Adv Polym Sci (2013) 262: 239–258
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_242
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 6 November 2013
Metallopolymers as an Emerging Class
of Self-Healing Materials
Benedict Sandmann, Stefan Bode, Martin D. Hager, and Ulrich S. Schubert
Abstract Metallopolymers are highly interesting materials with properties combining typical polymeric features with the properties of metal–ligand complexes.
Thereby, the incorporation of different metal complexes into the polymeric material
enables the tuning of the resulting material’s properties. In particular, ionic interactions between charged metal complexes and the corresponding counterions as
well as reversible (switchable) metal–ligand interactions make these materials
potentially interesting as self-healing materials. Compared to other self-healing
polymers, the research on these materials is still in its infancy. This review
summarizes the latest trends in the research regarding this class of materials.
Keywords Ionomers Á Metallopolymers Á Self-healing materials Á Self-healing
polymers Á Supramolecular polymers
This review represents an extension, refocusing, and update of the chapter “Metal-complex based
self-healing polymers” in the book “Self-healing polymers: From principles to applications” (WileyVCH 2013, edited by Wolfgang Binder). Copyright Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.
Reproduced with permission. The book chapter was tailor-made for the special issue of Advances
in Polymer Science: Hierarchical polymer structures: 60 years after the Staudinger Nobel Prize.
B. Sandmann, S. Bode, and M.D. Hager
Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University,
Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7,
07743 Jena, Germany
e-mail: martin.hager@uni-jena.de
U.S. Schubert (*)
Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University,
Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7,
07743 Jena, Germany
Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI), P.O. Box 902, 5600 AX Eindhoven, The Netherlands
e-mail: ulrich.schubert@uni-jena.de
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_242
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 6 November 2013
Metallopolymers as an Emerging Class
of Self-Healing Materials
Benedict Sandmann, Stefan Bode, Martin D. Hager, and Ulrich S. Schubert
Abstract Metallopolymers are highly interesting materials with properties combining typical polymeric features with the properties of metal–ligand complexes.
Thereby, the incorporation of different metal complexes into the polymeric material
enables the tuning of the resulting material’s properties. In particular, ionic interactions between charged metal complexes and the corresponding counterions as
well as reversible (switchable) metal–ligand interactions make these materials
potentially interesting as self-healing materials. Compared to other self-healing
polymers, the research on these materials is still in its infancy. This review
summarizes the latest trends in the research regarding this class of materials.
Keywords Ionomers Á Metallopolymers Á Self-healing materials Á Self-healing
polymers Á Supramolecular polymers
This review represents an extension, refocusing, and update of the chapter “Metal-complex based
self-healing polymers” in the book “Self-healing polymers: From principles to applications” (WileyVCH 2013, edited by Wolfgang Binder). Copyright Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.
Reproduced with permission. The book chapter was tailor-made for the special issue of Advances
in Polymer Science: Hierarchical polymer structures: 60 years after the Staudinger Nobel Prize.
B. Sandmann, S. Bode, and M.D. Hager
Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University,
Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7,
07743 Jena, Germany
e-mail: martin.hager@uni-jena.de
U.S. Schubert (*)
Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University,
Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7,
07743 Jena, Germany
Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI), P.O. Box 902, 5600 AX Eindhoven, The Netherlands
e-mail: ulrich.schubert@uni-jena.de