In nature, bone adapts to mechanical forces it experiences, strengthening itself to match the conditions placed upon it. Here we report a composite material that adapts to the mechanical environment it experiences—varying its modulus as a function of force, time and the frequency of mechanical agitation. Adaptation in the material is managed by mechanically responsive ZnO, which controls a crosslinking reaction between a thiol and an alkene within a polymer composite gel, resulting in a mechanically driven ×66 increase in modulus. As the amount of chemical energy is a function of the mechanical energy input, the material senses and adapts its modulus along the distribution of stress, resembling the bone remodelling behaviour that materials can adapt accordingly to the loading location. Such material design might find use in a wide range of applications, from adhesives to materials that interface with biological systems.

在自然界中，骨骼会适应它所经历的机械力，增强自身以适应置​​于其上的条件。在这里，我们报告了一种复合材料，它可以适应它所经历的机械环境——随着力、时间和机械搅拌频率的变化而改变其模量。材料中的适应性由机械响应的 ZnO 控制，它控制聚合物复合凝胶中硫醇和烯烃之间的交联反应，导致机械驱动的模量增加 ×66。由于化学能的量是机械能输入的函数，因此材料会感知并沿应力分布调整其模量，类似于材料可以相应地适应加载位置的骨重塑行为。