Issue 43, 2022

Tough and body-temperature self-healing polysiloxane elastomers through building a double physical crosslinking network via competing non-covalent interactions

Abstract

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based elastomers with superior mechanical and body-temperature self-healing properties might find attractive applications in wearable electronic devices. Herein, we propose a new design strategy by creating a double physical crosslinking network that contains at least three competitive interactions to achieve a tough and body-temperature self-healing elastomer. First, a urea-containing PDMS (PDMS-U) was synthesized through a chain extending reaction between bis(3-aminopropyl)-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (H2N-PDMS-NH2) and 2,4′-tolylene diisocyanate (TDI). The introduction of urea groups was designed to offer hydrogen bonding and urea/metal ion coordination interactions. Second, a carboxylic acid (COOH) functionalized PDMS (PDMS-C) was synthesized via post-modification of the vinyl containing PDMS precursor. The introduction of COOH was aimed at forming COO/metal ion coordination bonds. Finally, mixing PDMS-U and PMDS-C with different metal ions could create PDMS elastomers with a dual network arising from three competitive interactions, i.e., hydrogen bonding of ureas, and urea/metal ion and COO/metal ion coordination interactions. Among these elastomers, the PDMS-U/PDMS-C0.3/Zn2+ composite shows the best comprehensive properties, of which tensile strength, breaking strain, and toughness are as high as 4.0 MPa, 776%, and 16.0 MJ m−3, respectively. In addition, its self-healing efficiency at body temperature can reach up to 98%. The robust self-healing elastomer can be used as a flexible substrate to easily fabricate healable electrodes.

Graphical abstract: Tough and body-temperature self-healing polysiloxane elastomers through building a double physical crosslinking network via competing non-covalent interactions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Aug 2022
Accepted
18 Oct 2022
First published
20 Oct 2022

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022,10, 23375-23383

Tough and body-temperature self-healing polysiloxane elastomers through building a double physical crosslinking network via competing non-covalent interactions

W. Wang, W. Wang, F. Wang, X. Xie, G. Yi and Z. Li, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022, 10, 23375 DOI: 10.1039/D2TA06593B

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