Mechanically robust, readily repairable polymers via tailored noncovalent cross-linking

A healing squeeze The very long molecules found in synthetic polymers, and their tendency to entangle and partially crystallize, impart many of the polymers' useful properties. However, these same characteristics also mean that chain dynamics are slow, which impedes potential self-healing. Yanagisawa et al. developed a family of ether-thiourea linear polymers that form hydrogen-bonded networks and still manage to stay amorphous. The polymers are stiff, showing the strength of the hydrogen bonding; however, because these bonds can easily reform, the polymer is also able to self-heal when compressed. Science , this issue p. 72