Dual-Cross-Linked Supramolecular Polysiloxanes for Mechanically Tunable, Damage-Healable and Oil-Repellent Polymeric Coatings.

Polymeric coatings that show tunable mechanical strength, healing ability of mechanical damage, and proper liquid repellency will be promising in various areas across life and industry. However, the exploitation of such coating materials is largely limited by their molecular design. In this work, polymeric coatings with ion-controlled mechanics and coloration and damage-healing and oil-sliding properties have been demonstrated based on a supramolecular design of dual-cross-linked polysiloxanes. The coating color and mechanical properties can be adjusted by coordinative metal ions with various metal-ligand binding abilities. Dense and dynamic hydrogen bonds and coordination bonds lead to the ready healing ability and high durability of the coating. The extreme smoothness of the flat silicone coating facilitates not only the sliding of impinging oil but also the restoration of topological integrity from mechanical damage. The coating can be selectively patterned and applied to large-scale substrates by diverse coating operations, making it feasible for versatile applications.