A photochromic polymer exhibiting mechanochromic behavior is prepared by means of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone by utilizing a difunctional indolinospiropyran as an initiator. The configuration of having the photochromic initiating species within the polymer backbone leads to a mechanochromic effect with deformation of polymer films leading to ring-opening of the spiro C−O bond to form the colored merocyanine. Active stress monitoring by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) in tension mode was used to probe the effects of UV irradiation on polymer films held under constant strain. Irradiation with UV light induces a negative change in the polymer stress of approximately 50 kPa. Finally, a model of the mechanochromic effect was performed using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations. A sharp increase in the relative molecular energy and the absorption wavelength as well as a drastic decrease in the spiro-oxygen atom charge occurred at a molecular elongation of >39%.

ABSTRACT:We have successfully incorporated Diels-Alder reversible chemistry into epoxy resins. The Diels-Alder chemistry goes in the forward direction at 60°C and reverses at or above 90°C. One resin was formulated with other commercial ingredients into foamed epoxy. The foam, shown to have mechanical properties similar to foams formed with conventional epoxy resins, is being utilized for electronic encapsulation. Because of the built-in reversible chemistry, the foams can be easily removed by dissolution in 1-butanol at 90°C. Removal allows for the rework, upgrading, or dismantlement of the electronic components.

[reaction: see text]. Benzyl aryl ether dendrons and dendrimers containing thermally reversible furan-maleimide Diels-Alder adducts were prepared up to the third generation. The covalent cleavage and reassembly of the dendrons and dendrimers were evaluated by 1H NMR.

Highly functional Si and glass surfaces for protein immobilization have been prepared by a facile activation of native surface silanol groups. Poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers of generations 1-5 were immobilized onto the surface using a facile room-temperature coupling procedure that involved activation of native silanol groups of glass using 1,1'-carbonyldiimidazole under anhydrous conditions. The dendrimer-coated surfaces were used to immobilize proteins and were characterized with respect to surface loading and activity. A number of different chemical, physical, and biochemical techniques including contact angle measurement, ellipsometry, and fluorescence microscopy were used to characterize the resulting surfaces. Increasing the dendrimer generation past G-3 led to increased surface amine content, immobilized protein concentration, and the activity of immobilized alkaline phosphatase (used as a test system). Very high activity of the immobilized proteins in the case of higher generation (G-4 and G-5) dendrimers led us to conclude that such an approach has true potential for creating highly functional surfaces for protein chip applications.

Thermally labile dendrimers based on the reversible furan-maleimide Diels-Alder reaction are described. First through fourth generation benzyl aryl ether based dendrons 3a-d that contained furan moieties at their focal point were allowed to react with bismaleimide central linker 4 to provide the corresponding dendrimers 5-8. Thermal degradation and reassembly of these dendrimers were studied under a variety of conditions and monitored by GPC and NMR.