Cross-linked self-healing polymers containing rosin moiety based on dynamic urea and multiple hydrogen bonds

Abstract

In recent years, the use of renewable biomass resources to prepare self-healing polymers has become a hot research topic because of their environmental degradation. Herein, a novel type of rosin-based cross-linked polymer (PR) with dynamic urea and multiple hydrogen bonds is fabricated by copolymerizing a rosin ester with a dynamic crosslinking agent poly(urethane-urea) through a simple UV-initiated reaction. Owing to its robustly dynamic bonds, the resulting PR has both good mechanical properties and ideal self-healing ability. Specifically, the PR with 25.4% biomass rosin reaches a tensile strength of up to 4.1 MPa, an elongation at break of 112%, and stress self-healing efficiency of 91.3% at 80°C for 24 h. Remarkably, the PR with a glass transition temperature above room temperature exhibits good shape memory behavior and excellent weldability (afford 2500 g after healing at 80°C for 5 h). Finally, by surface platinum spraying and pre-stretching treatment, strain sensors based on microcracking mechanisms are realized.