Developing high-performance polymeric elastomer with exceptional mechanical and physical properties such as mechanical toughness, stiffness and rapid healable properties is crucial for wide application, but it remains challenging. Herein, a series of telechelic elastomers inspired by the neurons are developed. The hierarchical hydrogen-bonds (H-bonds) networks constructed by 2-ureido-4 pyrimidinone and urea groups, as well as their reversible dynamics, contribute to enormous energy dissipation, exceptional mechanical robustness, rapid self-healing ability (92%, 0.5 h). The excellent crack tolerance of 187 kJ m −2 of the elastomer is comparable to that of the metals and alloys. The stiffness of 97.9 MPa has far exceeded that of the usual high-performance thermoplastic elastomers. The adhesion strength bonded with iron plates of 20.7 MPa, to the best knowledge, will be the record-high value for hot-melt adhesives. Intriguingly, the telechelic elastomer can be positively charged after friction with copper, exhibiting a much higher open circuit voltage than that of the most commonly used positively charged polyamide. More interestingly, the intrinsic blue fluorescence is also observed, which is ascribed to the aggregation induced emission of a tertiary amine. Thus a thermoplastic elastomer is represented in this work with remarkable mechanical properties, rapid self-healing ability and tailorable important functions.
The
ring-opening polymerization of cyclic butylene terephthalate into
poly(butylene terephthalate) (pCBT) in the presence of reduced graphene
oxide (RGO) is an effective method for the preparation of polymer
nanocomposites. The inclusion of RGO nanoflakes dramatically affects
the crystallization of pCBT, shifting crystallization peak temperature
to higher temperatures and, overall, increasing the crystallization
rate. This was due to a supernucleating effect caused by RGO, which
is maximized by highly reduced graphene oxide. Furthermore, combined
analyses by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments and
wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXS) showed the formation of a thick
α-crystalline
form pCBT lamellae with a melting point of ∼250 °C, close
to the equilibrium melting temperature of pCBT. WAXS also demonstrated
the pair orientation of pCBT crystals with RGO nanoflakes, indicating
a strong interfacial interaction between the aromatic rings of pCBT
and RGO planes, especially with highly reduced graphene oxide.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.