Self-healing polymers via supramolecular forces

Abstract

As polymers and polymeric materials are "the" smart invention and technological driving force of the 20th century, the quest for self-healing or self-repairing polymers is strong. The concept of supramolecular self-healing materials relies on the use of noncovalent, transient bonds to generate networks, which are able to heal the damaged site, putting aspects of reversibility and dynamics of a network as crucial factors for the understanding and design of such self-healing materials. This Review describes recent examples and concepts of supramolecular polymers based on hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions, ionomers, and coordinative bonds, thus convincingly discussing the advantages and versatility of these supramolecular forces for the design and realization of self-healing polymers.