Design of cross-linked semicrystalline poly(ε-caprolactone)-based networks with one-way and two-way shape-memory properties through Diels-Alder reactions

Cross‐linked poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)‐based polyesterurethane (PUR) systems have been synthesized through Diels–Alder reactions by reactive extrusion. The Diels–Alder and retro‐Diels–Alder reactions proved to be useful for enhancing the molecular motion of PCL‐based systems, and therefore their crystallization ability, in the design of cross‐linked semicrystalline polymers with one‐way and two‐way shape‐memory properties. Successive reactions between α,ω‐diol PCL (PCL₂), furfuryl alcohol, and methylene diphenyl 4,4′‐diisocyanate straightforwardly afforded the α,ω‐furfuryl PCL‐based PUR systems, and subsequent Diels–Alder reactions with N,N‐phenylenedimaleimide afforded the thermoreversible cycloadducts. The cross‐linking density could be modulated by partially replacing PCL‐diol with PCL‐tetraol. Interestingly, the resulting PUR systems proved to be semicrystalline cross‐linked polymers, the melting temperature of which (close to 45 °C) represented the switching temperature for their shape‐memory properties. Qualitative and quantitative measurements demonstrated that these PUR systems exhibited one‐way and two‐way shape‐memory properties depending on their cross‐linking density.     

Why can the activation volume of the cycloadduct decomposition in isopolar retro‐Diels–Alder reactions be negative?

Rate constants of the Diels–Alder cycloaddition reaction of anthracene with tetracyanoethylene, enthalpy of solution of reactants and adduct, enthalpy of the reaction in solution, enthalpy and entropy of activation of the forward and retro‐Diels–Alder reactions were determined in 14 solvents. Temperature and pressure effects on the rate of the decomposition of the adduct formed from 9‐chloroanthracene and tetracyanoethylene were studied. Since the electrostriction effect can be excluded from the consideration of the isopolar Diels–Alder reaction, negative values of the activation volume in the retro‐Diels–Alder reactions can be caused by the different possibilities of penetration of the solvent molecules to large steric branched structures of the transition states and adducts. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 42: 117–125, 2010     

Diels–Alder Polymer Networks with Temperature‐Reversible Cross‐Linking‐Induced Emission

A novel synthetic strategy gives reversible cross‐linked polymeric materials with tunable fluorescence properties. Dimaleimide‐substituted tetraphenylethene (TPE‐2MI), which is non‐emissive owing to the photo‐induced electron transfer (PET) between maleimide (MI) and tetraphenylethene (TPE) groups, was used to cross‐link random copolymers of methyl (MM), decyl (DM) or lauryl (LM) methacrylate with furfuryl methacrylate (FM). The mixture of copolymer and TPE‐2MI in DMF showed reversible fluorescence with “on/off” behavior depending on the Diels–Alder (DA)/retro‐DA process, which is easily adjusted by temperature. At high temperatures, the retro‐DA reaction is dominant, and the fluorescence is quenched by the photo‐induced electron transfer (PET) mechanism. In contrast, at low temperatures, the emission recovers as the DA reaction takes over. A transparent PMFM/TPE‐2MI polymer film was prepared which shows an accurate response to the external temperature and exhibited tunable fluorescent “turn on/off” behavior. These results suggest the possible application in areas including information security and transmission. An example of invisible/visible writing is given.     

Evolution of a Multicomponent System: Computational and Mechanistic Studies on the Chemo‐ and Stereoselectivity of a Divergent Process

The evolution of a ternary molecular system (imine, diene and nitrile) is analyzed to disclose the pathways leading to a divergent synthetic outcome. The Lewis acid catalyzed reaction between cyclohexadiene, 2‐phenyl‐indol‐3‐one and acetonitrile yields the imino‐Diels–Alder adduct as the major product together with minor amounts of the Mannich–Ritter‐amidine product. The experimental and computational data show that the relative orientation of the initial reactants dictates the synthetic outcome. The exo approach between imine and diene leads to the Diels–Alder adduct in a concerted process, whereas the endo mode leads to a polarized intermediate, which is trapped by acetonitrile to yield the multicomponent adduct.     

