Ultrastable, supertough and photohealable polymer

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Coordination Chemistry

Background:

• Polymers typically face trade-offs between stability, activity, and responsiveness.
• Developing polymers with enhanced properties requires innovative molecular design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a polymer that overcomes the inherent trade-offs in thermodynamic stability, kinetic activity, and external field responsiveness.
• To introduce a novel Cu(II)-coordinated benzoquinone dioxime-carbamate unit (Cu-BQDU) for advanced polymer applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized a polymer incorporating a Cu(II)-coordinated benzoquinone dioxime-carbamate unit (Cu-BQDU).
• Investigated the effect of coordination bonds on hydrogen bond strength via inductive effects.
• Evaluated the polymer's thermodynamic stability, toughness, and photothermal properties.

Main Results:

• Achieved enhanced hydrogen bond strength (∼5.6 kcal/mol) through coordination bond polarization.
• Demonstrated exceptional thermodynamic stability and a record toughness of 236.0 MJ/m³ for photothermal elastomers.
• Observed enhanced near-infrared-light-driven photothermal healing efficiency (92.9%) due to extended conjugation and Cu(II) catalysis.

Conclusions:

• The Cu-BQDU unit effectively resolves trade-offs in polymer properties.
• The study presents new molecular design principles for creating advanced polymers with superior stability, toughness, and self-healing capabilities.