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

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

Materials Research Express

IOP SCIENCE

Año: 2016 vol. 3

Green laser irradiation successfully activated self-healing processes in epoxy-acid networks modifiedwith low amounts of gold nanoparticles (NPs). A bio-based polymer matrix, obtained by crosslinkingepoxidized soybean oil (ESO) with an aqueous citric acid (CA) solution, was self-healed throughmolecular rearrangements produced by transesterification reactions of β-hydroxyester groupsgenerated in the polymerization reaction. The temperature increase required for the triggering of thesethermally activated reactions was attained by green light irradiation of the damaged area. Compressionforce needed to assure a good contact between crack faces was achieved by volume dilatation generatedby the same temperature rise. Gold NPs dispersed in the polymer efficiently generated heat in thepresence of electromagnetic radiation under plasmon resonance, acting as nanometric heating sourcesand allowing remote activation of the self-healing in the crosslinked polymer.