Tough, stable and self-healing luminescent perovskite-polymer matrix applicable to all harsh aquatic environments

Abstract

Gelatinous underwater invertebrates such as jellyfish have organs that are transparent, luminescent and self-healing, which allow the creatures to navigate, camouflage themselves and, indeed, survive in aquatic environments. Artificial luminescent materials that can mimic such functionality can be used to develop aquatic wearable/stretchable displays and water-resistant devices. Here, a luminescent composite that is simultaneously transparent, tough and can autonomously self-heal in both dry and wet conditions is reported. A tough, self-healable fluorine elastomer with dipole–dipole interactions is synthesized as the polymer matrix. It exhibits excellent compatibility with metal halide perovskite quantum dots. The composite possesses a toughness of 19 MJ m−3, maximum strain of 1300% and capability to autonomously self-heal underwater. Notably, the material can withstand extremely harsh aqueous conditions, such as highly salty, acidic (pH = 1) and basic (pH = 13) environment for more than several months with almost no decay in mechanical performance or optical properties.

Perovskite nanocrystals stabilized in metal–organic frameworks for light emission devices

“…For instance, Liu et al fabricated luminescent perovskite nanocrystals in acrylate, which were highly emissive in harsh environments such as acid and base solutions. 71 However, the main disadvantage is that the electrical conductivity is compromised, and thus the composite structures are mostly utilized as a phosphor screen for lighting applications. In addition, the polymer frequently forms a macroscopic mixture with the nanocrystals, which does not address the crystal merging issue.…”

Materials development in stretchable iontronics

“…For the development of stretchable integrated devices, especially displays where the constituents are highly unstable under ambient conditions, the development of SIIs would provide environmental stabilities under operation. 168…”

Double-Network Luminescent Films Constructed Using Sulfur Quantum Dots and Lanthanide Complexes

“…With the rapid development of intelligence science, self-healing, tough, and stretchable materials have become highly desirable and have been attracting increasing attention for their promising application in stretchable sensors, health monitors, surface protection coatings, and so on. − Recently, great progresses have been achieved in developing self-healing hydrogels based on dynamic noncovalent interactions (hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, metal coordination bonds, supramolecular interactions, and hydrophobic interactions), motivating various scientific and engineering innovations in the field of flexible devices. − However, the practical long-term application of synthetic hydrogels is susceptible due to their internal structural defects and fatigue fracture, even though their toughness could be improved by introducing multiple interactions. − On the one hand, lots of water molecules in the hydrogels can disturb the reconnection of dynamic bonds, impeding their further self-healing behavior . On the other hand, it is difficult to simultaneously enhance the mechanical strength and optimize the healing efficiency because these characteristics are contradictory. , Except for the above-mentioned two defects, endowing self-healing materials with photoluminescent (PL) property can promote and extend their applications under more complex working conditions, such as biosensors and optical switch. − …”