Bioinspired Ultra Tear-Resistant Elastomer with Slidable Double-Network Structure

Tear resistance is of vital importance in the fabrication and application of synthetic soft materials. However, the paradox of simultaneously improve the tearing energy and elasticity remains a huge challenge for conventional approaches. Here, inspired by the skin, we successfully constructed an extraordinary tear-resistant, super elastic elastomer by the introduction of nano-sized poly-cyclodextrin into the elastomer network to form a slidable interpenetrate double network structure. The tearing energy of the SDEP elastomer is up to 273.9 KJ/m2, which are comparable to metal and alloys, and increased more than 100 times compared with the chemical crosslinked elastomer. The fracture strain exceeded 3384.7%, and a small piece of SDEP elastomer can lift up over 8000 times object of its own weight. This comprehensive improvement of anti-tearing and super elasticity properties was achieved by (i) slide ring effect to dissipate energy and blunt a crack tip; (ii) straightening and reorientation of the slidable double network to deflect the advancing of a crack tip; (iii) double network sharing the load. These results provide a novel strategy to fabricate elastic, tear-resistant soft material, which may contribute to the practical application of artificial molecular machines toward bulletproof armor.