Homogenizing chain tensions to extend the lifetime of soft materials

Homogenizing chain tensions to extend the lifetime of soft materials | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Homogenizing chain tensions to extend the lifetime of soft materials Jiheong Kang, Haeseung Lee, Jiyun Kim, Taewon Kang, Hongseok Kim, and 6 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8856699/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Durability—the resistance to both fracture and degradation—is critical for the long-term performance of soft materials and a sustainable society. Fracture resistance of soft materials is typically enhanced through energy dissipation via the rupture of sacrificial chemical or physical networks. These dissipation processes inevitably introduce internal damage, compromising resistance to degradation and fundamentally limiting material lifetime. Here, we report a universal strategy to achieve exceptional durability and ultralong operation lifetimes in soft materials by enhancing fracture resistance through an elastic mechanism without bond scission. Specifically, we design an elastic supramolecular sponge (ESS) that self-assemble, uniformly disperse, and interlink with polymer networks. Upon stretch, ESSs deform adaptively and selectively in response to tension on polymer chains, homogenizing the tension. Consequently, fracture strength, toughness, and fatigue threshold are simultaneously increased without compromising elasticity. For example, 90% of strength retains over 100,000 cycles, which is a 100-fold increase over conventional elastomers. Our strategy is applicable across diverse materials and enables rapid fabrication of durable 3D architectures. Our work offers a viable pathway to improving the long-term durability and extending lifetimes of soft materials, providing a basis for designing more sustainable polymer systems. Physical sciences/Materials science/Soft materials/Polymers Physical sciences/Materials science/Soft materials/Self-assembly Physical sciences/Chemistry/Polymer chemistry/Supramolecular polymers Physical sciences/Chemistry/Polymer chemistry/Mechanical properties Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SILee.pdf Supplementary information Supplementaryvideo1.mp4 Supplementary video 1 Supplementaryvideo2.mp4 Supplementary video 2 Supplementaryvideo3.mp4 Supplementary video 3 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8856699","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":592729215,"identity":"7c366bbc-ffd3-4765-a1ae-a46ec08661f2","order_by":0,"name":"Jiheong 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Fracture resistance of soft materials is typically enhanced through energy dissipation via the rupture of sacrificial chemical\r\nor physical networks. These dissipation processes inevitably introduce internal damage, compromising resistance to degradation and fundamentally limiting material lifetime. Here, we report a universal strategy to achieve exceptional durability and ultralong operation lifetimes in soft materials by enhancing fracture resistance through an elastic mechanism without bond scission. Specifically, we design an elastic supramolecular sponge (ESS) that self-assemble, uniformly disperse, and interlink with polymer networks. Upon stretch, ESSs deform adaptively and selectively in response to tension on polymer chains, homogenizing the tension. Consequently,\r\nfracture strength, toughness, and fatigue threshold are simultaneously increased without compromising elasticity. 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