Control of adhesive strength of acrylate polymers containing 1-isobutoxyethyl and isobornyl esters in response to dual stimuli for dismantlable adhesion

To develop an adhesion system satisfying both constant adhesion strength during use and quick debonding ability during a dismantling process.

Adhesive properties were investigated for the random and block copolymers consisting of 1-isobutoxyethyl acrylate (iBEA), 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2EHA), and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) as the dismantlable pressure-sensitive adhesives in the presence of a photoacid generator in response to dual external stimuli of photoirradiation and post baking.

The use of LED combined with a new photoacid generator SIN-11 was enable us to achieve a rapid dismantling process during UV irradiation within several minutes. The protection of the ester alkyl group in the iBEA repeating unit to give an acrylic acid unit was suppressed by the introduction of isobornyl acrylate (IBoA) as the additional unit into the copolymer of iBEA, 2EHA, and HEA. While IBoA‐containing block copolymer showed a constant adhesive strength during photoirradiation as the single external stimulus, deprotection was immediately induced by the subsequent heating, leading to a significant decrease in the adhesive strength.

The copolymer including the iBEA and IBoA units was revealed to function as the highly sensitive adhesive materials for dual-locked dismantlable adhesion.