Towards Dynamic but Supertough Healable Polymers through Biomimetic Hierarchical Hydrogen-Bonding Interactions

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Elastomers are crucial for various applications but often lack self-healing capabilities.
• Achieving high toughness and strength in healable polymers remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a biomimetic strategy for creating transparent, self-healing elastomers with enhanced mechanical properties.
• To investigate the role of hierarchical hydrogen bonding in achieving supertoughness and rapid self-healing.

Main Methods:

• A biomimetic approach inspired by titin protein structure was employed.
• Hierarchical hydrogen-bonding moieties (single, double, quadruple) were incorporated into the polymer backbone.
• Urethane, urea, and 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone groups were utilized to form a durable, dynamic network.

Main Results:

• The resulting elastomers exhibited supertoughness (345 MJ m⁻³) and high tensile strength (44 MPa) after self-healing.
• Hierarchical hydrogen bonds facilitated a dynamic network structure, enabling rapid self-healing and excellent recoverability.
• High energy dissipation was observed due to durable polymer chain interactions.

Conclusions:

• The biomimetic strategy using hierarchical hydrogen bonds is effective for creating strong, dynamic, and self-healing polymers.
• These advanced elastomers show potential for heavy-duty protection materials and wearable electronics.
• This approach offers an alternative for designing smart polymers with superior performance.