A Metal Coordination-Based Supramolecular Elastomer with Shape Memory-Assisted Self-Healing Effect.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Conventional vulcanized rubber suffers from aging and susceptibility to crack damage.
• Developing self-healing materials is crucial for extending the lifespan of rubber products in demanding applications like aerospace and automotive industries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a novel supramolecular rubber elastomer with enhanced self-healing and shape memory capabilities.
• To investigate the mechanism of shape memory-assisted self-repair for severe crack damage in elastomers.
• To improve the mechanical and self-healing properties through the incorporation of oxidized carbon nano-onions (O-CNO).

Main Methods:

• Synthesized a supramolecular rubber elastomer via metal coordination between carboxyl-terminated polybutadiene and polystyrene-vinylpyridine copolymer.
• Introduced oxidized carbon nano-onions (O-CNO) into the elastomer system.
• Evaluated shape memory behavior and self-healing efficiency under various conditions, including mechanical testing and thermal treatment.

Main Results:

• The developed elastomer exhibited significant shape memory and self-healing properties attributed to metal coordination interactions.
• A shape memory-assisted self-repair model effectively addressed severe crack damage.
• The addition of 0.5 wt% O-CNO enhanced mechanical properties, with tensile strength restored to 83 ± 10% after repair at 85 °C for 6 h.

Conclusions:

• Metal coordination is an effective strategy for designing advanced shape memory self-healing rubber elastomers.
• The shape memory-assisted self-healing approach offers a promising solution for the rapid repair of severe cracks in rubber materials.
• The incorporation of O-CNO further boosts the performance of these self-healing elastomers.