Chapter 2 - Types of chemistries involved in self-healing polymeric systems

Abstract

Self-healing polymer materials have received great attention in the past two decades due to the minimization of system breakdown, decrease in the cost of maintenance, and increased working life with increased safety index. Designing self-healing polymeric material requires the interplay of chemical reactions and physical network remodeling. This chapter deals with various chemistries involved in the development of self-healing polymeric materials. Three main chemistries of self-healing systems are irreversible covalent bond formation via extrinsic microcapsules self-healing process, reversible dynamic covalent chemistry, and reversible supramolecular interactions to improve the multiple healing times through intrinsic self-healing process. The development of self-healing polymer is just advancement of the conventional polymers by introducing self-healing properties which are utilized in various fields such as biomaterials, bioelectronics, sensors, actuators and coating, paints technologies, electronics or energy devices such as membranes, 3D/4D printing, tissue engineering, soft robotics skin, and analyze their potential for real-world high-performance applications. [Display omitted]