Post polymerization Modification and Preparation of Dynamic Polymer Networks via Guanylation of Aryl Carbodiimides

Styrenic carbodiimide (CDI) polymers have shown an interesting ability to form reversible polymer networks, known as covalent adaptable networks (CANs), through an uncatalyzed reaction with multifunctional amines. CANs have been a topic of interest in polymer chemistry due to their ability to be reprocessed, which is not found in classic thermoset polymer networks. However, not much is known about the capabilities of the nucleophilic addition of amines to aryl CDI repeat unit structures that goes into making these networks due to the understudied reactions involved. This thesis aims to develop a better understanding of the chemistry involved through various post polymerization modification (PPM) reactions and adjustments to the CDI polymer structure used in these specific CANs. The synthesis of polymer chains containing aryl CDI repeat unit structures and the reactions performed on said structures with full characterization will be presented. Rheological studies comparing various CANs generated from both sterically hindered CDI polymer structures and CDI polymers with differing comonomer compositions will be compared.