Hybridizing a Dual-Cross Network and a Linear Glassy Polymer for Dynamic Contributions to High Mechanical Toughness Based on Phase-Separated Structures

Bulk copolymerization of alkyl acrylate and cyclodextrin(CD) hostmonomers forms a single movable cross network (SC), in which the CDunits act as movable cross-linkers. Moreover, the bulk copolymerizationof the CD monomer and main chain monomer in the presence of SC resultsin dual-cross-network (DC) elastomers. DC elastomers result in goodtoughness (G (f)). Here, to improve G (f) and Young's modulus (E), we hybridized DC elastomers with tertiary glassy polymers, whichare called DCP elastomers. We prepared the DCP elastomers by photopolymerizationof N,N-dimethyl-acrylamide(DMAA) and poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (MEA) in the presence ofDC. A DCP elastomer with a suitable weight percent (wt %) of the glassypolymer shows high G (f) (108.4 MJ m(-3)) and E (223.4 MPa) values. Dynamicmechanical analysis (DMA) and in situ small-angleX-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements under uniaxial stretching indicatemultiple deformations based on phase-separated structures. We suggestthat the phase-separated structures of DCP elastomers cause a largestress dissipation, which contributes to high toughness.