Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction
Published on: January 19, 2016
Phase-locked constructing dynamic supramolecular ionic conductive elastomers with superior toughness, autonomous
Jing Chen1, Yiyang Gao1, Lei Shi2
1School of Chemistry, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Sustainable Energy Materials Chemistry, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China.
Researchers developed dynamic supramolecular ionic conductive elastomers (DSICE) for flexible ionotronic devices. These materials offer high ionic conductivity, excellent mechanical properties, and self-healing capabilities, overcoming previous limitations in material design.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Stretchable ionic conductors are crucial for next-generation flexible ionotronic devices.
- Achieving high ionic conductivity, mechanical strength, self-healing, and recyclability simultaneously in one material remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and develop a novel ionic conductor, dynamic supramolecular ionic conductive elastomers (DSICE), that integrates high ionic conductivity with superior mechanical properties and self-healing capabilities.
- To overcome the inherent trade-offs between ionic conductivity, mechanical performance, and self-healing in a single material system.
Main Methods:
- A phase-locked strategy was employed to create DSICE, integrating a soft polyether phase for lithium-ion transport and hard domains with dynamic disulfide metathesis and supramolecular hydrogen bonds for mechanical integrity and self-healing.
- The material's ionic conductivity, mechanical properties (stretchability, strength, toughness), transparency, self-healing efficiency, and recyclability were systematically evaluated.
Main Results:
- The DSICE demonstrated high ionic conductivity (3.77 × 10⁻³ S m⁻¹ at 30°C), high transparency (92.3%), and remarkable stretchability (2615.17% elongation).
- The material exhibited excellent mechanical strength (27.83 MPa) and toughness (164.36 MJ m⁻³), alongside outstanding self-healing capability (~99% at room temperature) and favorable recyclability.
- The dual-phase design effectively decoupled the functions of ionic conduction and mechanical/self-healing properties, resolving conflicts between these characteristics.
Conclusions:
- The developed DSICE presents a promising strategy for creating advanced ionic conductors with a unique combination of properties.
- This material offers significant potential for applications in flexible ionotronic devices and solid-state batteries, addressing key performance limitations of existing materials.
