Mechanically Ultra-Robust Fluorescent Elastomer for Elaborating Auxetic Composite

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) p. e2402130
• Main Authors: Li, Jiawei, Zheng, Zhiran, Ma, Yaning, Dong, Zhaoxing, Li, Min-Hui, Hu, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley-VCH Verlag 28.04.2024
• Subjects: Chemical Sciences; Mechanics; Mechanics of materials; Physics; Polymers; high‐performance; auxetic composite; fluorescent elastomer; microphase separation; hydrogen bonds; performance; Fluorescent elastomer; high performance
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202402130

Fluorescent elastomers are predominantly fabricated through doping fluorescent components or conjugating chromophores into polymer networks, which often involves detrimental effects on mechanical performance and also makes large-scale production difficult. Inspired by the heteroatom-rich microphase separation structures assisted by intensive hydrogen bonds in natural organisms, an ultra-robust fluorescent polyurethane elastomer is reported, which features a remarkable fracture strength of 87.2 MPa with an elongation of 1797%, exceptional toughness of 678.4 MJ m and intrinsic cyan fluorescence at 445 nm. Moreover, the reversible fluorescence variation with temperature could in situ reveal the microphase separation of the elastomer in real time. By taking advantage of mechanical properties, intrinsic fluorescence and hydrogen bonds-promoted interfacial bonding ability, this fluorescent elastomer can be utilized as an auxetic skeleton for the elaboration of an integrated auxetic composite. Compared with the auxetic skeleton alone, the integrated composite shows an improved mechanical performance while maintaining auxetic deformation in a large strain below 185%, and its auxetic process can be visually detected under ultraviolet light by the fluorescence of the auxetic skeleton. The concept of introducing hydrogen-bonded heteroatom-rich microphase separation structures into polymer networks in this work provides a promising approach to developing fluorescent elastomers with exceptional mechanical properties.