High‐efficiency self‐repairing polyurethane based on synergy of disulfide bonds and graded hydrogen bonds

Abstract

Abstract Designing an elastomer that possesses both mechanical strength and self‐healing properties is a challenging. In this study, a polyurethane elastomer (PUSTP) was successfully synthesized, featuring disulfide bonds along the main chain and graded intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The results demonstrated that the mechanical properties of the polyurethane elastomer improved with an increase in the number of disulfide bonds increased. Specifically, when the molar ratio of disulfide bonds to IPDA was 5:5, the tensile strength of the composite elastomeric film was 5.22 MPa, with an elongation of 1820.26%. Furthermore, the material exhibited robust thermal stability after undergoing repair at 70°C for 12 h, the mechanical strength of the polyurethane membrane remained unchanged, showing outstanding self‐healing capabilities. Additionally, the polyurethane film served as the substrate material for crafting self‐healing conductive devices, which maintained excellent electrical conductivity even after damage repair. This flexible material, combining impressive mechanical recovery capabilities with electrical performance, holds significant promise for a wide array of applications.