Visible light-initiated rapid self-healing of PDMS elastomers engineered through dual dynamic bonding networks for smart sensors

Abstract

Light-activated self-healing materials, which enable remote control with high spatiotemporal resolution, have recently garnered significant attention across diverse fields. However, in most cases, high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light is often required to initiate dynamic covalent bond exchange, and the repair processes take a long time (>12 h). In this work, we reported a PDMS elastomer tailored by dynamic telluride bonds and hydrogen bonds, demonstrating rapid self-healing capabilities under both UV and visible light irradiation. The light-responsive behavior of this polymer arises from the unique ability of telluride bonds to generate highly reactive telluride radical complexes under multi-wavelength light exposure. By integrating dual dynamic bonds (hydrogen bonds and telluride bonds), the Te–Te–PDMS elastomers exhibited exceptional mechanical properties (tensile strength: 1.0 MPa; elongation at break: 1390%) and rapid self-healing efficiency, achieving 98% strength recovery within 30 minutes under UV light and 97% recovery within 60 minutes under xenon light. This study presents a novel approach for designing self-healing polymers with dynamic covalent bonding systems, while advancing the prosperity of dynamic chemistry.