Effect of self-complementary motifs on phase compatibility and material properties in blends of supramolecular polymers

Applicability of supramolecular polymers blending in preparation of materials with tunable properties is reported. The effect of strongly dimerising 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy) end groups on phase compatibility in binary polymer blends was studied. A low molecular weight poly(tetrahydrofuran) diol was functionalized with UPy moieties (PTHF(UPy)2, a soft material) and mixed with varying amounts of low molecular weight UPy functionalized polycaprolactone di- and triol (PCL(UPy)2 and PCL(UPy)3, both relatively strong and stiff materials). Thermal studies showed that Tg of the homopolymers shifted to intermediate temperatures. AFM observation suggested that the phase domain decreased significantly after UPy functionalization of diols. Also the mechanical properties improved at a higher rate than those predicted by the rule of mixtures. These findings indicate that blend components are placed in intimate contact as a result of the UPy–UPy interactions. The reversible crosslinking by PCL(UPy)3 gave better control still over the mechanical properties of the supramolecular polymer blends.