Healable and degradable bifunctional intrinsic polymers via integration of hierarchical hydrogen bonding groups and polycaprolactone segments

The development of a single polymer chain with the dual functions of self-healing and degradation is challenging. Herein, we report the synthesis of self-healing and degradable polymers (SDP) via the integration of hierarchical hydrogen bonding groups and degradable polycaprolactone (PCL) segments. The dynamic reconstruction of hierarchical hydrogen bonding endowed the as-prepared polymers with excellent self-healing properties. The degradation properties were regulated via the proportion of PCL in the soft segments. The incorporation of PCL segments resulted in better degradability and improved the tensile strength of the polymer from 9.2 to 28.3 MPa. The as-prepared polymers could recover their mechanical properties after self-healing. The temperature-dependent Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) indicated that the hierarchical hydrogen bonding was capable of dissociation and re-association with a variation in the temperature. The as-synthesized sustainable polymers, which exhibit self-healing properties and degradability, are expected to be useful in future energy and environmental applications.