Stretchable and Self-Healing Elastomers with Aggregation-Induced Emission Based on Hydrogen Bonding Cross-Linked Networks

Abstract

With the fast advancement of flexible and stretchable electronics, the development of organic semiconductors with intrinsic stretchability and self-healing properties is desirable and significant yet remains a substantial challenge. Herein, we propose a simple and effective synthetic strategy to construct intrinsically stretchable and self-healing organic light-emitting elastomers via incorporating aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens into hydrogen-bonding cross-linked networks. Owing to the hydrogen-bonding interactions within the networks, the resulting light-emitting elastomers achieved a stress–strain of about 700% and a self-healing efficiency of over 70% under ambient conditions. More importantly, the resulting elastomers have been examined to be highly adhesive and compatible with the silver nanowire networks, exhibiting smart luminescence behaviors and excellent conductivity. This study sheds light on the design and development of stretchable and self-healing organic light-emitting elastomers with promising optoelectronic characteristics, which would inspire a wide range of fancy applications for flexible and stretchable electronics.