An intrinsic self-healable supramolecular dynamic covalent elastomer for sustainable high-performance tactile sensing

Abstract

Supramolecular chemistry empowers polymeric materials versatile beneficial features encompassing stimulus adaptation, e.g self-healing, to truly function in a biomimetic manner. To seek effective self-healing mechanism for current polymers with no trade-offs in other property perspectives still remains in disguise. Herein, we present a sustainable alternative of the conventional covalent elastomers, a dynamic covalent disulfide polymer highly crosslinked by bio-catechol hydrogen bonding and coordinative metallic dopants. The polymeric elastomer exhibits a mechanical tailorability, ambient intrinsic self-healing with an efficiency reaching 90%, and closed-loop recycling capability with no property deterioration. The assembled microstructured capacitive pressure sensor possesses a sensitivity up to 1.58 kPa-1, an effective working range up to 35 kPa and exceptional instant responses within a few milliseconds, of particular prospective for contemporary wearable devices for a spectrum of utilisations like physiologic monitoring and voice-cancelling communication.