Smart insulating material with UV-triggered self-healing and aggregation-induced emission-based damage visualization via microcapsules

Microcracks and electrical treeing within polymer insulating materials are the primary causes of insulation failure. Early detection and repair of such damages are crucial. In this study, we leveraged the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect and a microcapsule self-healing system to design a UV-triggered smart insulating material capable of autonomous damage repair and self-reporting. The composite material demonstrated effective healing of both mechanical damage and electrical treeing channels, achieving damage-recovery rates of 91.67 % and 93.26 % for tensile strength and electrical strength, respectively. As the released healing agent was solidified within the damage path, it triggered intense AIE fluorescence, precisely indicating the location of damage.