Polymers with desirable barrier performances are urgently demanded for various applications, especially in dealing with COVID19. Current art mostly focuses on copolymerization, crystallization, melt blending, and surface modification, ultimately leading to compromised transparency, mechanical performances, and potential medical safety. In this work, we report a dynamic pressure driven approach for the first time can translate conventional nonbarrier polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into intrinsic barrier (ib-PET) material while maintaining its outstanding transparence by a single step. The oxygen permeability and water vapor transmission rate are 88% and 43% lower than those for conventional technique-processed nonbarrier PET, respectively, resulting from slower chain dynamics and reduction in the free volume. This work can construct a prospective avenue toward rational design for pristine materials with outstanding barrier properties and provide in-depth insight into the perception of dynamic pressure engineering, as well as provide a novel concept for tailoring and design of advanced polymers from the energy point of view.
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