Rationally Constructed Surface Energy and Dynamic Hard Domains Balance Mechanical Strength and Self-Healing Efficiency of Energetic Linear Polymer Materials

Advanced flexible self-healing triboelectric nanogenerators for applications in complex environments

With the advent of the smart era, the demand for clean energy is rising, and flexible triboelectric nanogenerators (F-TENGs) based on elastomers have garnered significant attention. Based on the principles of electrostatic induction and coupling, F-TENGs can convert mechanical motion into electrical energy and are widely utilized in wearable devices and blue energy. F-TENGs offer a simple design, ease of manufacturing, and flexible usage scenarios. However, several weaknesses still limit their development. For example, F-TENG materials cannot recover from fatigue damage and are prone to output performance degradation under frequent friction or complex external conditions, leading to failure. To address these issues, researchers have explored the use of self-healable flexible polymer-based friction layers and electrodes. This review will provide a detailed summary of the key scientific and technological challenges faced by F-TENGs in complex and harsh environments, including ambient, high and low temperatures, high humidity, and strong acids and bases. Furthermore, the detailed research progress addressing these issues and the future development of F-TENGs will also be presented and explored. This paper aims to provide valuable insights and guidance for in-depth research and broad applications of flexible TENGs.

Practical Applications of Self-Healing Polymers Beyond Mechanical and Electrical Recovery

Self-healing polymeric materials, which can repair physical damage, offer promising prospects for protective applications across various industries. Although prolonged durability and resource conservation are key advantages, focusing solely on mechanical recovery may limit the market potential of these materials. The unique physical properties of self-healing polymers, such as interfacial reduction, seamless connection lines, temperature/pressure responses, and phase transitions, enable a multitude of innovative applications. In this perspective, the diverse applications of self-healing polymers beyond their traditional mechanical strength are emphasized and their potential in various sectors such as food packaging, damage-reporting, radiation shielding, acoustic conservation, biomedical monitoring, and tissue regeneration is explored. With regards to the commercialization challenges, including scalability, robustness, and performance degradation under extreme conditions, strategies to overcome these limitations and promote successful industrialization are discussed. Furthermore, the potential impacts of self-healing materials on future research directions, encompassing environmental sustainability, advanced computational techniques, integration with emerging technologies, and tailoring materials for specific applications are examined. This perspective aims to inspire interdisciplinary approaches and foster the adoption of self-healing materials in various real-life settings, ultimately contributing to the development of next-generation materials.

Current Self-Healing Binders for Energetic Composite Material Applications

Energetic composite materials (ECMs) are the basic materials of polymer binder explosives and composite solid propellants, which are mainly composed of explosive crystals and binders. During the manufacturing, storage and use of ECMs, the bonding surface is prone to micro/fine cracks or defects caused by external stimuli such as temperature, humidity and impact, affecting the safety and service of ECMs. Therefore, substantial efforts have been devoted to designing suitable self-healing binders aimed at repairing cracks/defects. This review describes the research progress on self-healing binders for ECMs. The structural designs of these strategies to manipulate macro-molecular and/or supramolecular polymers are discussed in detail, and then the implementation of these strategies on ECMs is discussed. However, the reasonable configuration of robust microstructures and effective dynamic exchange are still challenges. Therefore, the prospects for the development of self-healing binders for ECMs are proposed. These critical insights are emphasized to guide the research on developing novel self-healing binders for ECMs in the future.