Nature Communications (Jan 2022)

Mechanically robust supramolecular polymer co-assemblies

  • Julien Sautaux,
  • Franziska Marx,
  • Ilja Gunkel,
  • Christoph Weder,
  • Stephen Schrettl

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28017-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Reversible assembly of supramolecular polymers renders these materials with healing and recycling properties but mechanical properties are often inferior to those of conventional plastics. Here, the authors demonstrate that strong and tough but healable materials can be accessed through the combination of metallosupramolecular polymers with complementary mechanical properties that feature the same metal-ligand complex as binding motif