An ultra-stiff and tough glassy eutectogel

Abstract

Current eutectogels still exhibit shortcomings, including weak mechanical strength and toughness. Here, a new class of eutectogels is facilely prepared by leveraging abundant noncovalent crosslinks between deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and polymer chains. The eutectogels with more than 60 wt% liquid exhibit an enormous Young's modulus (655 MPa), fracture strength (16 MPa) and toughness (46 MJ m⁻³).