Abstract
Supramolecular-structured polymeric materials, whose properties are designed and controlled by topological constraint have attracted growing interest recently. Polyrotaxane (PR), in which cyclic molecules are threaded into a linear polymer chain, is a typical example of such materials. By cross-linking cyclic molecules on PRs, we have developed a slide-ring gel which has movable crosslinks and therefore shows peculiar mechanical properties different from conventional chemical gels. Recently, the concept of movable crosslinks is expanded to the elastomer, non-solvent polymer network systems, that is generally utilized in solid-state. The polymer-network materials having movable cross-links are genetically named “slide-ring materials” (SRMs) and applied to several industries such as coatings and abrasives. For further development of SRM-based materials, we need to accumulate knowledge about the solid-state structures and properties of PRs and SRMs. Here we report the structure and dynamics of polyrotaxane, composed of polyethylene glycol and α-cyclodextrins, PR derivatives (hydroxypropylated PRs and acetylated PRs), and PRs having alkyl side chains in the solid state investigated by using wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and viscoelastic spectroscopy. Several recent progress in applications of SRMs are also reported.
