Synergy between dynamic covalent boronic ester and boron–nitrogen coordination: strategy for self-healing polyurethane elastomers at room temperature with unprecedented mechanical properties

Kai Song; Wujin Ye; Xingchen Gao; Huagao Fang; Yaqiong Zhang; Qi Zhang; Xueliang Li; Shanzhong Yang; Haibing Wei; Yunsheng Ding

doi:10.1039/D0MH01142H

Synergy between dynamic covalent boronic ester and boron–nitrogen coordination: strategy for self-healing polyurethane elastomers at room temperature with unprecedented mechanical properties†

Kai Song,^a Wujin Ye,^a Xingchen Gao,^a Huagao Fang,

*^ab Yaqiong Zhang,^c Qi Zhang,

^d Xueliang Li,

^e Shanzhong Yang,^ab Haibing Wei

*^ab and Yunsheng Ding*^ab

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
E-mail: fanghg@hfut.edu.cn, dingys@hfut.edu.cn, hbwei@hfut.edu.cn

^b Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials and Devices, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China

^c Biomass Molecular Engineering Center, School of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China

^d Anhui Province Key Lab of Aerospace Structural Parts Forming Technology and Equipment, Institute of Industry & Equipment Technology, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China

^e Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Reaction Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China

Abstract

Achieving mechanical robustness and highly efficient self-healing simultaneously at room temperature is always a formidable challenge for polymeric materials. Herein, a series of novel supramolecular polyurethane elastomers (SPUEs) are developed by incorporating dynamic covalent boronic ester and boron–nitrogen (B–N) coordination. The SPUEs demonstrate the highest tensile toughness (∼182.2 MJ m⁻³) to date for room-temperature self-healable polymers, as well as an excellent ultimate tensile strength (∼10.5 MPa) and ultra-high fracture energy (∼72 100 J m⁻²), respectively, owing to a synergetic quadruple dynamic mechanism. It is revealed that the B–N coordination not only facilitates the formation and dissociation of boronic ester at room temperature but also dramatically enhances the mechanical properties by the intermolecular coordinated chain crosslinking and intramolecular coordinated chain folding. Meanwhile, the B–N coordination and urethane hydrogen interaction also serve as sacrificial bonds, which rupture during stretching to dissipate energy and recover after release, leading to superior notch insensitiveness and recoverability. The SPUEs restore their mechanical robustness after self-healing at room temperature and the self-healing efficiency can be dramatically accelerated by surface wetting.

This article is part of the themed collections: Materials Horizons 10th anniversary regional spotlight collection: China, Materials Horizons Lunar New Year collection 2022 and 2021 Materials Horizons most popular articles

Materials Horizons

Synergy between dynamic covalent boronic ester and boron–nitrogen coordination: strategy for self-healing polyurethane elastomers at room temperature with unprecedented mechanical properties†

Abstract

Supplementary files

Article information

Download Citation

Permissions

Synergy between dynamic covalent boronic ester and boron–nitrogen coordination: strategy for self-healing polyurethane elastomers at room temperature with unprecedented mechanical properties

Social activity

Search articles by author

Spotlight

Advertisements