Journal
NATURE
Volume 451, Issue 7181, Pages 977-980Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/nature06669
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Rubbers exhibit enormous extensibility up to several hundred per cent, compared with a few per cent for ordinary solids, and have the ability to recover their original shape and dimensions on release of stress(1,2). Rubber elasticity is a property of macromolecules that are either covalently cross- linked(1,2) or connected in a network by physical associations such as small glassy or crystalline domains(3-5), ionic aggregates(6) or multiple hydrogen bonds(7-16). Covalent cross-links or strong physical associations prevent flow and creep. Here we design and synthesize molecules that associate together to form both chains and cross-links via hydrogen bonds. The system shows recoverable extensibility up to several hundred per cent and little creep under load. In striking contrast to conventional cross-linked or thermoreversible rubbers made of macromolecules, these systems, when broken or cut, can be simply repaired by bringing together fractured surfaces to self- heal at room temperature. Repaired samples recuperate their enormous extensibility. The process of breaking and healing can be repeated many times. These materials can be easily processed, re- used and recycled. Their unique self-repairing properties, the simplicity of their synthesis, their availability from renewable resources and the low cost of raw ingredients (fatty acids and urea) bode well for future applications.
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