Breaking barriers: Sunlight-activated self-healing polymers with unprecedented photoaging resistance

Abstract

Sunlight-triggered self-healing of polymers has attractive advantages, but the same illumination inevitably causes photoaging. The resulting properties deterioration and shortened lifespan run counter to the desire for self-healing. Herein, the authors propose an innovative solution by introducing carbazolyl-based dithiocarbamate units. The proof-of-concept crosslinked poly(carbazolyl dithiocarbamates-urethane) shows that the multitasking reactivities of the dynamic bonds stimulated by the sun’s ultraviolet rays concurrently implement self-healing and improve the photoaging resistance. As reflected by the xenon weatherometer measurements, it retains 73.5% of the original strength after 576 h owing to the effects of hydroperoxide intermediates elimination and fluorescence emission. The anti-photoaging ability is far superior to the control filled with commercial stabilizer. Meantime, networks rearrangement via dynamic exchange reactions among the sunlight-sensitive dithiocarbamates and long-range free radicals transfer are allowed in surface layer and the interior, so that the cracks up to 8.5 mm deep are repaired. The work provides a feasible way to break the bottleneck in application of photochemical self-healing polymers.

Keywords

anti-photoaging / dithiocarbamate bond / photo-reversible / sunlight-stimulated self-healing / ultra-deep healing capability

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