[LAB Search] Professor Park Jeyoung's Research Team at Sogang University Develops Self-Healing Urethane Material

Professor Park Je-young's research team from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Sogang University has developed a new urethane material that can self-heal even when cut at room temperature. This study was featured as the front cover article in the recent issue of the internationally renowned materials chemistry journal, Journal of Materials Chemistry A.

Professor Park Jeyoung (third from the left) of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Sogang University and her research team, composed of her students, are posing after attending an academic conference.
[Photo by Sogang University]

Conducted in collaboration with Professor Oh Dong-yeop from the Department of Polymer Engineering at Inha University and Professor Kim Hyung-jun from the Department of Chemistry at Incheon National University, this research aimed to develop a new urethane material used in everyday products such as shoes, smartphones, and automobiles. The newly developed urethane material by Professor Park’s team can self-recover about 70-80% of its original structure and function after being left for 6 hours at 35 degrees Celsius when damaged. According to the research team, conventional urethane materials require environments exceeding 100 degrees Celsius to restore their original state. Professor Park said, “This new urethane material was developed by designing polymer chemical structures and controlling hydrogen bonding. Unlike existing urethane materials, it has the advantage of healing wounds at room temperature. People can experience items torn in daily life returning to their original state after being left for a certain period.”

Most notably, the results are close to commercialization. The material not only has self-healing properties but also transparency, making it suitable for many applications. The research team first envisioned various protective films. Moreover, due to the characteristics of urethane materials, which can withstand high temperatures and are both hard and tough, it is expected to have wide versatility. Professor Park said, “We are already developing it as an automotive paint protection film in collaboration with domestic car companies. Because it is transparent and protects the contents inside, it also has value as a protective film product for smartphone screens.”

Professor Park’s team began research on new urethane materials in 2016, announced interim results in 2018 and 2021, and produced complete results this year. In addition to urethane, the team is also researching eco-friendly plastics. They are focusing on finding biodegradable bioplastics that decompose quickly when buried in soil. Although the key focus of this study was recovery rather than decomposition, Professor Park expects it will also have a positive environmental impact. He explained that if people can use urethane products they newly purchase for a long time as if they were new, it can reduce the amount of overflowing waste. Professor Park said, “We will contribute to environmental protection by developing highly durable materials that can be used for as long as possible and materials that quickly return to nature when discarded.”