sc0c00397_si_001.pdf (1.34 MB)
Eugenol-Derived Molecular Glass: A Promising Biobased Material in the Design of Self-Healing Polymeric Materials
journal contribution
posted on 2020-02-24, 13:51 authored by Cong Li, Yizhou Chen, Xiaoxia Cai, Guihua Yang, Xiuzhi Susan SunOne
kind of molecular glass material was prepared via the epoxidation
of eugenol and a subsequent thermochemical conversion process. This
biobased molecular glass (ET-eugenol) shows high potential in the
design of self-healing materials while being incorporated into a polymeric
matrix to form a multiphase system. Here, an ET-eugenol/polymerized
soybean oil (p-ESO) system with a mass ratio of 1:2 was investigated.
Results show that the scratch damage can be healed effectively at
a temperature of 90 °C within 15 min or by ultraviolet radiation
within seconds. Good dimension stability even at high temperatures
can be kept in the whole healing process. A mechanical tensile test
shows that compared to the neat p-ESO matrix the incorporation of
ET-eugenol (weight percent of 33%) led to a 2.7-fold increase in ultimate
stress and a healing efficiency up to 88%. Gel permeation chromatography,
nuclear magnetic resonance, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometer
were carefully conducted to reveal the complex thermochemical reaction
during the preparation process of ET-eugenol. Self-healing behaviors
were characterized via atomic force microscope and optical images,
and the corresponding healing mechanism was discussed from a multiphase
structural viewpoint. The work reported here demonstrates the possibility
of molecular glass as a promising candidate in the design of self-healing
materials.