Multifunctional self-healing eutectogels induced by supramolecular assembly for smart conductive materials, interface lubrication and dye adsorption

The self-healing eutectogels with multifunctionality have attracted much attention in soft materials owing to their high conductivity and non-volatility. However, obtaining eutectogels with complete recovery of mechanical properties is still challenging. Herein, we developed a series of halogenated dibenzylidene-D-sorbitol (X-DBS) gelators. The X-DBS could form eutectogels in deep eutectic solvents obtained from choline chloride combined with alcohols or urea, which exhibit self-healing, complete recovery, load-bearing, and injectability. Fourier transform infrared, F-19 nuclear magnetic resonance, and molecular dynamics simulations showed that the hydrogen bond between the C-F bond and the solvent molecule is key to the self-healing property of the eutectogels. Interestingly, the high ionic conductivity and self-healing property of our eutectogel make it potentially useful in a smart ionic conductor. Moreover, the self-healing eutectogels with corrosion resistance showed good lubricating performances on steel interfaces. In addition, the eutectogels showed excellent dye adsorption, effectively removing dyes from aqueous solutions. Thus, the efficient DBS-based eutectogels with self-healing properties are excellent candidates for conductive materials, interfacial lubrication, dye adsorption, and other applications.

Automated summary

The self-healing eutectogels based on X-DBS developed in this study exhibit properties such as high ionic conductivity, complete recovery, load-bearing, and injectability. The hydrogen bond between the C-F bond and solvent molecule is identified as crucial for the self-healing property of the eutectogels. These eutectogels show potential applications in smart ionic conductors, interfacial lubrication, and dye adsorption.