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Stretchable, Self-Healable, and Durable Conductive Elastomer Derived from a Rationally Designed Covalently
Yingxin Zhang1, Xiaohui Yu1, Yufei Wang1
1State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, P. R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 7, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to create durable, self-healing elastic conductors using silver nanowires (Ag NWs) for wearable electronics. This innovation enhances device longevity by improving the interface between Ag NWs and elastic substrates, enabling robust performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Silver nanowires (Ag NWs) are promising for stretchable electrodes in wearable devices.
- Weak Ag NW-substrate interactions limit the durability and self-healing capabilities of current devices.
- Robust, stretchable, self-healing, and stable Ag NW conductors are highly desirable for practical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a universal strategy for interface tailoring to enhance the stability and performance of Ag NW-based elastic conductors.
- To introduce strong interfacial interactions and self-healing properties into Ag NW-based stretchable electronics.
- To create a stable conductive layer on elastic substrates that can withstand significant mechanical stress and damage.
Main Methods:
- Surface modification of dynamically cross-linked elastic substrates with thiol groups.
- Formation of strong Ag-S bonds between Ag NWs and the thiol-functionalized substrate.
- Utilizing elevated temperatures to partially embed Ag NWs and form a stress-buffering layer.
- Characterization of conductivity, stretchability, self-healing efficiency, and stability.
Main Results:
- A stable conductive layer was formed on the elastic substrate via strong Ag-S bonds.
- The Ag NW-based elastic conductor exhibited high stretchability (>1000%) and efficient self-healing (>95%).
- The material demonstrated remarkable stability and was suitable for fabricating sensitive, durable strain sensors.
Conclusions:
- A universal interface tailoring strategy using thiols creates robust Ag NW-based elastic conductors.
- The developed materials offer excellent stretchability, self-healing, and stability for advanced wearable electronics.
- This approach provides a versatile route for creating other thiol-rich elastomers with dynamic disulfide bonds.
