Ultra-tough light-curing ionogels for UV shielding

Abstract The mechanical properties of polyurethane ionogels prepared by UV light-curing are usually inferior to those of conventional polyurethanes. Highly entangled polymer chain networks with chemical crosslinking can potentially address this problem. Here, we prepare ionogels (PU-HRs) using UV cu...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zeyu Zhang, Dejun Peng, Xueyan Shang, Xin Zhao, Shixue Ren, Jiuyin Pang, Shujun Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Communications Materials
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-024-00702-1
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Summary:Abstract The mechanical properties of polyurethane ionogels prepared by UV light-curing are usually inferior to those of conventional polyurethanes. Highly entangled polymer chain networks with chemical crosslinking can potentially address this problem. Here, we prepare ionogels (PU-HRs) using UV curing technology with esterified rutin as a cross-linking agent. After optimization of the preparation process by response surface methodology, we obtain PU-HRs with a tensile strength of 34.96 MPa and toughness as high as 88.11 MJ m−3 (1.26-fold higher than that of silk from the silkworm, Bombyx mori (70 MJ m−3)). The high strength and toughness of PU-HR are mainly attributed to the three-dimensional cross-linked network structure formed by the “rigid-flexible” esterified rutin, the micro-phase separation structure between the soft-chain fragments, and the hard-chain fragments that form stable interfacial regions. These ionogels have great prospects in sunscreen coating applications, such as for sunscreen umbrellas and automotive or architectural sunscreen glass.
ISSN:2662-4443