Remote-controlled activation of self-healing behavior in magneto-responsive ionomeric composites

Abstract Polymers that are crosslinked exclusively by dynamic bonds are recently shown to be of potential for autonomous or on-demand self-healing in flexible and elastic materials. In the case that the dynamic crosslinks are thermally reversible, a local heating process by inductive heating of magnetic nanoparticulate fillers considerably accelerates the healing process. We demonstrate the feasibility of this concept by introducing magnetic nanoparticles of different size, shape, and magnetocrystalline anisotropy into self-healing ionomeric elastomers. While the magnetically activated healing effect in these materials is quantified in tensile experiments, appropriate consideration is also given to the influence of the filler particles on the dynamic and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites.