Thèse : Carbohydrate-based Block Copolymers: Self-healing Properties

Carbohydrate-based block copolymers (CBCPs) are becoming more desirable for creating materials with tuneable properties than the mere blending of sugars into polymers, affording high compatibility while offering the advantages of both carbohydrates and conventional polymers. The creation of self-healing materials is one of the several smart applications for which polymers have been explored owing to the need to prolong service life and improve the efficiency of materials over time¹. However, not much attention has been given to the self-healing (SH) potential of CBCPs. We hereby propose the CBCP system as a good candidate for self-healing due to the presence of a plethora of hydroxyl groups capable of intermolecular hydrogen bonding which has been reported to be an efficient non-covalent interaction in intrinsic self-healing materials, especially when a series of hydrogen bonding stickers are present^2,3. To explore this SH potential of CBCPs, we have successfully synthesized well-defined, linear triblock copolymer systems from readily available and affordable oligosaccharide (maltotriose) and telechelic liquids via the facile and high-yielding Azide/Alkyne click reaction as characterized and confirmed by state-of-the-art equipment⁴, whose self-healing, mechanical and rheological properties in bulk material and thin film is being evaluated.

Figure 1. Synthetric Strategy for CBCs         Figure 2. Proposed Self-Healing Mechanism of CBCs

References

1.        Kahar NNFNMN, Osman AF, Alosime E, et al. The versatility of polymeric materials as self-healing agents for various types of applications: A review. Polymers (Basel). 2021;13(8):1-34. doi:10.3390/polym13081194

2.        Xie Z, Hu BL, Li RW, Zhang Q. Hydrogen Bonding in Self-Healing Elastomers. ACS Omega. 2021;6(14):9319-9333. doi:10.1021/acsomega.1c00462

3.        Cordier P, Tournilhac F, Soulié-Ziakovic C, Leibler L. Self-healing and thermoreversible rubber from supramolecular assembly. Nature. 2008;451(7181):977-980. doi:10.1038/nature06669

4.     D. Ovurevu. Carbohydrate-based block copolymers: Prospect for self-healing applications (Master 2 Thesis, PTA, UGA). 2021

*Supervisors: R. Borsali (Cermav) and N. El Kissi (LRP)