Mechanically strong, stretchable and self-healable silicone elastomers with designed dynamic networks for exceptional self-adhesion under harsh conditions
Silicone elastomers with wide-temperature stability and excellent mechanical flexibility have attracted considerable interest in both academic and industrial fields. However, the highly cross-linked networks cannot self-heal and usually show poor adhesion to other substrates, limiting their sustaina...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Advanced Industrial and Engineering Polymer Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542504825000181 |
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| Summary: | Silicone elastomers with wide-temperature stability and excellent mechanical flexibility have attracted considerable interest in both academic and industrial fields. However, the highly cross-linked networks cannot self-heal and usually show poor adhesion to other substrates, limiting their sustainable applications in emerging fields. Developing self-adhesive organosilicon elastomers with high mechanical strength, superior stretchability, and exceptional self-healing performance remains a significant challenge. Herein, we propose a facile method to synthesize self-adhesive organosilicon elastomers with high mechanical strength, flexibility, and self-healing performance by designing dynamic networks. Specifically, multiple reversible physical and chemical bonds, such as disulfide bonds, hydrogen bonds, and Zn2+ coordination bonds, are integrated into the organosilicon chains via click reactions, carboxylic acid-amine condensation, and ionic coordination. The optimized organosilicon elastomers exhibit exceptional stretchability and mechanical properties, including an elongation at break of ∼5600 %, high strength (2.2 MPa), and toughness (54.38 MJ/m3), outperforming traditional organosilicon elastomers. Additionally, the as-prepared elastomers demonstrate remarkable self-healing ability, with 80–93 % healing efficiency at 25–60 oC, and excellent self-adhesion to various substrates (0.3–1.0 MPa on aluminum, steel, and wood). These properties are maintained under harsh conditions, including low temperature (−10 oC), saltwater, and organic solvents. Clearly, the organosilicon elastomers developed in this work hold significant potential as green and sustainable candidates for various self-adhesive applications. |
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| ISSN: | 2542-5048 |