Room Temperature Repairable Dynamic Covalent Adaptable Network with UV Responsive Disulfide Bonds

Dynamic network exchange reaction allows covalent adaptable networks (CANs) to be malleable and reprocessable analogue of thermosetting polymers. Typically, CANs rely on thermally activated network exchange reactions, necessitating high temperatures for their processing and repairing. This high-temperature requirement limits the range of applications for CANs, particularly those that need to be maintained under mild conditions. To address this limitation, in this poster, a new type of CAN that is responsive to UV light will be presented. This UV-responsive CAN can be processed and/or repaired at room temperature by simply exposing it to UV irradiation. Importantly, repairing this material is only achievable when UV irradiation is applied; it cannot be repaired without this step. Furthermore, the application of UV irradiation results in faster stress relaxation, demonstrating that UV exposure accelerates the dynamic exchange reactions within the CAN. This UV-responsive CAN innovation introduces new methods for processing and repairing CANs, making it particularly well-suited for applications that require repair under mild conditions.