Syncretic of soft, hard, and rigid segments cultivate high-performance elastomer

In materials science, achieving polymers that possess both high strength and high toughness—traditionally seen as contradictory properties—remains a significant challenge. In this study, a poly (urethane-imide-urea) (PUIU) was synthesized, featuring soft, hard, and rigid segment groups alternately distributed along the main chain. By integrating a polyurethane (PU) prepolymer, urea, and imide, with the PU prepolymer acting as the soft segment to confer malleability, urea-formed hydrogen bonds serving as the hard segment to provide toughness, and imide acting as the rigid segment to enhance material strength. The synergistic effects of these elements result in an elastomer with outstanding strength (70.1 ± 2.6 MPa), high elongation at break (1813.9 ± 76.0 %), and high toughness (420.4 ± 22.3MJ/m−3(−|-)). Furthermore, it demonstrates superior fatigue, tear, and wear resistance. Through a blend of simulation and experimentation, we uncover the reasons behind its high performance. This study demonstrates the feasibility of preparing an elastomer that combines softness, hardness, and rigidity, meanwhile, achieving a balance between strength and toughness, thereby offering valuable theoretical guidance for the integration of high strength and high toughness.