A process for the preparation of a supramolecular polymer, said process comprising reacting, in the melt at a temperature below 150° C., at least one monomeric building block selected from the group consisting of monomeric building blocks (I)-(VI) with a prepolymer P-(Fi)n,
- wherein
- R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, cyclic, linear or branched C2- C20 alkyl groups, C6-C20 aryl groups, C7-C20 alkaryl groups and C7-C20 arylalkyl groups, wherein the alkyl groups, aryl groups, alkaryl groups and arylalkyl groups optionally comprise 1-5 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur;
- R2 and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, cyclic, linear or branched C1-C20 alkyl groups, C6-C20 aryl groups, C7-C20 alkaryl groups and C7-C20 arylalkyl groups, wherein the alkyl groups, aryl groups, alkaryl groups and arylalkyl groups optionally comprise 1-5 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur;
- with the proviso that R1 and R2 are not both hydrogen;
- A is a linking moiety that is selected from the group consisting of linear, cyclic or branched C1-C20 alkylene and C6-C20 arylene groups, wherein the alkylene and arylene groups optionally comprise 1 -5 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur, and wherein the arylene groups are optionally substituted with one or more linear or branched C1-C20 alkyl, alkylene groups, or both;
- B1 is a linking moiety that is independently selected from the group consisting of linear, cyclic or branched C1-C20 alkylene and C6-C20 arylene groups, wherein the alkylene and arylene groups optionally comprise 1- 5 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur, and wherein the arylene groups are optionally substituted with one or more linear or branched C1-C20 alkyl, alkylene groups, or both;
- D is —OH, —SH, —NH2 or —NHR4, wherein R4 is selected from the group consisting of cyclic, linear or branched C1-C6 alkyl, C6-C20 aryl groups, C7-C20 alkaryl groups and C7-C20 arylalkyl groups;
- X is independently selected from the group consisting of —NCO, —OH, —SH, —NHR5, oxiranyl,—C(Z)ZR6 and —C(Z)NHR6, wherein R5 and R6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, cyclic, linear or branched C1-C6 alkyl, C6-C20 aryl groups, C7-C20 alkaryl groups and C7-C20 arylalkyl groups, and wherein Z is independently O or S;
- and
- P represents a polymeric or oligomeric chain,
- Fi represents a group that is complementary reactive with X, and
- n represents the average number of the groups Fi in P and is in the range of 1 to 10,000.