Stimuli cleavable ABA block copolymers: Synthesis of degradable thermoplastic elastomers from renewable resources

Identifier:  TDX:3137

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX3137

Authors:  Verdugo Fernández, Pedro Manuel

Abstract:
Nowadays, one of the most important issues of our society is to adapt our lifestyle in a way that our impact to the environment was as minimum as possible. This purpose must be addressed from different fields, material science among them. For a sustainable future, petrochemicals as raw materials, must be substituted by other from renewable sources (e. g. vegetable oils). However, at the same time, the polymers must be able to be easily degraded or recycled once finished their useful life. In this thesis polymers using monomers obtained from renewable resources have been synthesized. -Decalactone, which can be obtained from fatty acids present on sunflower oil or through the sugarcane bagasse fermentation and - methylene- -butyrolactone (or tulipalin A), which is present in some flowers such as tulips. These monomers have been polymerized in a controlled manner through the Ring-Opening Polymerization (ROP) and Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) mechanisms respectively. The combination of these two techniques allows the obtention of ABA block copolymers with thermoplastic elastomer properties. In the materials design, sensitive groups which can respond to external stimuli, have been incorporated at the mid-point of the copolymer. The cleavage of the sensitive group can be done under certain conditions (e. g. acid, redox., etc.), obtaining AB copolymers