title: A highly stretchable autonomous self-healing elastomer.
abstract: It is a challenge to synthesize materials that possess the properties of biological muscles-strong, elastic and capable of self-healing. Herein we report a network of poly(dimethylsiloxane) polymer chains crosslinked by coordination complexes that combines high stretchability, high dielectric strength, autonomous self-healing and mechanical actuation. The healing process can take place at a temperature as low as -20 °C and is not significantly affected by surface ageing and moisture. The crosslinking complexes used consist of 2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide ligands that coordinate to Fe(III) centres through three different interactions: a strong pyridyl-iron one, and two weaker carboxamido-iron ones through both the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of the carboxamide groups. As a result, the iron-ligand bonds can readily break and re-form while the iron centres still remain attached to the ligands through the stronger interaction with the pyridyl ring, which enables reversible unfolding and refolding of the chains. We hypothesize that this behaviour supports the high stretchability and self-healing capability of the material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.|State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Cheng-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.|Department of Chemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, USA.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.|Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.|Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9151-4100
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keplinger
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1493-7868
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lissel
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Zeng
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Zhenan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bao