Anionic polymerization of biomass‐derived furfuryl methacrylate: Controlling polymer tacticity and thermoreversibility

Biomass‐derived furfuryl methacrylate (FMA) has been successfully polymerized for the first time by anionic polymerization to produce atactic (at‐), isotactic (it‐), or syndiotactic (st‐) poly(furfuryl methacrylate) (PFMA), depending on initiator structure and reaction conditions. Thermal properties of the PFMA materials are strongly affected by the polymer tacticity. Most notably, while both isotactic and syndiotactic polymers can undergo inter‐ or intrachain crosslinking reactions when heated to 290 °C, there is no evidence for the atactic polymer to perform the same reaction. Furthermore, the PFMA tacticity also greatly affects the amount of stable carbonaceous materials it produces when heated to 650 °C, with st‐PFMA forming the largest amount of such materials (26.9%), as compared to only 5.6% by at‐PFMA. Using the Diels–Alder (DA) “click reaction” between the reactive furfuryl group within the PFMA polymers as the diene equivalent and a bismaleimide as the dienophile, thermoreversible smart polymers have been successfully prepared. Thermoreversibility of the preformed crosslinked polymers has been demonstrated, thanks to the facile retro‐DA reaction upon heating and the DA reaction upon cooling of such self‐healing materials. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2793–2803     

Preparation of 3‐(10′‐halo‐9′‐anthracenyl) isoxazolecarboxylic esters

The 10‐halo (Cl or Br) anthracene‐9‐nitrile oxides (1a,b) were obtained directly from the treatment of 9‐anthracenylaldoxime with N‐halosuccinimide (NCS or NBS) in DMF. The 3‐(10′‐halo‐9′‐anthracenyl)‐5‐isoxazolecarboxylic esters ( 5a,b and 6a,b ) were prepared via 1 ,3‐dipolar cycloaddition between the obtained nitrile oxides 1a (or 1b ) and two different dipolarophiles: ethyl β‐pyrrolidinocrotonate (an enamine of ethyl acetoacetate) or dimethyl acetylenedicarbox‐ylate (DMAD) respectively. The 10 (or 10′)‐ position of the anthracene in either anthracene‐9‐nitrile oxide or 3‐(9′‐anthracenyl) isoxazole molecules (3,4) is readily halogenated by N‐halosuc‐cinimide in DMF. X‐ray studies showed that 5a possesses two aromatic ring systems that lie at 74.4° from coplanarity. The bond linking the two ring systems is 1.4893(18) Å, indicating only partial conjugation between the two ring systems. The crystal lattice showed unique head‐to‐tail intermolecular stacking of anthracene rings.     

Thermally amendable tailor‐made functional polymer by RAFT polymerization and “click reaction”

This investigation reports the preparation and characterization of thermally amendable functional polymer bearing furfuryl functionality via reversible‐addition fragmentation and chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and Diels‐Alder (DA) reaction. In this case, furfuryl methacrylate (FMA) was polymerized using 4‐cyano‐4‐[(dodecylsulfanylthiocarbonyl)sulfanyl] pentanoic acid as RAFT reagent and 4,4′‐azobis(4‐cyanovaleric acid) as thermal initiator. ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry analysis showed that furfuryl group in poly(furfuryl methacrylate) (PFMA) was not affected during RAFT polymerization and the tailor‐made polymer had RAFT end group. The DA reaction was successfully carried out between the reactive furfuryl functionality of PFMA and different bismaleimides. The thermoreversible property of these DA polymers was characterized by FT‐IR and DSC analysis. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 3365–3374     

Synthesis of a Phlorin from a Meso‐Fused Anthriporphyrin by a Diels–Alder Strategy

An anthracene‐containing meso‐fused carbaporphyrin, which has extended π‐conjugation pathways as compared to the corresponding naphthalene‐containing carbaporphyrin, has been synthesized. The weak global aromaticity of the anthriporphyrin also allowed its use as the diene for a Diels–Alder reaction with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD). The resulting phlorin contains an interesting bicyclic structure. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this phlorin is the first Diels–Alder adduct of a diene forming part of the global π‐conjugation pathway of an aromatic porphyrinoid.     

