Self-Diffusion of Associating Star-Shaped Polymers

The dynamics of associating bonds in transient polymer networks exerts a paramount influence on their relaxation and time-dependent mechanical properties. In particular, diffusive motion of polymers mediated by the dissociation and association equilibrium of reversible junctions can affect the materials’ structural stability, dynamic mechanical properties, and a broad spectrum of functionality that arises from the constant motion of polymer chains. In this work, forced Rayleigh scattering is used to measure the diffusion of terpyridine end-functionalized four-arm poly(ethylene glycol) polymers transiently interlinked by zinc ions in organic solvent across a wide range of length and time sca…