Self-Detecting and Self-Healing Reinforce Elastomer Doped with Aggregation-Induced Emission Molecules

Most of elastomers for fabrication of comfortable epidermal devices and smart actuators produce responsive signals by the stimuli-induced deformation. Herein, a dynamic visualization of external stimuli rather than the deformation through synthesis of a self-healing poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based elastomer doped with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecules is reported. The self-healing PDMS-based elastomer is designed and synthesized through molecule integration of reversible multi-strength H-bonds and permanent covalent crosslink sites. The adjustment of the weight ratio of elastic cross-linker offers tunable mechanical properties of the resultant elastomer. After doping such an elastomer with AIE molecules of 1,1,2,2-tetrakis(4-nitrophenyl)ethane, the elastomer composite displays strong on–off fluorescence depending upon mechanical damage and temperatures, which can be used to detect the breaking and self-healing performances, as well as the temperature change. The strategy described here provides another way to develop smart polymeric elastomers for practical applications.