A rheological and spectroscopic study on the kinetics of self‐healing in a single‐component diels–alder copolymer and its underlying chemical reaction

In this work, pendant groups with both furan and maleimide moieties were incorporated into a polymethacrylate copolymer with lauryl methacrylate as comonomer to yield a one‐system Diels–Alder (DA) polymer. A combined Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and rheological study was performed to quantify the extent of the reversible DA reaction and the resulting changes in mechanical properties of the polymer. The kinetics of the retro‐Diels–Alder (rDA) reaction was studied at different temperatures to determine an enthalpy of activation. Control polymers with only one functional moiety, that is, the furan or maleimide, were also synthesized to study the differences in viscoelastic behavior and the absence of self‐healing. Microscratch tests were performed to obtain information about the disappearance of well‐defined intentional surface scratches under different healing conditions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 1669–1675     

Synthesis of dimethyl heterocyclic‐o‐dicarboxylates using dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate

Dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) is a very important and useful reagent for the preparation of dimethyl heterocyclic‐o‐dicarboxylates, which are key intermediates in the synthesis of fused pyridazine derivatives. The synthesis of thiopyranes by the Diels‐Alder reaction of dithiocarboxylate derivatives, synthesis of various cyclazines by [2 + 8] cycloaddition reactions, and synthesis of dimethyl pyrazolo[3,4‐b]pyridine‐5,6‐dicarboxylates and polycyclic heterocycles containing the 1,6‐naphthyridine ring system by the reaction of o‐aminonitrile compounds with DMAD are described here.     

A tailor‐made polymethacrylate bearing a reactive diene in reversible diels–alder reaction

A tailor‐made polymethacrylate bearing a pendant furfuryl group was prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), an important method of recent advances in controlled radical polymerization. It was otherwise difficult to prepare via conventional radical polymerization, because of several side reactions involving the reactive diene functionality of the furfuryl group. Successful Diels–Alder (DA) chemistry was carried out using this reactive furfuryl group of the tailor‐made polymer as diene and a bismaleimide as a dienophile. Interestingly, the resultant material was observed to be thermoreversible as evidenced by FT‐IR and DSC studies. This example of application of a tailor‐made polymer having controlled molecular architecture and with reactive diene functionality in DA chemistry will open new possibilities to prepare newer tailor‐made reversible materials. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4441–4449, 2007     

Enantioselective Synthesis of Arene cis‐Dihydrodiols from 2‐Pyrones

An enantioselective chemical synthesis of arene cis‐dihydrodiols has been realized from 2‐pyrones through sequential ytterbium‐catalyzed asymmetric inverse‐electron‐demand Diels–Alder (IEDDA) reaction of 2‐pyrones and retro‐Diels–Alder extrusion of CO₂. By using this strategy, a series of substituted arene cis‐dihydrodiols can be obtained efficiently with high enantioselectivity (>99 % ee in many cases). Based on this strategy, efficient and concise asymmetric total syntheses of (+)‐MK7607 and 1‐epi‐(+)‐MK7607 were accomplished.     

Sustainable self‐healing elastomers with thermoreversible network derived from biomass via emulsion polymerization

