A Self-Healing Elastomer Synthesis for Flexible Wet Electrical Connectors Based on Reversible Supramolecular Interactions

A multilayer flexible electrical connector consisting of a conductive core, an insulating shell, and an outer self-healing shell was developed. This paper presents the synthesis and testing of the organic polymer materials constituting each layer, with a particular emphasis on the chemical design and dynamic molecular interactions governing autonomous self-repair.

The conductive core was prepared by incorporating liquid metal fillers into a polymer to achieve efficient current transfer. The outer healing layer was synthesized from a polysiloxane-based elastomer capable of reversible supramolecular interactions, including hydrogen-bonding motifs. The synergistic contribution of these dynamic interactions enabled autonomous recovery from puncture-induced damage. The elastomer was obtained using conventional silicone polymerization and subsequently modified with polar polyamine terminal groups, with the ratio optimized to achieve a balance between mechanical robustness and self-healing kinetics.

Experimental characterization demonstrated that the conductive core satisfied targeted current-transfer requirements. The self-healing polysiloxane coating exhibited substantial structural recovery within several hours after puncture-induced damage under both ambient and aqueous conditions. The pre-designed combination of hydrophobic polysiloxane backbones and polyamine functionalities capable of hydrogen bonding effectively insulated internal conductive core from ingress while promoting self-healing due to reversible supramolecular interactions.

These results demonstrate a molecular design strategy for multifunctional self-healing conductive polymeric systems, providing a promising synthetic approach toward durable, stretchable, and environmentally resilient materials for next-generation flexible electronic applications.