Towards the Generation of Self-Healing Materials by Means of a Reversible Photo-induced Approach

Photo-induced reversibility as a tool for self-healing: a reversible photo-induced dendritic macromonomer was synthesized and proven to form networks with different features depending on the crosslinking conditions. While networks formed from aqueous systems exhibited a reversible change in their crosslinking degree, networks generated in bulk underwent fully reversibility. The latter was then exploited for generating self-healing materials by means of a photo-induced treatment.

Reversible Photocycloadditions, a Powerful Tool for Tailoring (Nano)Materials

Molecularly designed materials are increasingly attracting attention not only because of the variety of their applications but also due to the challenging strategies necessary for their design and synthesis. Highly complex and functional (nano)materials are obtained by exploiting simple tools and concepts from different disciplines, introducing the desired properties into the final product. It is shown that by combining fundaments from organic chemistry, polymer and materials science, photoresponsive nanoparticles are easily generated, and how responsiveness is achieved by exploiting photocycloadditions, which are extremely selective, react in good yields without the formation of side produ…

Cover Picture: Design, Synthesis, and Miniemulsion Polymerization of New Phosphonate Surfmers and Application Studies of the Resulting Nanoparticles as Model Systems for Biomimetic Mineralization and Cellular Uptake (Chem. Eur. J. 17/2012)