Paramagnetic epoxy resin

Abstract

This work illustrates that macrocycles can be used as crosslinking agents for curing epoxy resins, provided that they have appropriate organic functionalities. As macrocycles can complex metal ions in their structure, this curing reaction allows for the introduction of that metal ion into the resin network. As a result, some characteristic physical properties of the metallomacrocycle could be transferred to the new material. The bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE, n = 0) and hemin (a protoporphyrin IX containing the Fe(III) ion, and an additional chloride ligand) have been chosen. The new material has been characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and magnetic susceptibility measurements). Fe(III) remains in the high-spin state during the curing process and, consequently, the final material exhibits the magnetic characteristics of hemin. The loss of the chlorine atom ligand during the cure of the resin allows that Fe(III) can act as Lewis acid, catalyzing the crosslinking reactions. At high BADGE n = 0/hemin ratios, the formation of ether and ester bonds occurs simultaneously during the process.