Transparent self-healing luminescent elastomer with superior stretchability achieved via dynamic hard domain design

Abstract

High mechanical performance versatile materials exhibiting rapid self-healing and luminescence ability are highly desired and present tremendous prospects in various fields. However, it is still a huge challenge to concurrently integrate all the above capacities into individual polymer materials, since these capabilities stem from different molecular mechanisms. Here, a dynamic hard domains strategy is reported for fabricating transparent luminescent self-healing elastomers featuring unprecedented stretchability (4333 ± 36%), high toughness (42.25 ± 0.19 MJ m−3) enabled by hydrogen-bonding (single and double) and lanthanide-bipyridine (Ln-Bpy) coordination interactions in the polymer chains. The dynamic rigid domains containing hydrogen-bonds constructed by urea and urethane groups and Ln-Bpy coordination also lead to a very dynamic system for fast self-healing at room temperature. Besides, excellent luminescence performance was obtained via the efficient energy transfer from the Bpy component to Ln3+ (Eu3+ and /or Tb3+). This strategy of dynamic rigid domains as building blocks applied in this study provides an alternative approach for preparing self-healing luminescence materials with superior stretchability and high toughness.