Adaptable Crosslinks in Polymeric Materials: Resolving the Intersection of Thermoplastics and Thermosets

The classical division of polymeric materials into thermoplastics and thermosets based on covalent network structure often implies that these categories are distinct and irreconcilable. Yet, the past two decades have seen extensive development of materials that bridge this gap through incorporation of dynamic crosslinks, enabling them to behave as both robust networks and moldable plastics. Although their potential utility is significant, the growth of covalent adaptable networks (CANs) has obscured the line between "thermoplastic" and "thermoset" and erected a conceptual barrier to the growing number of new researchers entering this discipline. This Perspective aims to both outline the fundamental theory of…

• DO
  Division of Materials Research

  Award: DMR-1904631