Antioxidant Silicone Elastomers without Covalent Cross-Links

Improved sustainability is associated with elastomers that readily breakdown in the environment at end of life and, as importantly, that can be reprocessed/reused long before end of life arises. We report the preparation of silicone elastomers that possess both thermoplasticity-reprocessability-and antioxidant activity. A combination of ionic and H-bonding links natural phenolic antioxidants, including catechol, pyrogallol, tannic acid, and others, to telechelic aminoalkylsilicones. The mechanical properties of the elastomers, including their processability, are intimately linked to the ratio of [ArOH]/[H2NR] that was found to be optimal when the ratio exceeded 1:1.

Automated summary

Improved sustainability can be achieved by using elastomers that biodegrade easily in the environment and can be reprocessed/reused well before reaching the end of their lifespan. In this study, we developed silicone elastomers with both thermoplasticity and antioxidant activity. By combining ionic and hydrogen bonding, natural phenolic antioxidants such as catechol, pyrogallol, and tannic acid were linked to telechelic aminoalkylsilicones. The mechanical properties of the elastomers, including their processability, were found to be optimal when the [ArOH]/[H2NR] ratio exceeded 1:1.