Living organisms possess the ability to heal themselves after injury, inspiring researchers to replicate such properties in materials for enhanced durability. This project aims to develop novel self-repairing vitrimers from cinnamon-derived compounds, leveraging green chemistry concepts to mitigate environmental and health impacts associated with conventional processes. Self-repairing materials are in growing demand across in industries such as automotive, electronics, and robotics due to their potential to extend product lifespan and reduce energy consumption. Vitrimers, polymers with reversible covalent bonds, offer both ecological and economic advantages, particularly when synthesized from renewable feedstocks. These compounds, valued for their natural origin, chemical reactivity, and functional groups, enable efficient polymerization and represent a sustainable alternative to fossil-based chemicals. The project will focus on developing high-performance, photocurable vitrimer systems tailored for advanced technologies, including coatings and light-based additive manufacturing, in collaboration with regional SME and researchers from Finland. Such materials can contribute to plastic waste reduction, promote reprocessability, and support circular economy objectives. Project outcomes are relevant to the global high-tech industry, so they will be transferred to regional SME and disseminated through international conferences and publications in high-impact (Q1-Q2) scientific journals of the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database, as well as shared with the general public.
Project funding:
Research Council of Lithuania, Projects carried out by researchers’ teams
Project results:
5 Scientific papers published in periodic scientific journals with a Journal Impact Factor in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database. New technology with the implementation statement, or tested in production.
Period of project implementation: 2025-11-03 - 2028-10-31
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