Motivated by the growing demand for greener and sustainable polymer systems, self‐healing elastomers were prepared by emulsion polymerization of terpene and furfural‐based monomers. Both the method and the monomers were green and sustainable. The synthesized copolymers showed molecular weights between 59,080 and 84,210 Da and glass‐transition temperature (T_g) between ?25 and ?40 °C, implying rubbery properties. A set of one‐dimensional (1D) and two‐dimensional (2D) NMR spectroscopy supported the formation of the copolymer and nuclear spin–spin coupling in the copolymer. Reactivity ratios were determined by conventional linear method. A thermoreversible network was achieved for the first time by reacting the furan‐based polymer with bismaleimide (BM) as a crosslinker, via a Diels?Alder (DA) coupling reaction. The reversible nature of the polymer network was evidenced from infrared and NMR spectroscopy. The thermoreversible character of the DA crosslinked adduct was confirmed by applying retro‐DA reaction (observed in differential scanning calorimeter [DSC] analysis) and mechanical recovery was verified by repeated heating and cooling cycles. The network polymers displayed excellent self‐healing ability, triggered by heating at 130 °C for 4–12 h, when their scratched surface was screened by microscopic visualization. The healing efficiency of the crosslinked DA‐adduct was calculated as 78%, using atomic force microscopy. This work provides a green and efficient approach to prepare new green and functional materials. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 738–751     

Stereoisomeric effects in thermo‐remendable polymer networks based on Diels–Alder crosslink reactions

This study describes the synthesis, the spectroscopic, and the thermal characterization of linear and crosslinked polymers as well as a number of corresponding model compounds, containing Diels–Alder adducts derived from furan and maleimide groups. The thermal reversibility (rDA, DA) of structurally varied model compounds, polymeric and network structures were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, where possible in combination with ¹H NMR spectroscopy. It was established that the endo and exo DA stereoisomers show significantly different thermal responses: the rDA of the endo DA‐adducts typically takes place at 20–40 K lower temperatures than that of the corresponding exo DA‐adducts in all cases, with the exception of some aromatic maleimides. Although in situ isomerization was observed to a limited extent and only in some cases, this effect is not expected to influence the thermoremendability of DA‐crosslinked networks being dependent on two separate stereoisomeric rDA steps. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3456–3467, 2010     

Identification of new flavan‐3‐ol monoglycosides by UHPLC‐ESI‐Q‐TOF in grapes and wine

Flavan‐3‐ol monoglycosides, having four aglycons (+)‐catechin, (?)‐epicatechin, (?)‐epigallocatechin and epicatechin gallate monomeric units, are detected for the first time in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Merlot grape seeds and wine. These compounds were analyzed in red wine, seed and skin extracts by electrospray ionization quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (MS) in negative mode. Fragment ions derived from retro‐Diels Alder, heterocyclic ring fragmentation, benzofuran forming fragmentation and glycoside fragmentations were detected in targeted MS/MS mode. These compounds were not detected in skins; the comparative study showed evidence that these glycosylated compounds originate only from grape seeds. Our method allows for the identification of these glycosylated compounds based on their exact mass and their specific fragmentation pattern. However, exact glucose position on the monomeric units can not be determined. This work allowed us to partially identify 14 new flavan‐3‐ol monoglycosides, based on the exact mass of the molecular ions and their specific retro‐Diels Alder, heterocyclic ring fragmentation, benzofuran forming fragmentation and glycoside fragmentations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facile fabrication of fast recyclable and multiple self‐healing epoxy materials through diels‐alder adduct cross‐linker

A reversibly cross‐linked epoxy resin with efficient reprocessing and intrinsic self‐healing was prepared from a diamine Diels‐Alder (DA) adduct cross‐linker and a commercial epoxy oligomer. The newly synthesized diamine cross‐linker, comprising a DA adduct of furan and maleimide moieties, can cure epoxy monomer/oligomer with thermal reversibility. The reversible transition between cross‐linked state and linear architecture endows the cured epoxy with rapid recyclability and repeated healability. The reversibly cross‐linked epoxy fundamentally behaves as typical thermosets at ambient conditions yet can be fast reprocessed at elevated temperature like thermoplastics. As a potential reversible adhesive, the epoxy polymer with adhesive strength values about 3 MPa showed full recovery after repeated fracture‐thermal healing processes. The methodology explored in this contribution provides new insights in modification of conventional engineering plastics as functional materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2094–2103     

A facile method for the preparation of thermally remendable cross‐linked polyphosphazenes

