High‐Strength, Recyclable Multifunctional Elastomer with a Dynamic Covalent Supramolecular Network

ABSTRACT The development of supramolecular elastomers that integrate excellent mechanical properties, energy dissipation ability, recyclability, and antibacterial performance is of great significance for cutting‐edge fields such as flexible electronics and medical devices. However, achieving a balance and integration of these diverse functionalities remains highly challenging for existing material systems. To address this limitation, this study presents a supramolecular elastomer featuring a dynamic network constructed through the Diels–Alder reaction, UPy‐grafted chitosan, and multiple hydrogen‐bonding interactions. This multiscale design endows the elastomer with several groundbreaking attributes. Strain‐induced crystallization initiated by UPy‐grafted chitosan induces self‐reinforcement, yielding a remarkable tensile strength of 49.75 MPa while maintaining an elongation at break of 1096.54% and a notable toughness of 227.41 MJ·m −3 . The dynamic network further imparts efficient self‐healing capacity and enables closed‐loop recyclability. Additionally, the elastomer exhibits antimicrobial properties attributed to the presence of cations in chitosan. A comprehensive analysis and validation of the gradient energy dissipation mechanism within the supramolecular elastomer are provided. This innovative design paradigm ensures the integration of multiple functionalities while offering promising opportunities for the development of intelligent, sustainable, and high‐performance supramolecular elastomers.

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Publication Details

Journal
Small
Published
2026-06-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.74243
Primary Topic
Polymer composites and self-healing
Type
article
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article

High‐Strength, Recyclable Multifunctional Elastomer with a Dynamic Covalent Supramolecular Network

X X Li, X.Y. Zhang, Meishuai Zou, Chang Xu et al.
Small
Polymer composites and self-healing
article

High‐Strength, Recyclable Multifunctional Elastomer with a Dynamic Covalent Supramolecular Network

X X Li, X.Y. Zhang, Meishuai Zou, Chang Xu, Hao Jiang, Ni Zhai, Dichang Xue, Jialu Shang, Shuping Sun, Yue Sun, Lei Yang
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT The development of supramolecular elastomers that integrate excellent mechanical properties, energy dissipation ability, recyclability, and antibacterial performance is of great significance for cutting‐edge fields such as flexible electronics and medical devices. However, achieving a balance and integration of these diverse functionalities remains highly challenging for existing material systems. To address this limitation, this study presents a supramolecular elastomer featuring a dynamic network constructed through the Diels–Alder reaction, UPy‐grafted chitosan, and multiple hydrogen‐bonding interactions. This multiscale design endows the elastomer with several groundbreaking attributes. Strain‐induced crystallization initiated by UPy‐grafted chitosan induces self‐reinforcement, yielding a remarkable tensile strength of 49.75 MPa while maintaining an elongation at break of 1096.54% and a notable toughness of 227.41 MJ·m −3 . The dynamic network further imparts efficient self‐healing capacity and enables closed‐loop recyclability. Additionally, the elastomer exhibits antimicrobial properties attributed to the presence of cations in chitosan. A comprehensive analysis and validation of the gradient energy dissipation mechanism within the supramolecular elastomer are provided. This innovative design paradigm ensures the integration of multiple functionalities while offering promising opportunities for the development of intelligent, sustainable, and high‐performance supramolecular elastomers.

Small
Beijing Institute of Technology (CN), Beijing Haidian Hospital (CN)
Responsible consumption and production
Openalex Percentile: Top 14%
Polymer composites and self-healing
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