Antimicrobial thiol–acrylate vitrimers synthesized from glycerol and vanillin derivatives

Abstract This work presents innovations in polymer science through the development of antimicrobial and reprocessable shape-memory vitrimers from biobased vanillin and glycerol acrylates, incorporating pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate). The addition of this thiol increased the viscosity of the resin and reduced shrinkage and rigidity, without significantly affecting the polymerization rate. Samples containing 20 wt.% of thiol exhibited self-welding and 40% self-healing efficiency after just 10 min of heating at 180 °C and without additional pressure, significantly improving mechanical properties. The ability of vitrimers to maintain a temporary shape and return to a permanent shape under temperature changes showed shape-memory behavior, making them suitable for medicine, electronics, and robotics. The mechanical properties remained consistent after three reprocessing cycles, highlighting the sustainability of the vitrimers. The antimicrobial activity of these vitrimers showed efficacy up to 100%, suitable for antimicrobial films, coatings, and 3D printed parts. Microimprint lithography enabled micrometer-scale patterns, highlighting broad practical applications of the vitrimers.