Solvent-Free Supersoft and Superelastic Materials

• US 20180201785A1
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Published: 07/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina System)
• Original Assignee: University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina System)
• Inventors: Sheiko, Sergei, Varnoosfaderani, Mohammad Vatankhah, Daniel, Will
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2/48 by ultraviolet or visible light
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 220/16 of phenols or of alcohols containing two or more carbon atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 230/08 containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 236/02 the radical having only two carbon-to-carbon double bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/20 containing silicon bound to unsaturated aliphatic groups C08G77/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 77/442 containing vinyl polymer sequences
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/0025 Crosslinking or vulcanising agents; including accelerators
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/00 Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming in the main chain of the macromolecule a linkage containing silicon with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen or carbon only; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/06 containing silicon bound to oxygen-containing groups C08L83/12 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention generally relates to compositions comprising polymer bottle brush and comb networks and methods of making polymer networks. Specifically, the disclosed polymer networks are prepared by polymerizing a siloxane monomer in the presence of a crosslinker. Alternatively, the disclosed polymer networks can be prepared by polymerizing a siloxane monomer in the presence of a radical initiator. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Claims

1. A composition comprising a polymer network, wherein the polymer network comprises the reaction product of:

a) a monomer having a structure represented by a formula;

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polymer network has a rubbery plateau in the modulus of elasticity of less than about 500 Pa.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein m is an integer selected from 5 to 200 and p is an integer selected from 2 to 200.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polymer network has a maximum extendability of at least about 50.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the monomer is monomethacryloxypropyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the cross-linker is methacryloxypropyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polymer network comprises the reaction product of the monomer, the crosslinker, and a radical initiator.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the reaction product further comprises at least one residue of a diluent monomer having a structure represented by a formula:

9. The composition of claim 8, wherein the diluent monomer is butyl acrylate.

10. The composition of claim 8, wherein the monomer is monomethacryloxypropyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane, the cross-linker is methacryloxypropyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane, and the diluent monomer is butyl acrylate.

11. A composition comprising a polymer network, wherein the polymer network comprises at least one residue having a structure represented by a formula:

12. The composition of claim 11, wherein each occurrence of m is an integer independently selected from 5 to 200, each occurrence of p is an integer independently selected from 2 to 200, and each occurrence of r and r′

is an integer independently selected from 4 to 200.

13. The composition of claim 11, wherein the polymer network comprises at least one residue having a structure represented by a formula:

14. The composition of claim 11, wherein the residue of a radical initiator is a structure represented by a formula:

15. The composition of claim 11, wherein the residue of a quenching agent is selected from hydrogen, bromine, chlorine, —

OH, —

N₃, and C2-C4 alkenyl.

16. The composition of claim 11, wherein at least one occurrence of R¹³ is a structure having a formula:

17. The composition of claim 11, wherein at least one occurrence of R¹³ is a structure having a formula:

18. A method of making a polymer network, the method comprising polymerizing a mixture comprising:

a) a monomer having a structure represented by a formula;

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising reacting the mixture with a catalytically effective amount of a radical initiator.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the radical initiator is a photoinitiator.