Volume 62, Issue 35 e202304493
Research Article

Rotaxane Formation of Multicyclic Polydimethylsiloxane in a Silicone Network: A Step toward Constructing “Macro-Rotaxanes” from High-Molecular-Weight Axle and Wheel Components

Minami Ebe

Minami Ebe

Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan

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Asuka Soga

Asuka Soga

Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan

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Kaiyu Fujiwara

Kaiyu Fujiwara

Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan

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Brian J. Ree

Brian J. Ree

Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan

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Hironori Marubayashi

Hironori Marubayashi

Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577 Japan

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Katsumi Hagita

Katsumi Hagita

Department of Applied Physics, National Defense Academy, Yokosuka, 239-8686 Japan

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Atsushi Imasaki

Atsushi Imasaki

Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577 Japan

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Miru Baba

Miru Baba

Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan

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Takuya Yamamoto

Takuya Yamamoto

Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan

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Kenji Tajima

Kenji Tajima

Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan

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Tetsuo Deguchi

Tetsuo Deguchi

Department of Physics, Faculty of Core Research, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, 112-8610 Japan

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Hiroshi Jinnai

Hiroshi Jinnai

Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8577 Japan

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Takuya Isono

Corresponding Author

Takuya Isono

Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan

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Toshifumi Satoh

Corresponding Author

Toshifumi Satoh

Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 Japan

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First published: 17 July 2023
Citations: 4

Graphical Abstract

“Macro-rotaxanes” which consist of high-molecular-weight axle and wheel components were constructed by in situ cross-linking of linear polymers in the presence of multicyclic polymers. Extending the concept of topological trapping to multicyclic showed that multicyclic polymers with more cyclic units and larger ring sizes can be quantitatively trapped, with up to 50 wt % successfully topologically trapped as macro-rotaxanes.

Abstract

Rotaxanes consisting of a high-molecular-weight axle and wheel components (macro-rotaxanes) have high structural freedom, and are attractive for soft-material applications. However, their synthesis remains underexplored. Here, we investigated macro-rotaxane formation by the topological trapping of multicyclic polydimethylsiloxanes (mc-PDMSs) in silicone networks. mc-PDMS with different numbers of cyclic units and ring sizes was synthesized by cyclopolymerization of a α,ω-norbornenyl-functionalized PDMS. Silicone networks were prepared in the presence of 10–60 wt % mc-PDMS, and the trapping efficiency of mc-PDMS was determined. In contrast to monocyclic PDMS, mc-PDMSs with more cyclic units and larger ring sizes can be quantitatively trapped in the network as macro-rotaxanes. The damping performance of a 60 wt % mc-PDMS-blended silicone network was evaluated, revealing a higher tan δ value than the bare PDMS network. Thus, macro-rotaxanes are promising as non-leaching additives for network polymers.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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