Network formation of interlocked copolymer obtained from copolymerization of 1,2-dithiane and lipoic acid by metal salt

Network formation of interlocked copolymer obtained from the thermal ring-opening copolymerization of 1,2-dithiane (DT) and liopic acid (LPA) was investigated by the reaction of the poly(LPA-co-DT) and Zn(acetate)(2). From the IR spectra of the reaction products, the reaction was induced readily to make a enough high degree of cross-linking in which the cross-linking points are polycatenane using a bifunctional metal salts by effective an ionomeric network. The cross-linking reaction of the precursor copolymer gave more thermo-stable product by the formation of the enough high degree of cross-linking structure.