Glassy gels toughened by solvent
成果类型：
Article
署名作者：
Wang, Meixiang; Xiao, Xun; Siddika, Salma; Shamsi, Mohammad; Frey, Ethan; Qian, Wen; Bai, Wubin; O'Connor, Brendan T.; Dickey, Michael D.
署名单位：
North Carolina State University; University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; North Carolina State University; University of Nebraska System; University of Nebraska Lincoln; North Carolina State University
刊物名称：
Nature
ISSN/ISSBN：
0028-5459
DOI：
10.1038/s41586-024-07564-0
发表日期：
2024-07-11
页码：
313-+
关键词：
double-network hydrogels
mechanical-properties
ionic liquids
transparent
polymers
blends
robust
摘要：
Glassy polymers are generally stiff and strong yet have limited extensibility(1). By swelling with solvent, glassy polymers can become gels that are soft and weak yet have enhanced extensibility(1-3). The marked changes in properties arise from the solvent increasing free volume between chains while weakening polymer-polymer interactions. Here we show that solvating polar polymers with ionic liquids (that is, ionogels(4,5)) at appropriate concentrations can produce a unique class of materials called glassy gels with desirable properties of both glasses and gels. The ionic liquid increases free volume and therefore extensibility despite the absence of conventional solvent (for example, water). Yet, the ionic liquid forms strong and abundant non-covalent crosslinks between polymer chains to render a stiff, tough, glassy, and homogeneous network (that is, no phase separation)(6), at room temperature. Despite being more than 54wt% liquid, the glassy gels exhibit enormous fracture strength (42MPa), toughness (110MJm(-3)), yield strength (73MPa) and Young's modulus (1GPa). These values are similar to those of thermoplastics such as polyethylene, yet unlike thermoplastics, the glassy gels can be deformed up to 670% strain with full and rapid recovery on heating. These transparent materials form by a one-step polymerization and have impressive adhesive, self-healing and shape-memory properties.