A novel kind of room temperature self-healing poly(urethane-urea) with robust mechanical strength based on aromatic disulfide

Abstract

An innovative poly(urethane-urea) elastomer, which exhibited excellent stretchability, thermal stability and autonomous self-healing abilities, was synthesized from the commercially available poly(propylene glycol) (PPG), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 2,4 / 2,6-toluene diisocyanate (80: 20, w / w) (TDI-80) and bis (2-aminophenyl) disulfide (DSDA). This aromatic disulfide containing poly(urethane-urea) (ss-PUs) achieved both rapid room temperature self-healing abilities and robust mechanical strength (the ultimate tensile strength was up to 4.20 ± 0.10 MPa and elongation at break was up to 954 ± 35.6%), through facile metathesis of the aromatic disulfides which embedded in hard segments. After the ss-PUs was cut into two-halves and reconnected, the mechanical properties could recover to ~ 90% of those of the original samples within 12 h at room temperature without extra self-healing agents or any change of environmental conditions.