Biodegradable Natural Rubber Based on Novel Double Dynamic Covalent Cross-Linking

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 14; no. 7; p. 1380
• Main Authors: Jiang, Qinggeng, Gao, Yi, Liao, Lusheng, Yu, Rentong, Liao, Jianhe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 29.03.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Biodegradability; biodegradable; Carbon dioxide; Chemical bonds; Crosslinking; cyclic carbonate; dual cross-linked network; Efficiency; epoxidized natural rubber; Fourier transforms; Natural rubber; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Rubber; Self healing materials; self-healing; United States > US; China; cyclic carbonate; biodegradable; dual cross-linked network; epoxidized natural rubber; self-healing
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym14071380

In this paper, biodegradable epoxidized natural rubber containing cyclic carbonate groups (CNR) was prepared by the reaction between epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) and carbon dioxide. Dynamic disulfide bonds and a boronic ester structure were successfully constructed and then the cross-linking network was formed by the thermally initiated "click" reaction between thiol groups of the cross-linker and the residual epoxy groups of ENR. As a result of the exquisite double dynamic covalent structure, the material exhibits high self-healing efficiency. Moreover, by virtue of the cyclic carbonate structure of the CNR, the natural rubber was confirmed to be biodegradable according to the biodegradable measurement. To the best of our knowledge, natural rubber with biodegradable and self-healing characteristics was obtained for the first time.