Multi-modal mechanophores based on cinnamate dimers

Huan Zhang, Xun Li, Yangju Lin, Fei Gao, Zhen Tang, Peifeng Su, Wenke Zhang (), Yuanze Xu, Wengui Weng () and Roman Boulatov ()
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Huan Zhang: Xiamen University, Xiamen
Xun Li: Jilin University, Changchun
Yangju Lin: Xiamen University, Xiamen
Fei Gao: Xiamen University, Xiamen
Zhen Tang: Xiamen University, Xiamen
Peifeng Su: Xiamen University, Xiamen
Wenke Zhang: Jilin University, Changchun
Yuanze Xu: Xiamen University, Xiamen
Wengui Weng: Xiamen University, Xiamen
Roman Boulatov: University of Liverpool, Donnan Lab

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Mechanochemistry offers exciting opportunities for molecular-level engineering of stress-responsive properties of polymers. Reactive sites, sometimes called mechanophores, have been reported to increase the material toughness, to make the material mechanochromic or optically healable. Here we show that macrocyclic cinnamate dimers combine these productive stress-responsive modes. The highly thermally stable dimers dissociate on the sub-second timescale when subject to a stretching force of 1–2 nN (depending on isomer). Stretching a polymer of the dimers above this force more than doubles its contour length and increases the strain energy that the chain absorbs before fragmenting by at least 600 kcal per mole of monomer. The dissociation produces a chromophore and dimers are reformed upon irradiation, thus allowing optical healing of mechanically degraded parts of the material. The mechanochemical kinetics, single-chain extensibility, toughness and potentially optical properties of the dissociation products are tunable by synthetic modifications.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01412-8

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