Highly Stretchable, Self-Healing, Supersoft Elastomers Possessing Rapid Adhesion in Air and Under Water

Abstract

Supersoft elastomers have attracted considerable attention as matrices for flexible electronics, as their moduli closely match those of biological tissues. However, the incorporation of high stretchability, self-healing ability, toughness, and rapid adhesion into supersoft elastomers remains a formidable challenge. We synthesized an elastomer by the one-step photoinitiated copolymerization of commercially available acrylate monomers. The elastomer exhibited strain-reinforcing behavior, and its Young’s modulus was as low as 28.7 kPa. Because of the cooperation of soft and hard phases and hierarchical dynamic interactions, such as dipole–dipole interactions and hydrogen bonds, the elastomer possesses high stretchability (2815% elongation), rapid recovery (3 min), high crack resistance, and self-healing abilities. Notably, the elastomer exhibited rapid (contact time: 3 s), repeatable, and tough adhesion on various substrates in both air and underwater environments. In addition, the elastomer-based sensor detected human motion and handwriting. Overall, this work provides a simple strategy for synthesizing a multifunctional supersoft elastomer, which could be used in supersoft electronic devices.