Versatile Ionic Gel Driven by Dual Hydrogen Bond Networks: Toward Advanced Lubrication and Self-Healing

Abstract

From one to more, the same raw materials giving rise to multifarious products is one of the goals of researchers to pursue industrial efficiency. Herein, we designed a formula (controlling the content of the matrix) to prepare two functional ionic gels, integrating the excellent lubrication, thermal conductivity, and self-healing ability to meet different industrial demands of the lubrication and biomedical fields. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) of urea/choline chloride (UCC) and glycerol/choline chloride (GCC) were locked in polyacrylamide (PAM) ionic gel formed by acrylamide (AM) and a photoinitiator by free-radical polymerization. The unique dual hydrogen bond network in the ionic gel causes the material to exhibit a low wear rate, which can effectively reduce the wear of metal contact. With the addition of PAM, the ionic gel has excellent mechanical strength and good recovery performance. Unexpectedly, this dense hydrogen bond network enhances thermal conductivity by optimizing phonon and electron transfer. The versatile ionic gel has a good application prospect as a substitute for industrial lubricants and medical device materials.