Fig. 1: Molecular chemistry of the cephalopod and conceptual design principle of MESHPIE.
From: Ultrafast underwater self-healing piezo-ionic elastomer via dynamic hydrophobic-hydrolytic domains
a Schematics of cephalopod and ring teeth (RT) structures. b The RT proteins within the cephalopod’s suckers consist of numerous hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic cores, which enable self-healing in both ambient and aquatic conditions. The hydrogen bonds self-assemble into segmented semicrystalline morphology (amorphous and β-sheets). c Unique mechanoreceptor NompC composed of tethered ion channels observed in cephalopod’s suckers. d Chemical structure representation of MESHPIE consisting of hydrophobic domain and reversible boronate ester bonds for self-healing in both ambient and aquatic environments. e Schematic illustration depicting the structure of MESHPIE, consisting of hard and soft segments, emulating the RT protein structure of the cephalopod. f Piezo-ionic dynamics (trap and release mechanism) emulating the ion dynamics of the cephalopod. g Representation of the design chemistry of MESHE and ionic liquid.
