Figure 2: Visualization of macroscopic scratch healing with and without light control. | Nature Communications

Figure 2: Visualization of macroscopic scratch healing with and without light control.

From: Conditional repair by locally switching the thermal healing capability of dynamic covalent polymers with light

Figure 2

Micrographs of a scratched thin film of X@PON, which is healed on heating to 124 °C for 5 min in vacuum (a,e) (dynamic system). After illuminating the right side of the scratched film with a 365 nm LED for 30 min under an argon atmosphere (a,b), the scratch is fixated on heating to 124 °C for 5 min in vacuum (X@POFF, b,c) whereas the healing ability on the left side (X@PON) remains switched ‘on’. The healing ability of X@POFF is regenerated after illumination with a 460 nm LED for 105 min under an argon atmosphere (c,d) and after heating to 124 °C for 5 min in vacuum (d,e). Scale bar, 0.3 mm.

Back to article page