Hose with tunable flexibility using cyclizable, photochromic molecules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10927976-B2
Application number	US-201916545285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	Oct 25, 2016
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure generally provide methods related to articles that display reversible photoresponsive behavior.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a photoreactive polymer with variable modulus, comprising:
forming a reaction mixture comprising photoreactive monomer, non-photoreactive monomer, and at least one catalyst, the photoreactive monomer comprising dithienylethene monomer;
heating the reaction mixture at a temperature from about 25° C. to about 300° C. to form a cured photoreactive polymer; and
isolating and then extruding the photoreactive polymer into cylindrical form.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-photoreactive monomer comprises vinyl monomer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-photoreactive monomer are selected from a group consisting of ethylene, propylene, diene, urethane, vinylchloride, a silicon containing group, and a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the diene is ethylidene norbornene, butadiene, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the silicon containing group comprises silane, silanol, alkoxy silane, multifunctional silane, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photoreactive monomer absorbs ultraviolet radiation of wavelengths from 100 nm to 400 nm.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the photoreactive polymer has at least one photoreaction product of ultraviolet radiation absorption.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the at least one photoreaction product includes a cyclic carbon group.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cyclic carbon group is a product of a [2π+2π] cycloaddition reaction.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cyclic carbon group forms ring-open reaction products.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photoreactive monomer absorbs visible radiation of wavelengths from 400 nm to 700 nm.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the photoreactive monomer comprise ring-open reaction products.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising covalently bonding the photoreactive polymer to a conducting polymer.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the conducting polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyphenylene, a polypyrene, a polyazulene, a polynaphthalene, a polypyrrole, a polycarbazole, a polyindole, a polyazepine, a polyaniline, a polythiophene, and a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photoreactive polymer has a modulus that changes at a time that the photoreactive polymer is irradiated with ultraviolet or visible light.

16. A method for producing a photoreactive polymer with variable modulus, comprising:
forming a reaction mixture comprising photoreactive monomer, non-photoreactive monomer, and at least one catalyst, the photoreactive monomer comprising dithienylethene monomer, the non-photoreactive monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, diene, urethane, vinylchloride, a silicon containing group, and a combination thereof;
heating the reaction mixture at a temperature from about 25° C. to about 300° C. to form a cured photoreactive polymer; and
isolating and then extruding the photoreactive polymer into cylindrical form.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the diene is ethylidene norbornene, butadiene, or a combination thereof; or
the silicon containing group comprises silane, silanol, alkoxy silane, multifunctional silane, or a combination thereof; or
a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the photoreactive monomer comprises ring-open reaction products.

19. A method for producing a photoreactive polymer with variable modulus, comprising:
forming a reaction mixture comprising photoreactive monomer, non-photoreactive monomer, and at least one catalyst, the photoreactive monomer comprising dithienylethene monomer, the non-photoreactive monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, diene, urethane, vinylchloride, a silicon containing group, and a combination thereof;
heating the reaction mixture at a temperature from about 25° C. to about 300° C. to form a cured photoreactive polymer;
isolating and then extruding the photoreactive polymer into cylindrical form; and
covalently bonding the photoreactive polymer to a conducting polymer.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein conducting polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyphenylene, a polypyrene, a polyazulene, a polynaphthalene, a polypyrrole, a polycarbazole, a polyindole, a polyazepine, a polyaniline, a polythiophene, and a combination thereof.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Czaplewski Sarah K
• Kobilka Brandon M
• Wertz Jason T
• Zhang Jing

Classifications

• C08L81/00

  Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming in the main chain of the macromolecule a linkage containing sulfur with or without nitrogen, oxygen or carbon only; Compositions of polysulfones; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• C08G75/0213

  containing elements other than carbon, hydrogen or sulfur · CPC title

• C08F228/06

  by a heterocyclic ring containing sulfur · CPC title

• C08F216/1466

  Monomers containing sulfur · CPC title

• C08F128/06

  by a heterocyclic ring containing sulfur · CPC title