Designing nonpolar self-healable rubbers by tailoring glass transition
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초록
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Self-healing ability of materials, particularly polymers, improves their functional stabilities and lifespan. To date, the designs for self-healable polymers have relied on specific intermolecular interactions or chemistries. We report a design methodology for self-healable polymers based on glass transition. Statistical acrylic copolymer series of two monomers with different glass transition temperature (Tg) are synthesized, and their self-healability is evaluated. Self-healing is maximized within an optimum range of Tg of the copolymers and when the difference in Tg between two monomer units is large. Using molecular dynamics simulation, the role of each component of the copolymers in self-healing procedure is investigated. The self-healable copolymers are nonpolar and exhibit rubber-like properties. The strategy to graft glass transition onto self-healing would expand the scope of polymer design.