Recently, a research team led by Professor Zhengwei You from the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials at Donghua University published an innovative research in the online edition of National Science Review . By adopting a molecular design strategy that uses copper ion coordination to simultaneously polarize hydrogen bonds, optimize π-π interactions, and catalyze oxime-carbamate bonds, the team has successfully resolved a long-standing dilemma for polymers: balancing thermodynamic stability and kinetic activity.
Prof. You is a leading scientist in the field of polyurethane and elastomers. In this study, their design that integrating copper(II)-p-benzoquinone dioxime carbamate coordination units (Cu-BQDU) into polyurethane brings three major benefits:
The resulting elastomer, PIB5Cu, has achieved all-round improvement in performance: it boasts the highest toughness (236.0 MJ/m³) among photothermally healable elastomers and delivers top-tier high-temperature stability for dynamically cross-linked polymers (with a characteristic relaxation time of up to 3,500 seconds at 180 °C). Compared to PIB, the non-coordinated counterpart, PIB5Cu shows a 1.8-fold increase in tensile strength, a 2.6-fold rise in toughness, a 1.4-fold improvement in photothermal conversion efficiency, while a 1.9-fold enhancement in healing efficiency—achieving comprehensive performance upgrades.
This innovative molecular design provides a simple and universal solution to the trade-off between thermodynamic stability and kinetic activity in photothermally healable polymers, marking a significant step forward for advanced polymer materials.
National Science Review
Experimental study