Poly(vinyl ether) Star Copolymers as Bioderived Thermoplastic Elastomers

Poly(vinyl ether) thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) have potential as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based TPEs, as the monomers can be bioderived, the materials are reprocessable for extended lifetime, and the polymers are degradable at the end of their life. To expand upon poly(vinyl ether) TPEs, a star architecture was utilized with poly(2,3-dihydrofuran) as the high glass transition temperature (Tg) block and poly(isobutyl vinyl ether) as the low Tg block. After purification, the physical properties were characterized to identify structure–property relationships, with specific focus on the composition and molar mass of the arms, allowing for targeted design within the physical property space. Small-angle X-ray scattering was utilized to understand the connection between the material’s morphology and the observed structure–property trends. Notably, after initial analysis, the star TPEs were reprocessed to give similar materials to the original samples and retested under cyclic stress, demonstrating the recyclability of the materials. From these experiments, we demonstrate the versatility and durability of poly(vinyl ether) star copolymers as sustainable alternatives to traditional TPEs.