Polymer Institute
Topic
Crosslinked polyester materials for engineering application.
PhD. program
organic chemistry
Year of admission
2024
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Martin Danko, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Faculty of Natural Sciences UK
Annotation
Material science is combining organic synthesis and engineering towards material for common everyday use. Polymer science is one of the best approaches the design new materials for a desired application. Research efforts of the thesis will be focused on production of vitrimers a special class of polymers, possessing properties like re-processing and self-healing without loss of mechanical properties after repeated cycles. Such properties can be achieved if chemical cross-links can be efficiently and reliably exchanged between different positions of the organic polymer chains. By such a way, macroscopic flow can be achieved without risking structural damage or permanent loss of material mechanical properties. The aim of the study will be investigation of the possibility of vitrimer formation from functional polyesters modified by suitable organic groups using common methods of organic syntheses. Focus will be paid on reversible thiol-ene, disulfide, Diels-Alder chemical reactions as well as on boronic acid esters present on suitable crosslinking agents. Trans-esterification reactions with the help of various catalysts will also be the aim of interest. For the trans-esterification type of the network in vitrimers, a high content of ester bond as well as a high content of free hydroxyls, which are involved in ester formation, are essential for a short relaxation time. From this point of view, e.g. the presence of a filler as starch or cellulose with hydroxyls of sugar units is very helpful.