Multiple hydrogen bonds network enabled sustainable and reproducible cellulose/liquid metal composite elastomer for clean energy collection and conversion

Abstract

Fabrication of sustainable, mechanically robustness and reproducible metal polymer composite elastomer is desirable but remains a challenge. Herein, a multiple hydrogen bonds crosslinked metal polymer composite elastomer derived from cellulose, plant oil, nature rubber and liquid metal was prepared, which exhibited excellent mechanical elasticity, reproducible and photothermal conversion performance. To fabricate the proposed composite elastomer, the liquid metal (LM) droplets were dispersed within a mixture of amino cellulose (AC), pimelic acid modified epoxy soybean oil (ESOPA) and nature rubber matrix through high-frequency ultrasonication. The active groups of the AC and ESOPA were able to not only construct a multiple hydrogen bonds network to endow the composite elastomer with excellent mechanical strength (1.51 MPa) and stretchability (515.3%), but also stabilize the LM particles. And the broken and reconstruction of the multiple hydrogen bonds network allowed the composite elastomer to be healed quickly at room temperature with high self-healing efficiency of 97.28%. In addition, the LM in the waste composite elastomers could be effectively recycled through dissolution and extraction as well as obtained a regenerative NR/ESOPA/AC elastomer, and the recycling efficiency of LM was up to 85%. Most importantly, the NR/ESOPA/AC/LM composite elastomer possessed stable photothermal conversion property, and has been successfully applied to convert light energy to thermal, electric and kinetic energy to drive the Stirling motor and electric fan, which paved a promising strategy for clean energy collection and conversion.