Composite compositions and methods of preparing and using same

1. A composition comprising an alkyne-based substrate, an azide-based substrate, at least one Cu(II) salt, a Cu(I)-stabilizing tertiary amine ligand, a filler and optionally at least one photoinducible reducing agent,

wherein the alkyne-based substrate comprises two or more reactive alkynyl groups,

wherein the azide-based substrate comprises two or more reactive azide groups,

wherein the filler is functionalized with at least one selected from the group consisting of an alkyne group and an azide group, and

wherein the alkyne-based substrate, the azide-based substrate and the functionalized filler can react through a polymerization reaction to form the backbone of a polymer, wherein the functionalized filler is incorporated within the resulting composite.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of

a salt or solvate thereof, and any combinations thereof, wherein:

n=2-4;

each occurrence of R 1 is independently a bond, —CH 2 —, —O—, or —NR 2 —;

each occurrence of R 2 is independently H or C 1 -C 6 alkyl;

each occurrence of R B is independently C 1 -C 6 alkanediyl, C 1 -C 6 heteroalkanediyl, arenediyl, heteroarenediyl, —(CH 2 ) 0-4 —NHC(═O)S—(CH 2 ) 0-4 —, or —(CH 2 ) 0-4 —SC(═O)NH—(CH 2 ) 0-4 —;

wherein the alkanediyl, heteroalkanediyl, arenediyl and heteroarenediyl groups are optionally and independently substituted with one or more groups selected from the group consisting of OH, F, Cl, Br, I, alkyl, perfluoroalkyl, alkoxy, perfluoroalkoxy, NH 2 , acylamino, amido, carboxyl, alkoxycarbonyl, acyloxy, formyl, acyl, thioester, carbamate, urea, sulfonate, sulfamoyl, sulfone, sulfonamide, CN, NO 2 , and alkylthio; and

each occurrence of R A is independently N 3 or —C≡C—H.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the at least one reactive alkyne group and the at least one reactive azide group in the composition is such that polymerization of the composition results in greater than about 80% conversion of at least one selected from the group consisting of the alkyne-based substrate and the azide-based substrate.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the at least one reactive alkyne group and the at least one reactive azide group in the composition ranges from about 0.5 to about 2.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the alkyne-based substrate and the azide-based substrate are at least partially polymerized.

6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein polymerization of the substrates is achieved by irradiating at least a portion of the composition with ultraviolet, visible or infrared electromagnetic radiation.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the Cu(II) salt comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of copper(II) sulfate, copper(II) chloride, copper(II) bromide, copper(II) iodide, copper(II) perchlorate, copper(II) nitrate, copper(II) hydroxide, copper(II) oxide, and hydrates and mixtures thereof.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least one photoinducible reducing agent.

9. The composition of claim 8 , wherein the at least one reducing agent comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl-ketone(Irgacure 184);

a 1:1 mixture of 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl-ketone and benzophenone(Irgacure 500);

2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanone(Darocur™1173);

2-hydroxy-1-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]-2-methyl-1-propanone(Irgacure 2959);

methyl benzoylformate(Darocur™MBF);

oxy-phenyl-acetic acid 2-[2-oxo-2-phenyl-acetoxy-ethoxy]-ethyl ester;

oxy-phenyl-acetic 2-[2-hydroxy-ethoxy]-ethyl ester;

a mixture of oxy-phenyl-acetic acid 2-[2-oxo-2-phenyl-acetoxy-ethoxy]-ethyl ester and oxy-phenyl-acetic 2-[2-hydroxy-ethoxy]-ethyl ester(Irgacure 754);

alpha,alpha-dimethoxy-alpha-phenylacetophenone(Irgacure 651);

2-benzyl-2-(dimethylamino)-1-[4-(4-morpholinyl)-phenyl]-1-butanone(Irgacure 369);

2-methyl-1-[4-(methylthio)phenyl]-2-(4-morpholinyl)-1-propanone(Irgacure 907);

a 3:7 mixture of 2-benzyl-2-(dimethylamino)-1-[4-(4-morpholinyl)phenyl]-1-butanone and alpha,alpha-dimethoxy-alpha-phenylacetophenone per weight(Irgacure 1300);

diphenyl-(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphine oxide (Darocur™TPO);

a 1:1 mixture of diphenyl-(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)-phosphine oxide and 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanone(Darocur™4265);

phenyl bis(2,4,6-trimethyl benzoyl) phosphine oxide(Irgacure 819, or Irgacure 819DW);

a 2:8 mixture of phosphine oxide, phenyl bis(2,4,6-trimethyl benzoyl) and 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanone(Irgacure 2022);

phenyl-bis(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)-phosphine oxide(Irgacure 2100);

bis-(eta 5-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)-bis-[2,6-difluoro-3-(1H-pyrrol-1-yl)phenyl]-titanium (Irgacure 784);

(4-methylphenyl)[4-(2-methylpropyl)phenyl]-iodonium hexafluorophosphate (Irgacure 250);

2-(4-methylbenzyl)-2-(dimethylamino)-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-butan-1-one(Irgacure 379);

4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenyl-(2-hydroxy-2-propyl)ketone(Irgacure 2959);

bis-(2,6-dimethoxybenzoyl)-2,4,4-trimethylpentylphosphine oxide;

a mixture of bis-(2,6-dimethoxybenzoyl)-2,4,4-trimethylpentylphosphine oxide and 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propanone(Irgacure 1700);

acyl germane photonitiators;

titanium dioxide;

camphorquinone/amine systems;

primary amines;

and mixtures thereof.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the Cu(I)-stabilizing ligand comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of TBTA (tris[(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl]amine);

BTTES (2,4-(bis-1-tert-butyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4yl)methylamino(methyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)ethanesulfonic acid);

PMDETA (N 1 -(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)-N 1 ,N 2 ,N 2 -trimethylethane-1,2-diamine);

N 1 ,N 1 ′-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(N 1 ,N 2 ,N 2 -trimethylethane-1,2-diamine);

2,2′-bipyridine,

and any combinations thereof.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a bonding agent, a coupling agent, and any combinations thereof.

12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a dimethacrylate monomer.

13. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the dimethacrylate monomer comprises bisphenol A dimethacrylate (BisGMA) or triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGMA).

14. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the composition further comprises a compatibilizer comprising an alkynyl group and an alkenyl group.

15. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the compatibilizer is selected from the group consisting of prop-2-yn-1-yl methacrylate, prop-2-yn-1-yl acrylate, N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)methacrylamide, N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl) acrylamide, N-methyl-N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)methacrylamide, N-methyl-N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)acrylamide, and any combinations thereof.

16. A method of preparing a dental composite composition, comprising photopolymerizing at least a portion of the at least partially unpolymerized composition of claim 1 , thereby generating the dental composite composition.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein photopolymerization comprises irradiating at least a portion of the composition with ultraviolet, visible or infrared electromagnetic radiation.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the dental composite composition has about twice or higher the service lifetime, or about equivalent or better adhesion performance, or about twice or higher the fatigue performance, or about half or lower the wear/tear performance, and/or about half or less the degradation performance, of a BisGMA/TEGDMA composite.

19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the filler comprises a TiO 2 nanoparticle.

20. The composition of claim 19 , wherein the TiO 2 nanoparticle is the only photoinducible reducing agent in the composition.