Aromatic Disulfide Cross-Linkers for Self-Healable and Recyclable Acrylic Polymer Networks

Sustainable and recyclable materials offer alternatives to potentially hazardous and nonrenewable resources and plastics. To improve the mechanical robustness of thermoplastics and elastomers, cross-linking is needed to form covalent links between polymer chains, which turn into nonrecyclable thermoset plastics. This study introduces a novel approach to address the contradictory characteristics of traditional thermoset plastics by synthesizing dynamic aromatic disulfide cross-linkers combined with various (meth)acrylate monomers. The resulting elastomers with a dynamic covalent polymer network exhibit transparency, recyclability, reprocessability, and autonomous self-healing at room temperature without external stimuli. Through molecular design, the self-healing efficiency and mechanical properties of the elastomers can be finely modulated, making them suitable for diverse applications. Incorporating a small proportion of aromatic disulfide cross-linkers into commercially available acrylic building blocks demonstrates a significant impact on the development of self-healable, recyclable, and reprocessable materials without compromising their bulk properties. The research contributes to advancing sustainable materials science and promoting the accessibility and adoption of eco-conscious solutions.