Stimuli-responsive conductive hydrogels have a wide range of applications due to their intelligent sensing of external environmental changes, which are important for smart switches, soft robotics, and flexible sensors. However, designing stimuli-responsive conductive hydrogels with logical operation, such as smart switches, remains a challenge. In this study, we synthesized pH-responsive conductive hydrogels, based on the copolymer network of acrylic acid and hydroxyethyl acrylate doped with graphene oxide. Using the good flexibility and conductivity of these hydrogels, we prepared a flexible sensor that can realize the intelligent analysis of human body motion signals. Moreover, the pH-responsive conductive hydrogels were integrated with temperature-responsive conductive hydrogels to develop logic gates with sensing, analysis, and driving functions, which realized the intellectualization of conductive hydrogels.

Polydimethylsiloxane containing methacryloyloxy and methoxy silane groups (MAPDMS)-microcapsule-SiO₂ (MPMS) functional materials were prepared by constructing micro-nano hierarchical structures on the surface of MAPDMS matrix. Herein, MAPDMS@1,1-stilbene-modified hydrolyzed polyglycidyl methacrylate/graphene oxide/dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl]ammonium chloride (MAPDMS@PGMA_m/GO/QC18) self-healing microcapsules with compact multi-shell structure were synthesized and combined with nano-SiO₂ to construct the hierarchical structures. Furthermore, ultraviolet (UV)/moisture dual curing mode was introduced into deep curing reaction and efficient self-healing reaction of the MPMS. The results show that the introduction of UV/moisture dual curing mode and micro-nano hierarchical structure gives MPMS functional materials excellent mechanical properties, antifouling properties, self-healing properties, and antibacterial properties. The shear strength and tensile strength of MPMS increase from 3.32 and 4.26 MPa of MAPDMS to 3.81 and 5.06 MPa, respectively. Its static contact angle increases from 115.9° of MAPDMS to 156.5°, and its slide angle decreases from 68.5° of MAPDMS to 7.8°, respectively. The antifouling performance of MPMS against seawater, soy sauce, juice, coffee, protein, and other contaminants is effectively improved compared with MAPDMS matrix. At the same time, the tensile strength and elongation at break of MPMS after healing reach 98.22% and 96.57% of those in original state, respectively. In addition, the antibacterial rates of MPMS against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reach 99.85% and 100%, respectively. The MPMS prepared in this paper is expected to be widely used in marine antifouling, pipeline network, anti-icing, microfluidics, wearable devices, medical devices, electrochemical biosensors, and other fields.

Thermoset epoxies are widely used due to their excellent properties, but conventional epoxies require a complicated and time-consuming curing process, and they cannot self-healed, which limits their applications in self-healing materials. Extrinsic and intrinsic self-healing materials are applied in various fields due to their respective characteristics, but there is a lack of comparison between the two types of healing systems. Based on this, a thiol-epoxide click reaction catalyzed by an organic base was introduced to achieve the efficient preparation of thiol-epoxy. Furthermore, tung oil (TO)-loaded microcapsules were introduced into the thiol-epoxy matrix of dynamic transesterification to obtain a TO/TMMP-TMTGE self-healing composite with an intrinsic–extrinsic double-healing system. For comparison, a TMMP-TMTGE self-healing material with an intrinsic healing system was also prepared, which contained only thiol and epoxy curing chemistries. The effect of the core/shell ratio on the morphology, average particle size, and core content of TO-loaded microcapsules was studied. It was found that when the core/shell ratio was 3:1, the average particle size of the microcapsules was about 99.8 μm, and the microcapsules showed good monodispersity, as well as a core content of about 58.91%. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results showed that the TO core was successfully encapsulated and remained effective after encapsulation. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), tensile tests, and electrochemical tests were carried out for the two types of self-healing materials. The results showed that the TO/TMMP-TMTGE composite and TMMP-TMTGE material both had self-healing properties. In addition, the TO/TMMP-TMTGE composite was superior to the TMMP-TMTGE material due to its better self-healing performance, mechanical strength, and corrosion protection performance.

Complex Nd(CF₃SO₃)₃*3TOP with good solubility was synthesized to prepare polybutadiene with high cis-1,4-unit content and narrow molecular weight distribution.

A styrene–butadiene–styrene tri-block copolymer (SBS) with a high cis -1,4 unit content (greater than 97%) was synthesized by a novel synthetic strategy based on changing the catalytic active centres using n -butyllithium and a nickel-based catalyst. Firstly, styrene was polymerized via anionic polymerization using butyllithium as the initiator (Li, activity centre Li) at 50°C. The obtained alkylated macroinitiator (PSLi) was aged with nickel naphthenate (Ni) and boron trifluoride etherate (B) to prepare a second reactive centre (Ni-F), which was used to initiate the polymerization of butadiene (Bd). Finally, triphenyl phosphine (PPh ₃ ) was added to adjust the electron density of the third active centre (P-Ni-F), and styrene monomer was added again to synthesize the second polystyrene block to obtain SBS. The polymerization technique presented here is simple and has an efficient initiation effect due to the high initiation activities for the different monomers. It also exhibits excellent control over the stereo-structure of the butadiene segments in the prepared copolymers, and the SBS polymers with high cis -1,4 unit content were easily achieved.

Marine biological fouling is a widespread phenomenon encountered by various oceanic ships and naval vessels, resulting in enormous economic losses. Herein, novel 4,5-dichloro-2-octyl-isothiazolone@sodium alginate/chitosan microcapsules (DCOIT@ALG/CS) were prepared through composite gel method using DCOIT as core materials, ALG and CS as shells, and CaCl ₂ as the cross-linking agent. The formed microcapsules (MCs) with Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) were then filled in UV-curable polysiloxane (UV-PDMS), followed by UV irradiation to yield UV-PDMS/microcapsules/AgNPs (UV-PDMS/MCs/Ag) composite coatings. The constructed micro–nano dual-scale surface using the MCs and AgNPs improved the antifouling and antibacterial properties of UV-PDMS/MCs/Ag coatings. The as-obtained UV-PDMS/MCs/Ag coatings exhibited a static contact angle of about 160°, shear strength of 2.24 MPa, tensile strength of 3.32 MPa and elongation at break of 212%. The synergistic bacteriostatic effects of DCOIT and AgNPs in UV-PDMS/MCs/Ag coatings resulted in a bactericidal rate of 200 μg ml ⁻¹ towards Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with saturation at 100% within 10 min. In sum, the proposed composite coatings look promising for future marine transportation, pipeline networks and undersea facilities.