama, Hideaki; Ito, Kohzo
• Is Part Of: Polymer. Volume 128(2017)
• Page Start: 386
• Page End: 391
• Publication Date: 2017-10-16
• Subjects: Supramolecule -- Polyrotaxane -- Cyclodextrin -- Elastomer -- Mechanical property; Polymers -- Periodicals; Polymerization -- Periodicals; Polymères -- Périodiques; Polymérisation -- Périodiques; 547.7
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2017.02.090
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0032-3861

Abstract

Abstract: Supramolecular slide-ring (SR) elastomers without solvent were fabricated by cross-linking of polymer-grafted polyrotaxane in which α -cyclodextrins (CDs) with poly- ε -caprolactone (PCL) side chains are threaded on a polyethylene glycol (PEG) axial linear chain. The cross-links in the SR elastomers are capable of sliding along the backbone in response to applied stress. Mechanical properties of the SR elastomers with different cross-linking densities were compared with those of fixed cross-link (FC) elastomers prepared from PCL-grafted hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) to understand the influence of the slidable cross-links. The SR elastomers are found to undergo less strain-hardening at large strains and demonstrate higher strains at break than the conventional FC elastomers with the same Young's moduli. Graphical abstract: Highlights: Supramolecular slide-ring (SR) elastomers exhibit smaller Young's moduli than fixed cross-link (FC) elastomers. SR elastomers show less strain-hardening and larger strains at break compared with FC elastomers. The softness and high deformability of SR elastomers are attributed to the slidability of the cross-links.