Wang Jiayu, Zhang Shilong, Li Lingling, Wang Xiaoliang, Xiong Jiaofeng, Li Qingning, Li Weizheng, Yan Feng
Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Negative Carbon Technologies, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Soft Material and New Energy, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210000, China.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Apr 15;122(15):e2417978122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2417978122. Epub 2025 Apr 9.
Solvents within gels enhance the mobility of polymer chain segments while concurrently diminishing interchain interactions, thereby facilitating the ductility of glassy polymers at the cost of their mechanical strength. Here, we develop a solvent toughening strategy for the preparation of highly compressible and high-strength ionogels in the glassy state. This approach leverages the synergistic effects of the slow dissociation-shift kinetics of solvent ionic liquids and polymer crystallization. Ionogels exhibit an ultimate compressive stress of 2.3 GPa (at 98% compressive strain), toughness of 1219.3 MJ m, and energy dissipation rate of 81.9% (at 70% compression strain). The highly interacting ionic bonds of solvent and the fast crystallization of polymers under load toughen the ionogels and confer impact hardening and efficient energy dissipation behavior under fast impact. A 500-μm-thick ionogel coating can protect fragile items, such as glass, from impact damage. Ionogels, renowned for their impact resistance, hold promise for various applications across industries including human body implants, equipment, transportation, and aerospace.
凝胶中的溶剂增强了聚合物链段的流动性，同时减少了链间相互作用，从而以牺牲玻璃态聚合物的机械强度为代价提高了其延展性。在此，我们开发了一种溶剂增韧策略，用于制备处于玻璃态的高压缩性和高强度离子凝胶。该方法利用了溶剂离子液体缓慢的解离-迁移动力学和聚合物结晶的协同效应。离子凝胶表现出2.3 GPa的极限压缩应力（在98%压缩应变下）、1219.3 MJ/m的韧性以及81.9%的能量耗散率（在70%压缩应变下）。溶剂的高度相互作用离子键以及聚合物在负载下的快速结晶使离子凝胶增韧，并赋予其在快速冲击下的冲击硬化和高效能量耗散行为。一层500μm厚的离子凝胶涂层可以保护易碎物品，如玻璃，免受冲击损坏。离子凝胶以其抗冲击性而闻名，在包括人体植入物、设备、运输和航空航天在内的各个行业的各种应用中都有前景。
