Thermosensitive, tough and size-adjustable elastomer with multi-hydrogen bond based on supramolecular interactions

Abstract

Medical stents have made significant strides in development, however, creating a single manufacturing material that combines size adjustability, robust strength, and degradability remains a major challenge. Here, we developed an elastomer designed for stent fabrication, featuring excellent thermo-responsive shape memory and fast self-healing. This elastomer is produced through supramolecular interactions between liquid crystal moieties, which exhibit strong orientation, and a polymer backbone. These supramolecular interactions provide the elastomer with remarkable mechanical strength (10.46 MPa). Interestingly, the elastomer shows excellent mesocrystalline stability and cyclability, thanks to multiple non-covalent bonds, allowing the crosslinked liquid crystalline phase to maintain integrity at temperatures up to 285°C. Impressively, the elastomer can respond to stress and temperature changes, fully reverting to its original shape in just 25.7±0.94 s. When configured as a helical stent, its macroscopic dimensions can be adjusted to mimic the size of blood vessels in vitro. The stent exhibits rapid responsiveness at 37°C, achieving complete self-expansion within 10 s. Furthermore, it demonstrates excellent degradability, with a weight loss of only 2.75% ± 0.31% after 70 d. This innovation paves the way for new possibilities in the use of medical stents, particularly for the long-term treatment of coronary heart disease.