Synthesis of a unique oligomer by means of the thiol-maleimide reaction of extending 1,1'-(methylenedi-4,1-phenylene) bismaleimide chains for the employment of self-healing polymers

Introduction : The Diels-Alder reaction of maleimide and furan groups is being exploited in self-healing materials; hence, it is no wonder that with the ownership of the former, 1,1'-(methylenedi-4,1-phenylene) bismaleimide (BMI) counts as a potential candidate in this area. However, it displays certain discernible demerits arising from its inflexible structure. Furthermore, the maleimide group, in all likelihood, easily takes part in the Michael addition reaction with thiol groups under basic conditions. It is crucial that this element opens the door for this ingredient to be amended with a view to weathering its shortcomings. The goal of this research is to modify the structure of BMI to create a new oligomer with maleimides at the end of its chains. Method : The oligomer was synthesized by means of the reaction of the maleimides of BMI and the thiol groups of 2,2'-(ethylenedioxy) di-ethanethiol (dithiol) with the support of triethylamine (TEA). In addition, an investigation into the possibility of this reaction happening without the base catalyst was carried out. The application of a wide assortment of modern measurements ranging from 1 H-NMR and FT-IR to GPC provided some useful data about the molecular weight and whether the reaction occurred. Result : According to the information, the formation of the oligomer owning the maleimide and thiol terminal functions was observed with the help of TEA over the 24-hour timescale at room temperature, whereas that with a lack of this catalyst is impossible. Conclusion : The research will make a major contribution to the creation of new healable polymers reliant on the Diels-Alder mechanism in the foreseeable future.