Super adhesive, self-healing elastomer based on synergistic dual dynamic interactions for corrosion-resistant coatings

• A new strategy for intrinsic self-healing of coatings in underwater conditions induced by cooperated UPy unit and disulfide bonds. • EIS highlights exceptional corrosion resistance for the healed coating, with total impedance surpassing 10⁸ Ω·cm² after prolonged saline immersion. • The DRT analysis method is creatively used to better illustrate the electrochemical process and mechanism in the anti-corrosion field. • The coating demonstrates immediate and multiple self-healing properties, healing damaged areas in just several seconds at room temperature and reaching 92.86 % efficiency at 90 °C. • The PDMS-SS x /UPy y coating with ultra-fast healing performance can withstand almost 360 °C. Corrosion remains a critical challenge, particularly in aqueous environments, where traditional coatings struggle to maintain integrity. Despite advancements, self-healing materials often exhibit insufficient healing efficiency and stability underwater. This work presents a novel PDMS-based self-healing elastomer, PDMS-SS 1 /UPy 1 , incorporating dynamic disulfide bonds and 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidone (UPy) unit for robust amphibious self-healing. Synthesized via a two-step reaction, PDMS-SS 1 /UPy 1 exhibits high thermal stability (T 5 % = 362 °C), excellent mechanical properties, and >92 % self-healing efficiency at 90 °C. FTIR, Raman, and XPS confirm successful SS/UPy incorporation, while SEM and AFM reveal uniform morphology. Contact angle measurements and adhesion tests confirm environmental stability and substrate compatibility. Furthermore, EIS demonstrates exceptional corrosion resistance (>10⁸ Ω·cm² in NaCl solution), and the innovative application of distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis provides deeper insights into the coating's electrochemical behavior. PDMS-SS 1 /UPy 1 offers a promising solution for durable anti-corrosion protection in demanding aqueous environments.