Vitrimers: Using Dynamic Associative Bonds to Control Viscoelasticity, Assembly, and Functionality in Polymer Networks

TLDR

Vitrimers have been investigated in the past decade for their promise as recyclable, reprocessable, and self‑healing materials. The Viewpoint examines how dynamic covalent chemistry in vitrimers influences macroscopic properties, addressing open questions about temperature‑dependent viscoelastic spectra, self‑assembly, and transport, and outlining future directions for functional polymer design. The authors analyze dynamic associative bonds in vitrimers, exploring how dynamic covalent chemistry enables temperature‑dependent viscoelastic control, self‑assembly modulation, and transport manipulation.

Abstract

Vitrimers have been investigated in the past decade for their promise as recyclable, reprocessable, and self-healing materials. In this Viewpoint, we focus on some of the key open questions that remain regarding how the molecular-scale chemistry impacts macroscopic physical chemistry. The ability to design temperature-dependent complex viscoelastic spectra with independent control of viscosity and modulus based on knowledge of the dynamic bond and polymer chemistry is first discussed. Next, the role of dynamic covalent chemistry on self-assembly is highlighted in the context of crystallization and nanophase separation. Finally, the ability of dynamic bond exchange to manipulate molecular transport and viscoelasticity is discussed in the context of various applications. Future directions leveraging dynamic covalent chemistry to provide insights regarding fundamental polymer physics as well as imparting functionality into polymers are discussed in all three of these highlighted areas.