Polyacrylate latex elastomers based on controlled polymer interdiffusion and dynamic boronic ester self-crosslinking

Polyacrylates are inherently challenging to fabricate as elastomers due to their high proportion of side-chain content relative to the overall molecular weight. This study presents a unique strategy for preparing polyacrylate elastomers by integrating boronic-acid-modified hard latices with diol-modified soft latices. The rigid polymers within the hard latices effectively lock the flexible poly(butyl acrylate) chains in the soft latices through controlled polymer interdiffusion and dynamic boronate crosslinking. By systematically examining the effects of particle size, rigid polymer type, and boronate crosslinking distribution in the latex combinations, the underlying mechanism of this elastomer fabrication approach was elucidated. Optimizing these factors enabled the development of highly recoverable polyacrylate elastomers, and the proposed method offers scalability for industrial production.