Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The inherent brittleness arising from atomic close-packing of inorganic ionic minerals significantly limits their potential applications as elastic materials. Inspired by elastomers and tough minerals, we propose a one-dimensional (1D) inorganic ionic polymerization tactic for developing elastic minerals. Guided by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) chains, calcium silicate oligomers (CSO) undergo 1D polymerization, forming highly flexible PVA/CSO ionic-molecular chains. These chains are hierarchically assembled into nanofibers and bundles, which further crosslink to a flexible network. This structure enables the PVA/CSO bulk to maintain high hardness (~0.78 GPa), Young's modulus (~20.63 GPa), and specific strength (~74.53 MPa g⁻¹ cm³), while also achieving elastic recovery after 5000 cycles at 10% strain, hence being termed an elastic mineral. Furthermore, smart elastic minerals have been developed and serve as sensors for real-time warning. The proposed 1D inorganic ionic polymerization tactic breaks the boundaries between minerals and elastomers, paving the way for producing high-performance elastic minerals.
Source: Nature Communications
Authors: Yongjin Du, Zeyu Gong, Ruoyan He, Manfang Hu, Lina Zhou, Wenge Jiang, Yadong Yu, Junbo Gong
Institution: Tianjin University
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Awards: G2448144486, G5035487204, G7791765144
OpenAlex ID: W7162562098
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