Research progress in the synthesis and application of magnetic self-healing polymer composites

In recent years, magnetic self-healing polymer composites (MSHPCs) have attracted extensive attention. Since the concept of self-healing polymer was put forward in the 1980s, its synthesis, self-healing mechanism research and engineering application have been developed vigorously and gradually mature. With the development of nanotechnology, various functionalized magnetic particles (MPs) have been synthesized and applied. MSHPCs obtained by combining MPs with self-healing polymer materials (SHPMs) have excellent mechanical, magnetic and self-healing properties, and may also have great electrical conductivity and biocompatibility. Based on the research cases in recent years, the manuscript summarizes the self-healing principle of MSHPCs based on magnetic additives and self-healing polymer chains after adding MPs, and briefly describes the functional advantages and potential of commonly used Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), multi-metal ferrite, Nd2Fe14B and other materials for MSHPCs. The methods to improve the interfacial compatibility of inorganic particles and organic polymers are summarized. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of MSHPCs applied in biology, medicine, magneto-driven actuators and soft electronic devices are evaluated and new ideas for future development are put forward.