Amine Exchange of Aminoalkylated Phenols as Dynamic Reaction in Benzoxazine/Amine-Based Vitrimers.

Bisfunctional benzoxazine and polyether diamine-based polymers show Arrhenius-like stress-relaxation varying with stoichiometry and polymerization temperatures proving vitrimeric behavior. Molecular structural investigations reveal the presence of different aminoalkylated phenols occurring at varying ratios depending on polymer composition and polymerization conditions. The vitrimeric mechanism is found to involve an amine exchange reaction of aminoalkylated phenols in an equilibrium reaction like a nucleophilic substitution reaction. As determined by molecular studies and dissolution experiments in reactive solvents, aliphatic and aromatic primary as well as aliphatic secondary amines in the polybenzoxazine structure can act as nucleophiles in reaction with electrophilic methylene bridges. Thus, aminoalkylated phenols proved to be a relevant structural motif resulting in a vitrimeric polybenzoxazine due to amine exchange reaction.