University Chemistry ›› 2026, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (2): 268-272.doi: 10.12461/PKU.DXHX202501011

Special Issue:

• Science Education • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Mystery of Self-Healing Materials: Breaking the Mirror and Restoring It

Yan Yu1, Zijian Wang1, Hong Wu1,2, Wei Hu1,3   

  1. 1 School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China;
    2 National Demonstration Center for Experimental Chemistry Education (University of Science and Technology of China), Hefei 230026, China;
    3 Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
  • Received:2025-01-06 Accepted:2025-03-18 Published:2025-12-27
  • Contact: Hong Wu, Wei Hu E-mail:wuhong90@ustc.edu.cn;whuustc@ustc.edu.cn

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Abstract: Self-healing materials, a novel class of materials capable of repairing themselves after damage, hold immense potential for diverse applications. Through a dialogue between two university students, Dahua and Xiaoxue, this article explores the chemical principles underlying intrinsic and extrinsic self-healing mechanisms, including reversible reactions, dynamic covalent bonds, and supramolecular interactions. Additionally, it highlights the future development prospects of self-healing materials.

Key words: Self-healing materials, Intrinsic approaches, Extrinsic approaches, Covalent bond, Supramolecular interactions