The desire to fabricate materials which exhibit strength, elasticity, and the ability to self-repair has long challenged chemists and engineers. In industries where maintenance and service are expensive and cumbersome, the benefits of the ability to self-heal are vast. This investigation synthesizes an intrinsically self-healable poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS) via a supramolecular network of strong and weak hydrogen bonding. The modified PDMS network must be effective in harsh environments, particularly extremely low temperatures, as well as retain the dielectric properties of PDMS. The ability to repetitively recover mechanical integrity is imperative. High self-healing efficiency, stretchability and insensitivity to moisture are also desirable properties to attain. Herein we report a soft yet tough material with dielectric properties and high stretchability, (over 800% strain) insensitive to cuts or notches. The potential use of this material in aerospace applications as a sensor platform, or the biomedical industry, specifically concerning microfluidic chips and artificial skin, will be evaluated. Potential applications include, but are not limited to wearable electronics, biomedical sensor platform, structural health monitoring, modular electronics, coatings, etc.

Intrinsically self-healable PDMS elastomer network with high stretchability and dielectric properties

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.