Thermal and mechanical investigation of UPy based copolymers

In recent years, the synthesis of the ureidopyrimidinone (UPy) dimer, defined as “the novel building-block for self-assembly”, has allowed reaching important targets in the field of supramolecular chemistry. The employment of UPy units combined with different elastomeric matrices, has made possible to obtain several self-healing copolymers having potential smart and sensing applications. In this research work, the authors propose the synthesis and characterization of a polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) copolymer containing different percentages of UPy unit (2.5, 5.0 and 7.8wt%). The synthesis of the materials has been validated by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Infrared Spectroscopy (IR). An effective use of thermal analysis techniques, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analyses (TGA), has allowed evaluating the effect of the increase of UPy units on the thermal transitions and thermal stability of the polymeric matrix. The healing efficiency of the formulated samples has been tested by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), carried out at different values of temperatures and oscillation frequency. The obtained results represent a further contribution to the study of self-healing mechanisms based on H-bonding interactions.