Precise control of thermal deprotection behavior and dismantlable adhesion property of the acrylate copolymers containing BOC-protected hydroxy group

The acrylate copolymers consisting of 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate (HBA), 2-(tert-butoxy-carbonyloxy)ethyl acrylate (BHEA) or 4-(tert-butoxycarbonyloxy)butyl acrylate (BHBA), and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2EHA) as the repeating units were synthesized by radical copolymerization. The performance as the pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) used for a dismantlable adhesion system was investigated. The glass transition temperatures and the adhesive properties were precisely controlled by the comonomer composition of the copolymers. It was confirmed that the deprotection of the tert-butoxycarbonyl (BOC) group rapidly proceeded for the BOC-containing acrylate copolymers as the PSAs. It resulted in the decrease of the adhesion strength during a debonding process by heating. The thermal stability during use and the quick response for on-demand debonding were simultaneously achieved by the use of alkyl p-toluenesulfonates as the thermally latent acids (TLAs).