Novel cross‐linked polyphosphazenes with remendable capacity have been synthesized through the Diels‐Alder reactions. Their structure and properties were characterized by NMR, FT‐IR, GPC, DSC, TGA SEM, and polarizing microscope. The process of Diels‐Alder reaction (D‐A reaction) and retro‐Diels‐Alder reaction (retro‐D‐A reaction) have been investigated by FT‐IR, UV, and DSC. The cross‐linked polyphosphazenes exhibited remendable capability only need a thermal treatment when they were cut by blade, any other treatments such as additional monomer or catalyst, surface treatment or pressure were not needed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Thermal Breakdown by the Retro Diels–Alder Reaction of Crosslinking in Poly[styrene‐co‐(furfuryl methacrylate)]

Crosslinked poly[styrene‐co‐(furfuryl methacrylate)] has been produced by the Diels–Alder (D‐A) reaction between the furan ring (within the copolymer) and the maleimide (MI) group (within the other reactant, bismaleimide). The retro D‐A reaction was followed by the analysis of MI groups produced at different times at five constant temperatures. The process was shown to follow first‐order kinetics, and the rate constants were determined. The findings are believed to be the first to provide quantitative information on the breakdown by a retro D‐A reaction of crosslinking in a polymer system. The D‐A and retro D‐A processes constitute a thermoreversible gelling system with respect to the formation and breakdown of crosslinks.

First‐order rate plot for the retro D‐A breakdown of crosslinked poly(ST‐co‐FM).     

Diels–Alder and Retro‐Diels–Alder Cycloadditions of (1,2,3,4,5‐Pentamethyl)cyclopentadiene to La@C2v‐C82: Regioselectivity and Product Stability

One of the most important reactions in fullerene chemistry is the Diels–Alder (DA) reaction. In two previous experimental studies, the DA cycloaddition reactions of cyclopentadiene (Cp) and 1,2,3,4,5‐pentamethylcyclopentadiene (Cp*) with La@C_2v‐C₈₂ were investigated. The attack of Cp was proposed to occur on bond 19 , whereas that of Cp* was confirmed by X‐ray analysis to be over bond o . Moreover, the stabilities of the Cp and Cp* adducts were found to be significantly different, that is, the decomposition of La@C_2v‐C₈₂Cp was one order of magnitude faster than that of La@C_2v‐C₈₂Cp*. Herein, we computationally analyze these DA cycloadditions with two main goals: First, to compute the thermodynamics and kinetics of the cycloadditions of Cp and Cp* to different bonds of La@C_2v‐C₈₂ to assess and compare the regioselectivity of these two reactions. Second, to understand the origin of the different thermal stabilities of the La@C₈₂Cp and La@C₈₂Cp* adducts. Our results show that the regioselectivity of the two DA cycloadditions is the same, with preferred attack on bond o . This result corrects the previous assumption of the regioselectivity of the Cp attack that was made based only on the shape of the La@C₈₂ singly occupied molecular orbital. In addition, we show that the higher stability of the La@C₈₂Cp* adduct is not due to the electronic effects of the methyl groups on the Cp ring, as previously suggested, but to higher long‐range dispersion interactions in the Cp* case, which enhance the stabilization of the reactant complex, transition state, and products with respect to the separated reactants. This stabilization for the La@C₈₂Cp* case decreases the Gibbs reaction energy, thus allowing competition between the direct and retro reactions and making dissociation more difficult.     

Efficient and Modular Synthesis of New Structurally Diverse Functionalized [n]Paracyclophanes by a Ring‐Distortion Strategy

With the goal of synthesizing new [n]paracyclophanes, the expansion of the scope of a strategy originally disclosed by Winterfeldt et al., was investigated. This approach involves sequential Diels–Alder/retro‐Diels–Alder reactions, the applications of which have been constrained so far to steroid derivatives. An efficient access to new functionalized [9]‐, [10]‐, and [16]paracyclophanes, including original cage architectures, was developed from readily available building blocks using thermal electrocyclization and a cycloaddition/cycloreversion sequence as the key steps.