Infrared induced repeatable self-healing and removability of mechanically enhanced graphene-epoxy flexible materials

Abstract

A repeatable self-healing epoxy composite mechanically enhanced by graphene nanosheets (GNS) was prepared from an epoxy monomer with Diels-Alder (DA) bonds, octanediol glycidyl ether (OGE) and polyether amine (D230). The GNS/epoxy composites, with a maximum tensile modulus of 14.52 ± 0.45 MPa and elongation at break more than 100%, could be healed several times under Infrared (IR) light with the healing efficiency as high as 90% through the molecule chain mobility and the rebonding of reversible DA bonds between furan and maleimide. Also, they displayed excellent recyclable ability by transforming into a soluble polymer, which offers a wide range of possibilities to produce epoxy flexible materials with healing and removable abilities.