UV-triggered Transient Electrospun Poly(propylene carbonate)/Poly(phthalaldehyde) Polymer Blends Fiber Mats.

This work reports the first transient electrospun nanofiber mat triggered by UV-irradiation using poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC)/poly(phthalaldehyde) (cPPA) polymer blends. The ability to trigger room temperature transience of nanofiber mats without the need for additional heat or solvent expands its utility in non-biological fields, especially for transient electronic devices. The addition of a photo-acid-generator (PAG) to the system working in combination with UV light provides an acid source to enhance degradation since both polymer backbones are acid-sensitive. Electrospinning enables the production of PPC/cPPA composite nanofiber mats capable of significant degradation upon exposure to UV radiation while maintaining relatively high mechanical properties. An acid amplifier (AA), an auto-catalytically decomposing compound triggered by acid, was used to generate more acid and accelerate nanofiber degradation. The electrospun fiber mats can be post-annealed to achieve an improved mat mechanical strength of ~ 170 MPa.