Rigid–Flexible Supramolecular Polyurethane Elastomers for Efficient Photothermal Deicing

Conventional photothermal polymers, however, often suffer from an inherent trade-off between mechanical robustness and functional performance, and many also show limited self-healing ability and poor recyclability. Here, we report a rigid–flexible polyurethane elastomer (TPEA) enabled by a supramolecular cooperative design.

Distinct from conventional approaches that rely on homogeneous segmental associations, our strategy deliberately exploits the intrinsically lower binding energy between flexible and rigid segments, which thermodynamically drives the formation of mismatched intersegment contacts rather than self-association of identical segments. Dynamic hydrogen-bonding motifs derived from adipic dihydrazide (AD) were combined with a rigid cross-linked framework introduced by 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine (TAP), thereby integrating structural stability, energy dissipation, and reversible intermolecular interactions within one network.