Photothermal triggering of self-healing processes applied to the reparation of bio-based polymer networks

ALTUNA F.I.; ANTONACCI, J.; ARENAS, G.; PETTARIN, V.; HOPPE, C.E.; WILLIAMS, R.J.J.

Materials Research Express

IOPscience

Año: 2016 vol. 3

Green laser irradiation successfullyactivated self-healing processes in epoxy-acid networks modified with lowamounts of gold nanoparticles (NPs). A bio-based polymer matrix, obtained bycrosslinking epoxidised soybean oil (ESO) with an aqueous citric acid (CA)solution, was self-healed through molecular rearrangements produced bytransesterification reactions of β-hydroxyester groups generated in thepolymerization reaction. The temperature increase required for the triggeringof these thermally-activated reactions was attained by green light irradiationof the damaged area. Compression force needed to assure a good contact betweencrack faces was achieved by volume dilatation generated by the same temperaturerise. Gold NPs dispersed in the polymer efficiently generated heat in thepresence of electromagnetic radiation under plasmon resonance, acting asnanometric heating sources and allowing remote activation of the self-healing inthe crosslinked polymer.