Self-Healable Reprocessable Triboelectric Nanogenerators Fabricated with Vitrimeric Poly(hindered Urea) Networks

Abstract

In recent years, the advent of highly deformable and healable electronics is exciting and promising for nextgeneration electronic devices. In particular, self-healable triboelectric nanogenerators (SH-TENGs) serve as promising candidates based on the combination of the triboelectric effect, electrostatic induction, and self-healing action. However, the majority of SH-TENGs have been devised with weak polymeric networks that are healed with reversible supramolecular interactions or disulfides, thus resulting in poor mechanical properties and low resistance to creeping. To address this issue, we demonstrate the integration of mechanically strong and self-healable poly(hindered urea) (PHU) network in the fabrication of effective TENGs. The designed PHU network is flexible but shows greater mechanical property of tensile strength as high as 1.7 MPa at break. The network is capable of self-healing quickly and repeatedly as well as being reprocessable under mild conditions, enabling the recovery of triboelectric performances after the complete healing of the damaged surfaces. Furthermore, the interfacial-polarization-induced enhancement of dielectric constant endows our SH-TENG with the highest triboelectric output performance (169.9 V/cm 2 ) among the reported healable TENGs. This work presents an avenue to the development of mechanical energy-harvesting devices and self-powered sensors with excellent stretchability, high recoverability, and good mechanical strength.

Dynamic Polymer Networks: A New Avenue towards Sustainable and Advanced Soft Machines

“…[46] In this case the electrode layer was ad ynamic epoxy network loaded with CNTs,a nd these networks could rapidly self-heal after damage,orbecombined with additional TENG sections by irradiation with NIR, due to the high infra-red absorbance of CNTs.I na ddition to facilitating the construction of TENG devices from the combination of small elements, TENGs fabricated from associative DPNs also exhibit ah igh tensile strength. [47] The higher energy typically required to induce exchange in these systems can also allow for greater selectivity over the self-healing conditions,a llowing for al arger temperature window for stable operation.…”

Self-Healing Materials for Electronics Applications

“…A mechanically robust and SH poly(hindered urea) (PHU) network was designed, which is not only flexible but also has a high tensile strength (1.7 MPa at break) [ 185 ]. The as-synthesized material can be SH rapidly, repetitively, and re-processable under mild conditions.…”

Dynamic Polymer Networks: A New Avenue towards Sustainable and Advanced Soft Machines

“…[46] In this case the electrode layer was ad ynamic epoxy network loaded with CNTs,a nd these networks could rapidly self-heal after damage,orbecombined with additional TENG sections by irradiation with NIR, due to the high infra-red absorbance of CNTs.Inaddition to facilitating the construction of TENG devices from the combination of small elements,T ENGs fabricated from associative DPNs also exhibit ah igh tensile strength. [47] Theh igher energy typically required to induce exchange in these systems can also allow for greater selectivity over the self-healing conditions,a llowing for al arger temperature window for stable operation.…”