Optimal conditions for the use of polyrotaxane as a cross-linker in preparing elastomers with high toughnesses

The effects of the cyclic molecules within polyrotaxanes moving over axial molecules serving as cross-linking points in a polymeric network preclude observation of the cyclic effects in polymer networks composed of conventional cross-linking agents. As a result, polymer networks with movable cross-linking points behave more gently and stretch better than conventional polymer networks. These polymer networks can be composed of various polymers when using cross-linkers obtained by modifying the vinyl groups on the polyrotaxanes. In this study, the effects of the polyrotaxane cross-linker concentration and solvent content on elastomer preparation were investigated to obtain elastomers with high toughnesses due to the properties of the polyrotaxane cross-linking agent. If elastomers were prepared in a state in which the cyclic effect of the polyrotaxane was easily expressed by the concentration of the polyrotaxane cross-linker and the amount of solvent, the elastomers obtained elongated more and were tougher than elastomers made from conventional cross-linkers.