Date of Award
5-2020
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
First Advisor
Derek L. Patton, Ph.D.
Advisor Department
Polymers and High Performance Materials
Abstract
In this thesis, we explore the degradation of poly (thioether acetal) thermosets via a photoinduced thiol-catalyzed ß-scission of acetal linkages incorporated as network crosslink junctions. Specifically, a library of bis-allyl acetal-containing monomers derived from para-substituted benzaldehydes was synthesized and formulated into photopolymerizable thiol-ene resins with commercially available thiol monomers. By varying the electron donating or withdrawing nature of the monomer substituent, we explored the impact of substituent effects on the rate of polymer degradation. Furthermore, we compare the results to those expected from a classical Hammett-type relationship of substituent electronic effects. FTIR was employed to track the appearance of the degradation byproducts and to establish degradation profiles of networks made with each monomer in our library. The ability to construct and deconstruct polymer thermosets using light as the stimulus as well the capability to tailor the rates at which these materials degrade suggests a variety of applications, including environmentally friendly commodity plastics.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Sandoz, Michael, "Tailoring Photodegradation Rates of Acetal-containing Polymer Networks" (2020). Honors Theses. 743.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/743