Melt-processable and self-healing poly(vinyl alcohol) elastomer containing diol groups in the side chain

A 3-amino-1,2-propane diol functionalized poly(vinyl alcohol) elastomer (PVA–COO–AP) with melt processability and self-healing properties was prepared by chemical graft modification, that is, a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) carboxylation and carbodiimide reaction. Unlike that of conventional PVA modifiers, the incorporation of diol groups in the 3-amino-1,2-propane diol molecules onto PVA chains reduced the breaking of intrinsic hydrogen-bonding interactions of PVA because of the formation of new hydrogen bonds between the diol groups and the hydroxyl groups of PVA. PVA–COO–AP possessed a lower melting temperature and a higher decomposition temperature than PVA; this enabled the melt processing of PVA. The PVA–COO–AP samples prepared by compression molding exhibited excellent flexibility and elasticity, and the samples with a lower glass-transition temperature below ambient temperature could be self-healed because of the existence of dynamic hydrogen bonds. AP–COO–AP is believed to have potential applications in the fields of fibers and biomedical membranes. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46050.