Polyacrylic Acid‐Based Coordination Supramolecular Elastomer with High Strength, Excellent Fatigue‐Resistance, and Self‐Recovery Properties

Abstract

Supramolecular elastomers have attracted extensive attention due to their excellent mechanical properties. Herein, inspired by the concept of a dual cross‐linked network structure, a dual‐component coordination supramolecular elastomer is prepared via photopolymerization of three monomers combined with zinc ion (Zn2+)‐crosslinked low molecular weight polyacrylic acid (PAA). The covalent network of three monomers serves as a soft component forming the supporting network. The network of Zn2+ crosslinked low molecular weight PAA forms the hard component. The covalent network is crosslinked and locked by the coordinated network. This compact network contributes to improving the comprehensive mechanical properties. The optimal elastomer is that the molar ratio of carboxylic of low molecular weight PAA with Zn2+ is 1:0.5. The tensile and compression stress of the optimal elastomer are 4.08 and 6.90 MPa, respectively. The loading–unloading cycles can reach 1000 times without fracture. The self‐recovery ratios of the tensile and compression modes reaches 80% and 95%, respectively.

Toughening Rigid Epoxy Using Novel Potassium Silanolate Ionic Interactions

“…The underlying mechanism for toughness and stiffness improvement in the iron‐treated network is the stress‐responsive and transient nature of the ionic nanoaggregates. After that, ionic interactions such as zinc‐imidazole complex, Zn 2+ /COO − metal‐ligand, copper‐cellulose paper, iron‐epoxy coordination, Fe 3+ and Ca 2+ /OH complex, and silver‐NH 2 /COOH coordination were introduced into rubber elastomer and hydrogel, respectively, to prepare high toughness materials. Given all that significant progress has been made in the elastomer area, it is expected to apply this toughening strategy for the stiff structural materials, like densely cross‐linked epoxy resins.…”

A Tough Self-Healing Elastomer with a Slip-Ring Structure

“…In order to better understand the effect of this design on the improvement of the comprehensive mechanical properties of materials, we compare the fracture energy improving efficiency (the fracture energy of the PI-PHEA RC elastomer over that of the linear copolymer) of this study with dates of tough elastomers reported in recent literatures. The strength, strain, and toughness of the PI-PHEA RC elastomer (9.79 MPa, 887%, 43.4 MJ/m 3 ) are 6.4 times, 1.25 times, and 8.3 times that of the linear copolymer (1.52 MPa, 727%, 5.27 MJ/m 3 ), respectively (Table ), and the fracture energy improving efficiency is significantly higher than that of most other methods ,,,− As shown in Figure , only one article got better fracture energy improvement efficiency than ours . That work developed an ultrastrong and highly stretchable polyurethane elastomer by introducing a zipper-like ring-sliding structure to the materials.…”