Engineering Light-responsive Azo-polyurethane Actuators: Integrated Self-healing and Reshaping <italic style="font-style: italic">via</italic> Synergistic Disulfide-hydrogen Bonding

Lin Zhang; Ya-Nan Wang; Xiao-Meng Xiang; Wen-Qian Liu; Hao-Kai Yuan; Yi-Ran Wang; Bin Chen; Hong-Fei Jiang; Jue-Xin Zhao; Lu Wang; Chuan-Yong Zong

doi:10.1007/s10118-025-3518-0

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Engineering Light-responsive Azo-polyurethane Actuators: Integrated Self-healing and Reshaping via Synergistic Disulfide-hydrogen Bonding

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-01-30

- Engineering Light-responsive Azo-polyurethane Actuators: Integrated Self-healing and Reshaping via Synergistic Disulfide-hydrogen Bonding
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 2, Pages: 485-498(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Extreme Environment-tolerant Specialty Chemicals, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
  b.Zonkex Engineering Consulting (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing 100143, China
  c.Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd., Yantai 264006, China
  d.School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Author bio：
  
  chm_wangl@ujn.edu.cn (L.W.)
  chm_zongcy@ujn.edu.cn (C.Y.Z.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-025-3518-0
  CLC：
- Received：26 September 2025，
  
  Revised：2025-11-24，
  
  Accepted：28 November 2025，
  
  Published Online：23 January 2026，
  
  Published：05 February 2026
- Accepted：
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Zhang, L.; Wang, Y. N.; Xiang, X. M.; Liu, W. Q.; Yuan, H. K.; Wang, Y. R.; Chen, B.; Jiang, H. F.; Zhao, J. X.; Wang, L.; Zong, C. Y. Engineering light-responsive azo-polyurethane actuators: integrated self-healing and reshaping via synergistic disulfide-hydrogen bonding. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 485–498

Lin Zhang, Ya-Nan Wang, Xiao-Meng Xiang, et al. Engineering Light-responsive Azo-polyurethane Actuators: Integrated Self-healing and Reshaping via Synergistic Disulfide-hydrogen Bonding[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(2): 485-498.
Zhang, L.; Wang, Y. N.; Xiang, X. M.; Liu, W. Q.; Yuan, H. K.; Wang, Y. R.; Chen, B.; Jiang, H. F.; Zhao, J. X.; Wang, L.; Zong, C. Y. Engineering light-responsive azo-polyurethane actuators: integrated self-healing and reshaping via synergistic disulfide-hydrogen bonding. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 485–498 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3518-0.

Lin Zhang, Ya-Nan Wang, Xiao-Meng Xiang, et al. Engineering Light-responsive Azo-polyurethane Actuators: Integrated Self-healing and Reshaping via Synergistic Disulfide-hydrogen Bonding[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(2): 485-498. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-025-3518-0.

摘要

In this study

azo-functionalized polyurethane (AzoPU) actuators with dynamic disulfide and hierarchical hydrogen bonds were investigated. The material achieved over 93% self-healing efficiency

maintained performance after reshaping

and exhibited rapid photo-triggered bending (>180° in 45 s). This demonstrates the potential of flexible electronics and sustainable functional materials.

Abstract

Azobenzene-based polymer actuators show great promise for photoactuation owing to their unique photoisomerization behavior and tailorable molecular programmability. However

conventional systems are limited by inadequate mechanical robustness

self-healing

and recyclability

hindering their practical implementation. Herein

we present a high-performance azobenzene-funct

ionalized polyurethane (AzoPU) elastomer actuator designed

via

molecular engineering of photoactive azobenzene moieties and dynamic disulfide bonds. AzoPU exhibits exceptional mechanical properties with retained performance after multiple reshaping cycles

enabled by well-engineered hard-soft segments and synergistic stress dissipation from weak covalent bonds/hierarchical hydrogen bonds. It achieves over 93% self-healing efficiency at room temperature owing to the synergistic interplay of disulfide bonds in the polymer backbone and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Furthermore

it demonstrates remarkable light-triggered actuation behavior

achieving a phototropic bending angle exceeding 180° toward the light source within 45 s. To showcase its practical potential

proof-of-concept photoactuated devices with flower-

hook-

and gripper-like and local-orientation processed strip-shaped structures were fabricated

which exhibited rapid and reversible light-triggered deformation. This study proposes a novel strategy for the development of intelligent polymeric materials that integrate light responsiveness

self-healing

and recyclability

thus holding great promise for applications in flexible electronics

smart actuators

and sustainable functional materials.

关键词

Keywords

references

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Laboratory of Waterborne Coating, Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University

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Engineering Light-responsive Azo-polyurethane Actuators: Integrated Self-healing and Reshaping via Synergistic Disulfide-hydrogen Bonding

DOI：10.1007/s10118-025-3518-0

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Abstract

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