Improving creep resistance while maintaining reversibility of covalent adaptive networks via constructing reversibly interlocked polymer networks

Thermoresponsive covalent adaptive networks (CANs) have attracted increasing research attention because of their temperature-dependent reversibility, which endows the materials with versatile smart functionalities including intrinsic self-healability not available for traditional thermosets. Nevertheless, the associated reduction in creep resistance of this type of CANs limits their practical application. Here in this work, we demonstrate that the reversibility and dimensional stability can be combined via interlocking the thermoresponsive network with an ultraviolet-responsive network. The two types of networks are, respectively, crosslinked by orthogonal reversible Diels-Alder (DA) bonds and coumarin. Owing to the interlocked architecture, the latter single network can be uniformly distributed in the former, restricting the chain movement and enhancing the creep resistance even when the former is decrosslinked at elevated temperature as a result of retro-DA reaction. Meanwhile, the ultraviolet-responsive network plays the role of a photo-reversible switch. Its decrosslinking on exposure to 254 nm ultraviolet (UV) light and recrosslinking under a UV irradiation of 350 nm lead to repeated releasing and reimposing of the restraints on the neighboring thermoresponsive network. By using this smart habit, the material can either be conditionally self-healed with moderate healing efficiency or completely self-healed depending on whether only DA bonds or both DA bonds and coumarin are triggered. More importantly, the conflicting properties, that is, creep resistance and reversibility of the CANs are thus united. The proposed strategy provides a facile way for overcoming the weaknesses of CANs while maintaining the advantage.