Invited
INTRAMOLECULAR CROSS-LINKS AND MECHANICS

The demand for new, better materials increasingly directs materials science towards a profound understanding of the relation between the nanoscopic and macroscopic worlds. The mechanical properties of materials, as well as the mechanical response to stress are a direct consequence of molecular friction (non-covalent bonds) and polymer architecture. The mechanical response of linear and cross-linked polymers is well described and understood. In this talk, I’ll describe the effect of intramolecular cross-links on the mechanical response of polymer chains. Intramolecular cross-links influence the mechanochemical stability of the chains, the mechanical properties of the chain as well as of the material, since these physical barriers affect the entanglement between chains. Importantly, since these cross-links are intramolecular, the polymer remains a thermoplastic material, with easy processability.