Conclusion

Numerous self-healing supramolecular polymers have been developed in the laboratory. A common feature of these polymers is that they are intrinsically self-healing, i.e. they heal by virtue of their chemical properties without the need for a separately stored healing agent. Some polymers require an external stimulus, such as temperature, to heal themselves, while others are self-repairing. In the latter case, it's important that polymers have a low glass transition temperature. This guarantees the mobility and dynamics of the molecules, which in turn promotes self-repair. However, this temperature must not be too low to ensure that free non-covalent bonds remain on the surface of the cut area to enable healing. For polymers with a semi-crystalline or crystalline structure, it is additionally necessary to remove the crystallinity of the polymer in the fractured zone, to allow the non-covalent...