Current constitutive theories face challenges when predicting the extremely large
deformation and fracture of hydrogels, which calls for the demands to reveal the …

Strain-induced crystallization (SIC) prevalently strengthens, toughens, and enables an
elastocaloric effect in elastomers. However, the crystallinity induced by mechanical …

Fracture is a highly nonlinear problem, especially under a large deformation in cross-linked
elastomers. Existing constitutive theories and fracture models fail to predict the fracture …

Polyureas are known for their remarkable toughness, which originates from the nanoscale
segregated morphology and hydrogen bonding between urea groups. However, the …

Elastomers are used in a wide range of applications because of their large strain to failure,
low density, and tailorable stiffness and toughness. The mechanical behavior of elastomers …

Highly stretchable and self-healable supramolecular elastomers are promising materials for
future soft electronics, biomimetic systems, and smart textiles, due to their dynamic cross …

Polymeric materials in nature regularly employ ordered, hierarchical structures in order to
perform unique and precise functions. Importantly, these structures are often formed and …

We develop a unified framework to describe the hyperelastic and damage behaviors of soft
materials. The free energy density consists of both the crosslinked part of Langevin chains …

Recent studies have established a connection between the macroscopic mechanical
response of polymeric materials and the statistics of the shortest path (SP) length between …

A polymer network fractures by breaking covalent bonds, but the experimentally measured
strength of the polymer network is orders of magnitude lower than the strength of covalent …