Accelerated Thermal Depolymerization of Cyclic Polyphthalaldehyde With a Polymeric Thermoacid Generator

Hector Lopez Hernandez, Olivia P Lee, Catherine M Possanza Casey, Joshua A Kaitz, Chan Woo Park, Christopher L Plantz, Jeffrey S Moore, Scott R White

Macromol Rapid Commun. 2018 Jun;39(11):e1800046.

PMID: 29709094

Abstract:

Thermally triggerable polymer films that degrade at modest temperatures (≈85 °C) are created from a blend of cyclic polyphthalaldehyde (cPPA) and a polymeric thermoacid generator, poly(vinyl tert-butyl carbonate sulfone) (PVtBCS). PVtBCS depolymerizes when heated, generating acid which initiates the depolymerization of cPPA into volatile byproducts. The mass loss onset for 2 wt% PVtBCS/cPPA is 22 °C lower than the onset for neat cPPA alone in dynamic thermogravimetric analysis experiments. Increased concentrations of PVtBCS increase the rate of depolymerization of cPPA. Raman spectroscopy reveals that the monomer, o-phthalaldehyde, is the main depolymerization product of the acid-catalyzed depolymerization of cPPA. The PVtBCS/cPPA blend is a promising material for the design and manufacture of transient electronic packaging and polymers.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number	Product Name	Structure	CAS Number	Price
LS777279	Polyphthalaldehyde			Price