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Synergistic Covalent and Supramolecular Polymers for Mechanically Robust but Dynamic Materials
Author(s) -
Zhang Zhaoming,
Cheng Lin,
Zhao Jun,
Wang Lei,
Liu Kai,
Yu Wei,
Yan Xuzhou
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202004152
Subject(s) - supramolecular chemistry , covalent bond , polymer , toughness , materials science , supramolecular polymers , artificial muscle , biomimetic materials , nanotechnology , stiffness , polymer network , composite material , computer science , chemistry , molecule , actuator , organic chemistry , artificial intelligence
Nature has engineered delicate synergistic covalent and supramolecular polymers (CSPs) to achieve advanced life functions, such as the thin filaments that assist in muscle contraction. Constructing artificial synergistic CSP materials with bioinspired mechanically adaptive features, however, represents a challenging goal. Here, we report an artificial CSP system to illustrate the integration of a covalent polymer (CP) and a supramolecular polymer (SP) in a synergistic fashion, along with the emergence of notable mechanical and dynamic properties which are unattainable when the two polymers are formed individually. The synergistic effect relies on the peculiar network structures of the SP and CPs, which endow the resultant CSPs with overall improved mechanical performance in terms of the stiffness, strength, stretchability, toughness, and elastic recovery. Moreover, the dynamic properties of the SP, including self‐healing, stimuli‐responsiveness, and reprocessing, are also retained in the CSPs, thus leading to their application as programmable and tunable materials.