A nanosheets-polyborosiloxane composite impregnated with shorter hydrogen-bonding clusters achieves combination of self-healing, shapeability and high-barrier properties

Self-healing polymers have been extensively studied, however, challenges remain in cooperating processability and functionality for practical applications. Here, we present a facile method to fabricate a nanocomposite by constructing intercoupling short hydrogen-bonding clusters between polyborosiloxane (PBS) and L-cystine modified MMT nanosheets (LMMT) to produce both weak entanglement and interfacial interaction. At ambient conditions, the resultant nanocomposite simultaneously achieves preferable rheological dynamics, short self healing time and higher self-healing efficiency (-99.48% in 10 min), remarkable barrier properties (water vapor permeability-4.74 x 10(-11) g m/(m(2).s.pa)) even after repeated damage-healing cycles, which overturns the previous understanding of conventional self-healing composites where self-healing, shapeability and high barrier performances are mutually exclusive. Moreover, such nanostructure characterize enables the selfsealing ability applying in the substance-preserving function. This work provides fundamental insight for designing and developing multi-function materials for self-sealing packaging application.

Automated summary

This study presents a facile method to fabricate a nanocomposite with self-healing, shapeability, and high barrier properties. By constructing hydrogen-bonding clusters between polyborosiloxane and modified MMT nanosheets, the nanocomposite achieves preferable rheological dynamics, short self-healing time, and higher self-healing efficiency. The material also demonstrates remarkable barrier properties even after repeated damage-healing cycles.