High-performance lignin-containing polyurethane elastomers (LPUes) were successfully synthesized via partially substituting petroleum-derived polyols with depolymerized enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (DEL). The influences of DEL on the structure, thermostability, mechanical performance, and thermal reprocessability of LPUes were systematically studied. The tensile strength and toughness of PUes were significantly enhanced after the introduction of DEL, with the maximum tensile strength reaching up to 60.7 MPa and the toughness up to 263.6 MJ/m3. The enhancement for the strength and toughness was attributed to the dual cross-linking network structure and the interfacial hydrogen bonds between lignin and the PU matrix, which were demonstrated to facilitate the orientation of chain segments and lead to strain-induced crystallization and self-reinforcement. LPUes also exhibited much better elasticity than the control sample without lignin and could maintain excellent mechanical performance after being hot reprocessed.

For the first time, the coordination-based energy sacrificial bonds have been constructed in the interface between lignin and polyolefin elastomer for preparing a new class of high performance thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) with biomass lignin as the hard plastic phase. The coordination bonds not only promoted the dispersion of lignin, but also improved the interfacial interactions between lignin and polyolefin elastomer matrix, and also facilitated the orientation of chain segments during stretching. The synergistic coordination effect of lignin promoted higher energy dissipation, leading to simultaneously enhanced strength and toughness of lignin-based TPEs even with the lignin loading as high as 30 wt %. The lignin-based TPEs also exhibited excellent shape memory performance. Our strategy offers a promising methodology for the facile production of high performance but cost-effective TPE materials using biorenewable resources as plastic phase.

Inspired by the hard-shelled pangolins, a bionic hydrogel structure with hard nano silver armor and soft interior was fabricated with outstanding tensile strength and toughness, excellent electrical conductivity and good antibacterial properties.

Artificial muscle materials promise incredible applications in actuators, robotics and medical apparatus, yet the ability to mimic the full characteristics of skeletal muscles into synthetic materials remains a huge challenge. Herein, inspired by the dynamic sacrificial bonds in biomaterials and the self-strengthening of skeletal muscles by physical exercise, high performance artificial muscle material is prepared by rearrangement of sacrificial coordination bonds in the polyolefin elastomer via a repetitive mechanical training process. Biomass lignin is incorporated as a green reinforcer for the construction of interfacial coordination bonds. The prepared artificial muscle material exhibits high actuation strain (>40%), high actuation stress (1.5 MPa) which can lift more than 10,000 times its own weight with 30% strain, characteristics of excellent self-strengthening by mechanical training, strain-adaptive stiffening, and heat/electric programmable actuation performance. In this work, we show a facile strategy for the fabrication of intelligent materials using easily available raw materials.

The remote controllable photothermal elastomers can realize precise non-contact control through photothermal conversion effect, highlighting a new routine for light energy utilization and a promising direction for smart materials. Developing...