Towards electrically conductive, self-healing materials

• Published in: Journal of the Royal Society interface Vol. 4; no. 13; pp. 359 - 362
• Main Authors: Williams, Kyle A, Boydston, Andrew J, Bielawski, Christopher W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London The Royal Society 22.04.2007
• Subjects: Adhesives - chemistry; Biomedical Engineering; Electric Conductivity; Electrically Conductive Materials; Heterocyclic Carbenes; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; N-heterocyclic carbenes; Organometallic Compounds - chemistry; Organometallic Polymers; Research Article; Self-Healing Materials; Surface Properties
• ISSN: 1742-5689; 1742-5662
• DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2006.0202

and showed structurally dynamic characteristics in the solid-state. Thin films of these materials were cast onto silicon wafers, then scored and imaged using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The scored films were subsequently healed via thermal treatment, which enabled the material to flow via a unique depolymerization process, as determined by SEM and surface profilometry. A method for incorporating these features into a device that exhibits electrically driven, self-healing functions is proposed.
-heterocyclic carbenes and transition metals was shown to have potential as an electrically conductive, self-healing material. These polymers were found to exhibit conductivities of the order of 10
A novel class of organometallic polymers comprising